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.
British impressment
The British continued to kidnap american sailors. Washington sent John Jay to london to negotiate
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
First political parties
Election of 1797
First contested election in American history, won by John Adams (Washington's vice president)
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.
Annapolis convention
Secret meeting between delegates of 6 states to discuss how to fix the articles of confederation
Reduced the tax on molasses, but strengthened the court system to end smuggling, making many wealthy smugglers angry.
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
British troops marched to take a militia's weapons. They we're beaten back and chased back to boston by militia minutemen
Ethan Allen and the Green mountain boys surround fort Ticonderoga, steal it's cannons, and bring them back to Boston
Parliament repealed the stamp act, but enacted the declaratory act, saying they could pass any law they wanted.
France and others wanted their debt paid back, yet the national government didn’t have money. States had individual economies that didn’t collaborate.
George Washington's Presidency
Weak national government
Age of passion
Politics was very negative with the rise of political parties, political violence, and deep political divisions
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
Checks and balances
2nd Continental Congress
How would the colonists win? George Washington would lead an army
How would they pay for it? New currency
Congress would have 2 houses, one with equal representation and one with population based representation.
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
Hamilton's financial plan
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
All paper products sold in the colonies had to be stamped and pay a small tax. It spurred on revolutionary ideals.
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.
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
Federalism
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.
The Virginia plan
The plan for representation favored by large states. It called for 2 houses with population based representation and a strong national government.
Federalists
Strong national government
Britain didn't want to spend more money defending the colonies from the natives, so they banned settling beyond the Appalachian mountains
