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Virginia Resolutions
The Virginia Resolves were a series of resolutions passed by the Virginia General Assembly in response to the Stamp Act of 1765. The Stamp Act had been passed by the British Parliament to help pay off some of its debt from its various wars, including the French and Indian War fought in part to protect the American colonies. -
John Adams
In 1770, Adams defended British soldiers accused of killing five colonists on Boston Green in what became known as the Boston Massacre. Even though he disagreed with British policies, he wanted to ensure the British soldiers got a fair trial. -
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Articles of Confederation
the end of american revolutionDuring the 20-day seige, 16,000 French and American soldiers closed in on the 8000-man British force. The redcoats surrendered on October 19, 1781. -
-End of the American Revolution
the end of american revolutionDuring the 20-day seige, 16,000 French and American soldiers closed in on the 8000-man British force. The redcoats surrendered on October 19, 1781. -
Ratification of the Constitution
During the first session of the First Congress, among other things, Madison urged that the Congress endorse the incorporation of a bill of rights into the Constitution. Federalists and anti-federalists stuggled over the principles of the new constitution. But the promise of adding a bill of rights brough about ratification. -
George Washinton takes office of President
Despite being a member of the Federalist Party, Washington was immensely popular as a war hero and was an obvious choice as the first president for both federalists and anti-federalists. He was unanimously elected by the 69 electors. His runner up, John Adams, was named Vice President. -
Alien Sedition Acts
The Alien and Sedition Acts were four bills passed in 1798 by the Federalists in the 5th United States Congress in the aftermath of the French Revolution's reign of terror and during an undeclared naval war with France, later known as the Quasi-War. They were signed into law by President John Adams. Opposition to Federalists among Democratic-Republicans reached new heights at this time since the Democratic-Republicans had supported France. -
Whiskey Rebellion
was a tax protest in the United States in the 1790s, during the presidency of George Washington. Farmers who sold their corn in the form of whiskey had to pay a new tax which they strongly resented. The tax was a part of treasury secretary Alexander Hamilton's program to pay off the national debt. -
Battle of Fallen Timbers
was the final battle of the Northwest Indian War, a struggle between American Indian tribes affiliated with the Western Confederacy and the United States for control of the Northwest Territory (an area bounded on the south by the Ohio River, on the west by the Mississippi River, and on the northeast by the Great Lakes). The battle, which was a decisive victory for the United Stat.es -
Jay's Treaty
The Treaty eliminated British control of western posts within two years, established America's claim for damages from British ship seizures, and provided Jay's Treaty was signed, averting the threat of war. -
Pinckney's Treaty
also known as the Treaty of San Lorenzo or the Treaty of Madrid, was signed in San Lorenzo de El Escorial and established intentions of friendship between the United States and Spain. -
George Washinton leaves office
Washington did not run a third time. He retired to Mount Vernon. He was again asked to be the American commander if the US went to war with France over the XYZ affair. However, fighting never occurred on land and he did not have to serve. -
X, Y, Z Affair with France
This was a diplomatic episode during the administration of John Adams that Americans interpreted as an insult from France. It led to an undeclared naval war called the Quasi-War, which raged at sea from 1797 to 1800. The Federalist Party took advantage of the national anger to build an army and pass the Alien and Sedition Acts to damage the rival Democratic Republican Party. -
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Alexander Hamilton
major general of the army (essentially placing him in command since Washington could not leave Mt. Vernon). If full scale war broke out with France, Hamilton argued that the army should conquer the North American colonies of France's ally, Spain, bordering the United States. -
election of1800
It was sometimes referred to as the "Revolution of 1800," Vice-President Thomas Jefferson defeated incumbent President John Adams. The election was a realigning election that ushered in a generation of Democratic-Republican Party rule and the eventual demise of the Federalist Party in the First Party System. -
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Barbary Wars
They were a series of wars between the United States of America and the Barbary States of North Africa in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. At issue was the Barbary pirates' demand of tribute from American merchant vessels in the Mediterranean Sea. If ships failed to pay, pirates would attack the ships and take their goods, and often hold crew for ransom. United States naval power attacked the fortified pirate cities and extracted concessions of fair passage from their rulers. -
Marbury vs. Madison
It is a landmark case in United States law and in the history of law worldwide. It formed the basis for the exercise of judicial review in the United States under Article III of the Constitution. It was also the first time in Western history a court invalidated a law by declaring it "unconstitutional", a process called judicial review. -
Louisiana Purchase
was the acquisition by the United States of America of 828,800 square miles of France's claim to the territory of Louisiana in 1803. The U.S. paid 60 million francs ($11,250,000) plus cancellation of debts worth 18 million francs ($3,750,000), for a total sum of 15 million dollars (less than 3 cents per acre) for the Louisiana territory ($219 million in 2010 dollars, less than 42 cents per acre).[ -
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson was the third President of the United States. He expanded American borders with the Lousiana Purchase, funded the exploration of the West (Lewis and Clark). and dramatically expanded the power of the Presidency. -
Lewis and Clark
It was the first transcontinental expedition to the Pacific Coast by the United States. Commissioned by President Thomas Jefferson and led by two Virginia-born veterans of Indian wars in the Ohio Valley, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, the expedition had several goals. Their objects were both scientific and commercial – to study the area's plants, animal life, and geography, and to discover how the region could be exploited economically. -
British Impressment
The British navy consistently suffered manpower shortages due to the low pay and a lack of qualified seamen. During wartime the navy forced unwilling individuals into service. -
War of 1812
was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant sailors into the Royal Navy, British support of American Indian tribes against American expansion, and over national honour after humiliations on the high seas. Tied down in Europe until 1814, the British at first used d
