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1791
James Madison wrote the Bill of Rights and helped get them passed by Congress. It was the first ten amendments to the US Constitution, guaranteeing rights like the freedom of speech, assembly, and religion. -
1793
When Washington's first administration had ended, two political groups had appeared: Jeffersonian Democratic-Republicans and Hamilton Federalists.
Jeffersonian Democratic-Republicans: supported states' rights and a smaller government
Hamilton Federalists: supported a powerful federal government -
1803
Robert Livingston negotiated in Paris for the Louisiana land area. He signed a treaty on April 30, 1803, giving Louisiana to the United States for $15 million. The Americans had signed 3 treaties and gotten much land to the west of the Mississippi. This was known as the Louisiana Purchase. -
1807
Jefferson passed the Embargo Act, which banned the exportation of any goods to any countries. Jefferson planned to force France and England to respect America and its citizens. The embargo significantly hurt the profits of U.S. merchants and was hated by Americans. -
1816
Congress created the 1st protective tariff. The tariff placed a 20-25% tax on the value of dutiable imports. This tax increased over time.
Henry Clay created a plan for developing a profitable U.S. economy. He called it the American System. It had 3 main parts: a strong banking system, a protective tariff, and a network of roads and canals that would transport raw materials across the country. -
1823
President Monroe warned the European powers; its two components were non-colonization and nonintervention. Many people ignored it at first. Monroe stated that the era of colonization in the Americas was over. Monroe also warned against foreign intervention. He warned Britain to stay out of the Western Hemisphere, and stated that the United States would not intervene in foreign wars.