Articles of Confederation and the Constitution

Chapter 1: The Articles of Confederation and the Need for a New Government

• The Articles of Confederation, established in 1781, created a weak central government.
• States held most power under the Articles.
• Congress could make laws, declare war, and print money, but couldn't tax, regulate trade, or enforce laws.
• Debt and inability to pay soldiers from the Revolution plagued the nation.
• Land Ordinance of 1785: Divided western land into townships for settlement, including some land for public schools.
• Northwest Ordinance of 1787: Set a process for new territories to become states and banned slavery in the Northwest Territory.
• Shays's Rebellion (1786-1787): Farmers led by Daniel Shays rebelled against high taxes and debt.
• The rebellion exposed the weakness of the Articles of Confederation, showing the national government's inability to maintain order.

Chapter 2: The Constitutional Convention and the U.S. Constitution

• In 1787, the Constitutional Convention met in Philadelphia to revise the Articles but instead created a new Constitution.
• Representation in Congress was a major issue, with large states favoring population-based representation and small states wanting equal votes.
• The Great Compromise established a two-house Congress: Senate (equal representation per state) and House of Representatives (representation based on population).
• The Three-Fifths Compromise counted enslaved people as three-fifths of a person for representation purposes.
• The Commerce Compromise allowed Congress to regulate trade but prohibited taxes on exports and restricted interference with the slave trade for 20 years.
• Checks and Balances were built into the Constitution to prevent any one branch of government from becoming too powerful.
• The Bill of Rights (1791), comprising the first 10 amendments, protected freedoms like speech, religion, and trial rights.

Chapter 3: Washington’s Presidency and the Challenges of a New Nation

• George Washington became the first U.S. president in 1789.
• Washington created a Cabinet, with advisors such as Alexander Hamilton (Treasury) and Thomas Jefferson (State).
• The Judiciary Act of 1789 established the Supreme Court and lower federal courts.
• Hamilton's Economic Plan proposed paying off state debts, creating a national bank, and increasing taxes. This plan sparked a compromise centered around locating the capital in Washington D.C.
• The Whiskey Rebellion (1794): Farmers rebelled against a tax on whiskey. Washington sent the army to quell the rebellion, demonstrating the strength of the new government.
• The Neutrality Proclamation (1793) declared the U.S. would remain neutral in the war between Britain and France.

Chapter 4: John Adams and the Rise of Political Parties

• Political parties emerged, with the Federalists (led by Hamilton) wanting a strong central government and an industrial economy, and Democratic-Republicans (led by Jefferson) favoring states' rights and a farming economy.
• The XYZ Affair (1797-1798) involved French agents demanding bribes from U.S. diplomats, leading to anti-French sentiment and calls for war.
• The Alien and Sedition Acts (1798) made it harder for immigrants to become citizens and restricted criticism of the government, respectively.
• The Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions (1798-1799) argued that states could ignore unconstitutional federal laws (nullification).

Chapter 5: The Jefferson Presidency and the Louisiana Purchase

• Jefferson reduced taxes and military spending to limit government power.
• The Louisiana Purchase (1803): The U.S. purchased Louisiana from France for $15 million, doubling its size.
• Marbury v. Madison (1803) established judicial review, giving the Supreme Court the power to declare laws unconstitutional.