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
Politics was very negative with the rise of political parties, political violence, and deep political divisions
2nd Continental Congress
Election of 1797
First contested election in American history, won by John Adams (Washington's vice president)
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.
sedition act
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
A dispute over a French fort spiraled into a global conflict. Indigenous tribes tried to play Britain and France off of each other.
Virtual representation
The idea that each representative in parliament represented the empire as a whole, and therefore, the colonies were represented.
Declaration of Independence
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
Olive branch petition
Congress wanted king George to intervene on their behalf and end the violence. He didn’t read it.
Thomas Gage
The new appointed governor of Massachusetts who began to strictly enforce parliaments laws
Failures of the articles of confederation
civic virtue
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.
All paper products sold in the colonies had to be stamped and pay a small tax. It spurred on revolutionary ideals.
The British continued to kidnap american sailors. Washington sent John Jay to london to negotiate
Democratic Republicans
Weak national government
Federalists
The middle ground
The areas where both colonists and native people would trade and coexist
Declaratory act
Britain didn't want to spend more money defending the colonies from the natives, so they banned settling beyond the Appalachian mountains
The Albany conference
Meeting between leaders of 7 colonies to create a plan for joint defense and administration of the colonies. "Join or die"
Boston massacre
Parliament sent 1,000 troops to boston to enforce the townshend acts. Protesters began throwing snowballs, and eventually rocks at a group of soldiers. Someone fired a shot, and the soldiers killed 5 protesters
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
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.
Checks and balances
Different branches of government could check each other to prevent abuse of power.
Annapolis convention
First political parties
Divisions over neutrality in the French revolution, the Jay treaty, the financial plan, and existing sectionalism created the first political parties.
Shay’s rebellion
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.
Congress would have 2 houses, one with equal representation and one with population based representation.
