The Albany conference
Meeting between leaders of 7 colonies to create a plan for joint defense and administration of the colonies. "Join or die"
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.
Colonial attitude towards independence
They didn’t want it. Initially the revolution was a petition to get the same rights as other British citizens
Stamp act congress
Delegates met in New York to send the "declaration of rights & grievances" to the king. They also organized a boycott of British goods.
Battle of Bunker hill
British won, but had many casualties. They eventually abandoned Boston
George Washington's Presidency
Established many precedents for the office of the president. Created a cabinet-style government, appointed cabinet officials based on merit, and stepped down after 2 terms
The New Jersey plan
The plan for representation favored by small states. It called for 1 house of Congress with each state getting equal representation.
XYZ affair
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.
Divisions over neutrality in the French revolution, the Jay treaty, the financial plan, and existing sectionalism created the first political parties.
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.
7 years war
Virtual representation
British troops marched to take a militia's weapons. They we're beaten back and chased back to boston by militia minutemen
Declaratory act
civic virtue
the character of a good participant in a system of gov
The middle ground
The areas where both colonists and native people would trade and coexist
Failures of the articles of confederation
Democratic Republicans
2nd Continental Congress
How would the colonists win? George Washington would lead an army
How would they pay for it? New currency
Written by Thomas Jefferson. Declared the colonies an independent country from Britain. Included a statement of intent, list of grievances, and a conclusion that dissolved ties with Britain
applied restrictions to immigration and speech in US made it a crime for americans to print, utter, or publish any false, scandalous, malicious writing about the government
In opposing the stamp act, the colonists said trade should be regulated instead. Parliament passed the townshend acts and began taxing imports and exports.
republican motherhood
Reduced the tax on molasses, but strengthened the court system to end smuggling, making many wealthy smugglers angry.
Checks and balances
Different branches of government could check each other to prevent abuse of power.
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
Federalism
The plan for representation favored by large states. It called for 2 houses with population based representation and a strong national government.
