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| 1789–90 |
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| The Roman Catholic Church was established in the new U.S. with the creation of the Diocese of Baltimore and the founding of Georgetown College (now Georgetown University) in 1789 and St. Mary's Seminary in 1791. | 1 |
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| 1790, Jan.–1791, Dec |
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| Formulation of Alexander Hamilton's fiscal policies. These included the Funding Bill, authorizing the treasury to accept old securities at par in payment for new bonds, bearing interest; the Assumption Bill, providing for federal assumption of the debts of the states; the Bank of the United States; and an excise tax. In his Report on Manufactures, Hamilton argued cogently for tariff protection, but the tariff, first imposed in 1789, remained primarily a revenue measure. | 2 |
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| 1791–1814 |
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| Economic developments. In 1791 Samuel Slater and Moses Brown successfully applied power-driven machinery to the spinning of cotton yarn at Pawtucket, R.I. This is commonly considered the introduction of the factory system and the beginning of the Industrial Revolution in the United States. In 1793 Eli Whitney introduced the cotton gin, which, by rendering profitable the cultivation of short-staple cotton in the uplands of the South, had a revolutionizing influence on the South and on the slavery problem. | 3 |
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| 1792 |
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| Political parties made their appearance, largely because of differences of opinion with respect to Hamilton's policies. Thomas Jefferson, who became the leader of the Republican (later the Democratic) Party, felt that Hamilton's policies were designed in the interest of financial and commercial groups and were inimical to the agrarian elements. Hamilton and John Adams became the leaders of the Federalist Party. | 4 |
| Washington and Adams were reelected. With the outbreak of war in Europe between Britain and France, the latter sent Edmond Genet as minister to the United States. His efforts to commit the United States to the support of France, even to the point of appealing from the president to the people, forced Washington to ask for his recall. Determined to maintain neutrality in spite of the efforts of Hamilton and Jefferson to influence him in favor of Britain and France respectively, Washington issued his proclamation of neutrality (April 22). The following year (1794) the Neutrality Act was passed. | 5 |
| Following defeats at the hands of Indians in the Northwest Territory, Washington articulated a policy of “civilizing” the Indians, urging them to adopt white notions of private property, education, and religion. | 6 |
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| 1794 |
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| Whiskey insurrection in western Pennsylvania resulted from opposition to the excise tax on domestic spirits; Washington used some 13,000 men to put down the rebellion of farmers, who had burned the home of the tax collector. The Eleventh Amendment closed the federal courts to suits instituted against a state by citizens of another state or citizens or subjects of a foreign state. | 7 |
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| Nov. 19 |
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| Jay's Treaty was concluded. It provided for the evacuation of the border posts in 1796, permitted trade with the British East Indies, placed trade between the United States and Britain on a basis of “reciprocal and perfect liberty,” and admitted American boats of not more than 70 tons' burden to the West Indies. Joint commissions were provided for settling the questions of debt and the northeast boundary. Claims on behalf of loyalists were dropped, balanced by claims for slaves carried away by the British armies. Claims arising from alleged illegal seizures of ships were referred to commissions. The Senate grudgingly ratified it, after striking out the clause with respect to the West Indies. | 8 |
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| 1795, Oct. 27 |
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| Treaty of San Lorenzo, or Pinckney's treaty. Thomas Pinckney succeeded in negotiating a treaty establishing the southern boundary at the 31st parallel, giving to Americans the right to navigate the Mississippi to its mouth and granting them the right of deposit at New Orleans for three years. | 9 |
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| 1796, Sept. 18 |
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| Washington's farewell address. | 10 |
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| 1797, March 4 |
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| JOHN ADAMS became president, with Jefferson as vice president. | 11 |
| The conclusion of Jay's treaty with Britain involved the United States in difficulties with France, which regarded the treaty as evidence of a pro-British policy by the United States. The difficulties culminated in the attempt of the French Directory to extort money from the three American commissioners, Pinckney, Marshall, and Gerry, in the so-called XYZ affair. Fighting on the sea occurred, a navy department was created, Washington was named commander of the army, and until Sept. 30, 1800, a naval war was carried on. By the Treaty of 1800, the treaty of alliance of 1778 with France was abrogated. | 12 |
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| 1797–1801 |
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| Second Great Awakening. Beginning at about the same time in New England and Kentucky, a new wave of revivals, emphasizing an intensely personal relationship to God, disrupted established religious practices and helped to break down barriers along sex and color lines. Baptists and Methodists were especially receptive to the new wave of religious enthusiasm. | 13 |
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| 1798 |
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| Stung by the criticisms of its opponents (many of them French citizens), the Adams administration enacted a series of repressive measures against them: the Naturalization Act, extending the required time of the residence to fourteen years; the Alien Act; the Alien Enemies Act; and the Sedition Act. The last act especially represented an attempt to make a crime of political opposition. These acts led to the Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions. | 14 |
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| 1798–99 |
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| The Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions, penned by Jefferson and Madison respectively, in effect asserted that a state might nullify the force of an act of Congress within its confines, if it regarded such act as contrary to the Constitution. These resolutions established grounds for states' rights advocates in subsequent Union crises. | 15 |
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