French and british continued to kidnap american sailors, so Adams sent ministers to negotiate. When they arrived, 3 agents demanded a bribe just to speak to the foreign minister. John Adams almost declared war.
Failures of the articles of confederation
France and others wanted their debt paid back, yet the national government didn’t have money. States had individual economies that didn’t collaborate.
Stamp act
All paper products sold in the colonies had to be stamped and pay a small tax. It spurred on revolutionary ideals.
7 years war
A dispute over a french fort spiraled into a global conflict. Indigenous tribes tried to play Britain and France off of each other.
alien laws
authorized the president to deport "aliens" and permitted their arrest imprisonment and deportation during war time
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
The Albany conference
Meeting between leaders of 7 colonies to create a plan for joint defense and administration of the colonies. "Join or die"
Townshend Acts
In opposing the stamp act, the colonists said trade should be regulated instead. Parliament passed the townshend acts and began taxing imports and exports.
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
Jay treaty
Fries rebellion
the Compromise of 1790
Jefferson and Hamilton agreed to pass Hamilton's financial plan in exchange for making Washington D.C. the Capital of the country
civic virtue
the character of a good participant in a system of gov
Sugar act
Common sense
Attacked the obstacles to independence. It was the best selling work in American history because it presented his ideas in a vernacular way.
First contested election in American history, won by John Adams (Washington's vice president)
Philadelphia convention
Declaratory act
Parliament repealed the stamp act, but enacted the declaratory act, saying they could pass any law they wanted.
Battle of Bunker hill
British won, but had many casualties. They eventually abandoned Boston
Democratic Republicans
Weak national government
Virtual representation
The idea that each representative in parliament represented the empire as a whole, and therefore, the colonies were represented.
Articles of confederation
Looked to balance national coordination and states rights to prevent tyranny. It featured a unicameral legislature, but the federal government had no money and no military
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.
Whiskey rebellion
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
First political parties
Divisions over neutrality in the French revolution, the Jay treaty, the financial plan, and existing sectionalism created the first political parties.
British impressment
The British continued to kidnap american sailors. Washington sent John Jay to london to negotiate
Delegates met in New York to send the "declaration of rights & grievances" to the king. They also organized a boycott of British goods.
The division of powers between different levels of government.
Proclamation of 1763
Britain didn't want to spend more money defending the colonies from the natives, so they banned settling beyond the Appalachian mountains
the idea that women needed to become educated so that they could educate the new generation
