Timeline
Four Worlds
Primary Sources
Summary: This is a speech given by John Quincy Adams to the people of the United States. He states that America was founded with the ideals of freedom, liberty, and a lawful government. Adams also states that America supports peace among other nations and she encourages freedom for all; however he also mentions that America will maintain her own independence and she will keep out of the European nations' problems.
Significance: This is significant because Adams is echoing Washington’s ideals and the ideals of the Monroe Doctrine. Adams seem to understand that the United States should not get involved in the affairs of others, because then she will not be a beacon of freedom, but a dictator; which would make her no better than the other world powers. Adams alludes to the idea of fighting only for defense, clearly blaming Britain for the War of 1812. Kelsey O. Summary: James Monroe and Robert R. Livingston were sent to Paris to act as ambassadors and negotiate a deal for America’s acquisition of New Orleans. Originally France was going to utilize the American land they claimed to build a French empire in America. However, France’s plans were stymied due to other current impending conflicts, such as war with England. Instead, France offered up over 800,000 acres of land to the west of New Orleans for a cost of $15 million. Though, the current president, Thomas Jefferson believed the purchase was unconstitutional and out of their budget, the land would more than double the size of the current United States. Reluctantly, he approved the transaction and the United States gained an immense amount of land as well as trade access to the port of New Orleans and free transit upon the Mississippi River.
Significance: Quite possibly the best solidified deal for land in history (about a dollar per acre of land), the Louisiana Purchase set up the United States for trade with the outside world. As the document conveys, the Purchase ceded all land west of and including New Orleans for the significant cost of $15 million to the United States. This allowed America to gain more influence over trading controlling the Mississippi River and the port of New Orleans. Moreover, France willingly offered America their land in hopes it would strengthen them rather than England or Spain, whom they had previously had disputes with. Tommy E. |
Summary: The idea of this speech is to explain to all of the delegates that everything that Franklin wanted on the Constitution was not there but he was not complaining about it. Franklin said that because of his experiences in life not everything that he thinks of turns out to be exactly perfect and vise versa. He then says that it is a good thing that everything is not there because it would probably pull the country apart as much as the Constitution is bringing it together. Finally Franklin pleads with the delegates to leave everything that was said in the room behind them so they do not influence peoples vote or the foreign perception.
Significance: The significance of Franklins speech is that the delegates need to hold themselves to a higher standard in order to keep the public views in check. He wants them to realize that they are nothing special and are just people controlling the outcome and perception of a new country so they should try their best to keep their personal agendas out of it and focus on the good of the people. Unfortunately the Congress men nowadays have lost the meaning of these words. Chris S. Summary: Francis Scott Key was involved in the War of 1812. Being a witness of the bombardment of Fort McHenry, he noticed the American flag was still posted and flying strong for all to admire and be proud of. He then wrote a poem about it, and developed a tune to make it a nation anthem all American’s are proud to sing.
Significance: The flag represents that no matter how many times America can get pushed around and bombarded, they will still remain standing strong. It exemplifies the unity the country has as being the “land of the free and home of the brave” in which they establish they are proud to bear their morals on their sleeves to assure everyone else of all they have gone through. It also resembles the tone Americans had at the time which was to be proud to be their freedom and bravery to fight for what they deserve. Natalie M. |
Trigger Words
Alien & Sedition Acts
In 1798 the Federalist Congress passed the four acts collectively known as the Alien and Sedition Acts to attack the Republican party and suppress dissent against Federalist policies. The Acts curtailed freedom of speech and the liberty of foreigners resident in the United States.
American System
Intended to protect domestic manufacturers from foreign competition, the American System was the brainchild of Kentucky Congressman Henry Clay. It involved a political trade-off: In return for eastern support for federal aid to railroad and canal construction, the West would back protective tariffs. This arrangement would stimulate manufacturing and a demand for raw materials, and increase the market for manufactured goods.
Articles of Confederation
The Articles (ratified in 1781) were the United States's first constitution. They sharply limited central authority by denying the national government any coercive power including the power to tax and to regulate trade. The articles set up the loose confederation of states that comprised the first national government from 1781 to 1788.
Three-fifths Compromise
The Founding Fathers agreed that three-fifths of all slaves should be counted for purposes of both deciding a state's obligation for a direct federal tax, and for determining its population for representation in the House of Representatives.
McCulloch vs. Maryland
In "McCulloch v. Maryland" (1819), the Supreme Court ruled that the second Bank of the United States was constitutional, thus affirming the doctrine of implied powers. The case also determined that "the power to tax involves the power to destroy," thus state governments could not tax a federal agency like the Bank.
Missouri Compromise
In 1820, after angry debate in Congress, Missouri entered the Union as a slave state, and Maine was admitted as a free state to preserve the balance of slave and free states in the Union. Also, slavery was banned from that part of the Louisiana Territory north of 36° 30'.
Northwest Ordinance
The Northwest Ordinance of 1787 established governments in America's northwestern territories, established a procedure for their admission to statehood, and prohibited slavery north of the Ohio River. This legislation passed by Congress under the Articles of Confederation provided the model for the incorporation of future territories into the Union as coequal states
Revolution 1800
A dramatic change was made in political parties during the presidential election. Thomas Jefferson defeated Adams in which the government made a change from Fedralist rule to Democratic-Republican.
Era of Good Feelings
The Era of Good Feeling lasted from 1817 to 1823 in which the disappearance of the Federalists enabled the Republicans to govern in a spirit of seemingly nonpartisan harmony.
Embargo Act
The 1807 Embargo Act was provoked by the "Chesapeake" incident and prohibited all exports from U.S. ports. President Jefferson hoped to pressure Britain and France into recognizing neutral rights, but the embargo damaged the economy and was bitterly resented, especially in New England
Land Ordinance Act of 1785
The Ordinance of 1785 provided for the surveying and selling of America's western territories; it created the grid system of surveys by which all subsequent public land was made available for sale. It favored speculative land development companies, but it promoted nationalism.
Louisiana Purchase
In 1803 the United States purchased the Louisiana Territory from Napoleonic France for $15 million. The purchase secured U.S. control of the Mississippi River and nearly doubled the size of the nation.
Marbury vs. Madison
In 1803 the Supreme Court ruled the Judiciary Act of 1789 unconstitutional. The "Marbury v. Madison" case established the precedent for judicial review of federal laws.
Shays's Rebellion
Daniel Shays, a veteran of the Battle of Bunker Hill, led an armed rebellion of western Massachusetts farmers to prevent state courts from foreclosing on debtors unable to pay their taxes. The rebellion convinced nationalists that to suppress or inhibit such rebellions, the nation needed a stronger national government.
War of 1812
The United States and Britain fought this war from June 1812 to January 1815 largely over British restrictions on American shipping.
Whiskey Rebellion
Western Pennsylvania farmers violently resisted paying the whiskey tax imposed by Hamilton's financial program. In 1794 they threatened to destroy Pittsburgh. Washington and Hamilton marshalled the full force of the army to suppress the rebellion, but the rebels had dispersed by the time the army arrived.
Virginia Resolution
less extreme statement (than the Kentucky Resolution) written by James Madison and adopted by the legislature of Virginia in 1798; compact theory; written to nullify Alien and Sedition Acts; later used by southerners to support secession