Confederation to Constitution• 1776: 2nd Continental Congress declares independence; PA

creates democratic state constitution• 1781 : Articles of Confederation ratified by the states• 1783: Treaty of Paris• 1785: Land Ordinance organizes western territory• 1786: Shay’s Rebellion• 1787: Northwest Ordinance; Constitutional Convention• 1789: Constitution goes into effect; Judiciary Act

establishes a federal court system• 1790: Rhode Island (last of the 13) ratifies• 1791: Bill of Rights ratified; Congress Charters First Bank of

the U.S.

National Period – Our Country Grows• 1793: Proclamation of Neutrality; begin two party system

between Federalists and Republicans• 1794: Whiskey Rebellion• 1798: Alien, Sedition & Naturalization Acts; Virginia and

Kentucky Resolutions• 1800: Jefferson elected – “Revolution of 1800”• 1801: John Marshall appointed to Supreme Court by

Adams• 1803: Louisiana Purchase; Marbury v. Madison• 1804-1806: Lewis & Clark explore the west• 1807: Embargo Act• 1810: Fletcher v Peck

National Period – Our Country Grows• 1812: War of 1812• 1814: Treaty of Ghent (ends war)• 1819: Dartmouth College v Woodward; McCulloch v

Maryland• 1820: Missouri Compromise• 1823: Monroe Doctrine• 1824: Gibbons v Ogden• 1828: Tariff of Abominations• 1832: Bank War; election of Andrew Jackson• 1834: Whig party forms (two-party American

politics returns)

Key Supreme Court Rulings for a New Government

• 1803: Marbury v Madison asserts principle of Judicial Review

• 1810: Fletcher v Peck protects property rights through a broad reading of Constitution’s contract clause

• 1819: Dartmouth College v Woodward safeguards property rights, especially of chartered corporations

• 1819: McCulloch v Maryland interprets Constitution to give broad powers to the national government

• 1824: Gibbons v Ogden gives national government jurisdiction over interstate commerce

John Marshall: the last powerful Federalist?

• Supported the Necessary and Proper Clause and the supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution

• If the goal is “legitimate [and] within the scope of the Constitution, [then] all means which are appropriate” to secure that goal are also Constitutional.

• the “power to tax involves the power to destroy”