Timeline of Events (1775-1789) S of H

Daniel Shays

Leader of Shays' Rebellion (1786-1787), a violent uprising by Western Massachusetts farmers protesting debt and taxes.

George Washington

Defused the Newburgh Conspiracy (1782-1783) through a speech that prevented a military coup by unpaid Continental Army officers.

James Madison

Proposed the Virginia Plan (1787) at the Philadelphia Convention, which called for a strong national government.

William Paterson

Proposed the New Jersey Plan (1787) as an alternative to the Virginia Plan, advocating for equal representation.

Alexander Hamilton

A key Federalist who supported the ratification of the U.S. Constitution (1787-1788) and co-authored the Federalist Papers.

John Jay

A Federalist who wrote the Federalist Papers and advocated for a strong central government during the Constitution's ratification process.

Patrick Henry

An Antifederalist leader who opposed the Constitution (1787-1788) due to fears of excessive federal power.

George Mason

An influential Antifederalist who advocated for the inclusion of a Bill of Rights to protect individual freedoms.

Articles of Confederation

The first governing document of the U.S., ratified in 1781, which created a weak central government without executive or judicial branches.

Republicanism

A political philosophy established in 1776 focusing on government by the consent of the people, promoting representative democracy.

Newburgh Conspiracy

A threatened military coup by unpaid Continental Army officers in Newburgh, NY (1782-1783), prevented by George Washington's emotional speech.

Treaty of Fort Stanwix

A 1784 treaty between the U.S. and the Iroquois Confederacy that negotiated land cessions, though many Iroquois leaders rejected it.

Northwest Ordinance

Legislation passed in 1787 that established a system for territories to achieve statehood and banned slavery in the Northwest Territory.

Shays' Rebellion

An uprising from 1786-1787 led by Daniel Shays, where Western Massachusetts farmers protested debt and taxation, showcasing the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation.

Virginia Plan

Proposed by James Madison in 1787 for a strong national government with three branches, where representation was based on state population.

New Jersey Plan

Proposed by William Paterson in 1787 as an alternative to the Virginia Plan, favoring equal representation for all states with a unicameral legislature.

United States Constitution

Drafted in 1787 to replace the Articles of Confederation, establishing a strong central government with a bicameral legislature and checks and balances.

Three-Fifths Clause

A 1787 compromise where enslaved individuals counted as 3/5 of a person for representation and taxation, benefiting Southern states.

Federalists

Supporters of the U.S. Constitution during 1787-1788 who favored a strong central government, prominent figures included Hamilton, Madison, and Jay.

Antifederalists

Opponents of the Constitution in 1787-1788, who feared excessive federal power and advocated for a Bill of Rights, leading to its eventual adoption in 1791.