The Young Republic

After war with England, the founders focused on establishing a form of governance for the new country and expanding its borders. The Louisiana Purchase doubled the area of the U.S. and the area’s resources added to the wealth of the new country. The new nation was tested with another war with Britain, the War of 1812. As the U.S. pushed westward, battles with Native peoples in the Ohio River valley, Indiana, and southern states resulted in the extirpation of many tribes from those areas.

Articles of Confederation - Richard Henry Lee introduced a historic resolution to the Second Continental Congress in June 1776, that called for that body’s endorsement of independence.... Continue Reading
Constitutional Convention - Even before Shays’ Rebellion, prominent Americans were thinking of means to strengthen the Articles of Confederation. James Madison and others met with George Washington at Mount Vernon in 1785, to di... Continue Reading
Washington - George Washington, commander-in-chief of the Continental Army and first president of the United States, was born in Westmoreland County, Virginia.... Continue Reading
Hamilton - Alexander Hamilton was born on January 11, 1755, on the island of Nevis in the West Indies.... Continue Reading and the Federalists - The Federalists were originally those forces in favor of the ratification of the Constitution (text) and were typified by:... Continue Reading
Shays` Rebellion - A wave of farm foreclosures in western Massachusetts swept the young republic to its first episode in class struggle.... Continue Reading
Jefferson - Thomas Jefferson, America's third president and leading political thinker, was born at Shadwell in Albemarle County, Virginia.... Continue Reading and the Republicans - The Jeffersonian Republicans placed their faith in the virtues of an agrarian democracy.... Continue Reading
Eli Whitney - Eli Whitney was born in Westboro, Massachusetts, on December 8, 1765. Young Eli showed an interest in mechanics and engineering. While still in his teens, he developed a shop on his father's farm wher... Continue Reading
Samuel Slater - Samuel Slater was born in Derbyshire, England, the son of a successful farmer and landowner.... Continue Reading
Whiskey Rebellion - Unrest existed in many areas of the West, particularly west of the Alleghenies.... Continue Reading
Battle of Fallen Timbers - Not all of President Washington's problems were confined to creating the mechanisms of a new government or establishing a place for the young republic among the world's powers.... Continue Reading
Alien and Sedition Acts - In 1798, the Federalist-controlled Congress passed a series of laws which, on the surface, were designed to control the activities of foreigners in the United States during a time of impending war.... Continue Reading
Revolution of 1800 - Some observers have regarded Jefferson's election in 1800 as revolutionary.... Continue Reading
Louisiana Purchase - The Louisiana region once encompassed an area much larger than the present state.... Continue Reading
Lewis and Clark - On January 18, 1803, President Thomas Jefferson requested ,500 from Congress for exploration of the trans-Mississippi west, which was approved on February 28.... Continue Reading
Battle of Tippecanoe - Following the signing of the Treaty of Greenville in summer 1795, relative peace prevailed between the white settlers and the natives of the Old Northwest.... Continue Reading
War of 1812 - The following is a chronological description of major events and battles that occurred before, during, and after the United States’ conflict with Great Britain for the rights of North American territo... Continue Reading
Treaty of Ghent - American victories at Plattsburg and Fort McHenry influenced the British to take the ongoing peace talks at Ghent, Belgium, more seriously.... Continue Reading
Battle of New Orleans - Before peace was concluded in December 1814, the British launched an effort to seize a portion of southern Louisiana, including the prized city of New Orleans.... Continue Reading