French revolution
Ambassador from France came to America to encourage Americans to side with the French. Washington declared neutrality, but the ambassador remained in America to not get beheaded back home.
1) Establish the U.S. credit worthiness 2) Unify the states' debt 3) Create a national bank 4) Whiskey tax to pay for the revolution 5) Establish tariffs to protect american businesses
They didn’t want it. Initially the revolution was a petition to get the same rights as other British citizens
Boston massacre
violent tax protest from 1791-1794.
the whiskey was the first tax imposed on a domestic product by president Washington to pay for the war. It unfairly burdened poor farmers west of the Appalachian mountains because they couldn't do business anymore
civic virtue
George Washington's Presidency
Townshend Acts
They viewed the colonies as subordinates. They had spent billions on defending them, and thought they'd want to help pay the debt.
pinckney's treaty
Annapolis convention
Secret meeting between delegates of 6 states to discuss how to fix the articles of confederation
The Albany conference
sedition act
Election of 1797
First contested election in American history, won by John Adams (Washington's vice president)
Jay treaty
Britain agreed to abandon outposts on the western frontier. In return the U.S. would favor trade with Britian. However, the treaty failed to address the british kidnapping, and American hatred of Britian caused riots.
British impressment
The British continued to kidnap american sailors. Washington sent John Jay to london to negotiate
Britain didn't want to spend more money defending the colonies from the natives, so they banned settling beyond the Appalachian mountains
virginia and kentucky resolutions
drafted by thomas jefferson and james madison, claimed that alien and sedition acts were unconstitutional and overstepped federal authority under the constitition, and could therefore be nullified by the states
Articles of confederation
The plan for representation favored by large states. It called for 2 houses with population based representation and a strong national government.
Farmers had to take debt because they weren’t getting paid. Their land was being repossessed so they rebelled and closed the courts. They used Republican ideals to justify it.
The plan for representation favored by small states. It called for 1 house of Congress with each state getting equal representation.
Stamp act
All paper products sold in the colonies had to be stamped and pay a small tax. It spurred on revolutionary ideals.
A dispute over a french fort spiraled into a global conflict. Indigenous tribes tried to play Britain and France off of each other.
How would the colonists win? George Washington would lead an army
How would they pay for it? New currency
alien laws
First political parties
Divisions over neutrality in the French revolution, the Jay treaty, the financial plan, and existing sectionalism created the first political parties.
Lexington and Concorde
British troops marched to take a militia's weapons. They we're beaten back and chased back to boston by militia minutemen
Delegates met in New York to send the "declaration of rights & grievances" to the king. They also organized a boycott of British goods.
Declaratory act
Parliament repealed the stamp act, but enacted the declaratory act, saying they could pass any law they wanted.
