United States History Honors – EOC Study Guide “Cheat” Sheet
The Early Republic (1789-1802)
1789 – George Washington Elected President
Judiciary Act of 1789 – Established the Supreme Court
French Revolution – Federalists oppose it, Anti-Federalists support (U.S. Neutral)
1790 – Rhode Island becomes 9th state to officially ratify the Constitution
1791 – Alexander Hamilton creates Bank of the United States (opposed by Jefferson)
– All states unanimously ratify the Bill of Rights
1793 – Proclamation of American Neutrality (by George Washington) – keeps America neutral after
France declares war on Britain, Spain, and Holland (example of U.S. foreign policy)
- Fugitive Slave Act – illegal to help slaves escape
- Eli Whitney invents Cotton Gin - **Creates massive increase of slaves in the South
1794 – Whiskey Rebellion – 1st time U.S. Government uses Federal troops to subdue domestic issues
(Farmers did not like new excise taxes)
1795 – Treaty of Greenville – U.S. cheaply pays 12 Native American tribes for Ohio territory
- Pinckney Treaty – Spain gives U.S. navigation rights on Mississippi River, New Orleans
1796 – John Adams (Federalist) defeats Thomas Jefferson (Republican) in first contested Presidential
Election; Jefferson becomes Vice President
1797 - XYZ Affair – French try to extort U.S. for diplomatic meetings – public wants war
1798 – Alien & Sedition Acts – expands Gov’t power, limit dissent and weakening of Gov’t, ruled
unconstitutional
-Kentucky & Virginia Resolutions – increase state rights over Federal rights, written by Thomas
Jefferson and James Madison
1799 – 2nd Great Awakening – major religious reform movement; helps increase abolition
1800 – Thomas Jefferson defeats John Adams (controversy); Aaron Burr is VP
-Alexander Hamilton suggests U.S. capital moves to Washington, D.C. (move helps gain
Southern support for Hamilton’s economics)
1801 – John Marshall becomes first chief justice of the Supreme Court
-Judiciary Act/Midnight Judges – Adams attempt to secure the Federalist party days before he
is to leave office by appointing Federalists into office
Westward Expansion and Strained Neutrality (1803-1811)
-1803- Marbury vs. Madison establishes Judicial Review
-1803 – Louisana Purchase – not known to Jefferson if it was constitutional to annex land, Congress
approves purchase from France, doubles the size of U.S.
Lewis and Clark Expedition sets to survey land of Louisana Purchase (Sacagawea guided)
Aaron Burr kills Alexander Hamilton in a duel
-1807 – Embargo Act – placed by Jefferson on Britain/France; fails – hurts U.S. economy
-1808 – James Madison elected President
-1809 – Tecumseh establishes union of Native Americans to resist westward movement of U.S.
-1811 – William Henry Harrison leads attack on Tecumseh at Battle of Tippecanoe (wins)
War of 1812 (1812-1815)
-Congress declares war on Britain (issues – impressments, blockades, economy, Native Americans)
-Native Americans begin attacking U.S. settlers (weapons provided by Britain)
-Treat of Ghent ends War of 1812
-Harford Convention – New England’s states threaten secession; Federalist Party is no more
-‘Era of Good Feelings’ (one party politics) begins in the U.S. – U.S independence finally confirmed –
Good relations with Britain begins (i.e. sharing of Oregon Territory)
