Changes

#First determine the general time period of the question.  Was it before the Revolutionary War, or after?  Was it before the Civil War, or later?  If possible, eliminate any answers from the wrong time period.

#First determine the general time period of the question.  Was it before the Revolutionary War, or after?  Was it before the Civil War, or later?  If possible, eliminate any answers from the wrong time period.

#Next determine who was president, simply as a landmark for recalling other events.  Was there a war going on?  If it was before there were any presidents (i.e., during colonial times), what else was going on?

#Next determine who was president, simply as a landmark for recalling other events.  Was there a war going on?  If it was before there were any presidents (i.e., during colonial times), what else was going on?

#Just as when you use landmarks for finding your way to a location, use easy-to-recall events to find your "way around" history.  If you know when the Constitutional Convention was (1787), then it becomes easier to estimate when George Washington first became president (elected in late 1788, and sworn into office in early 1789).

#Just as you use landmarks for finding your way to a location, use easy-to-recall events to find your "way around" history.  If you know when the Constitutional Convention was (1787), then it becomes easier to estimate when George Washington first became president (elected in late 1788, and sworn into office in early 1789).

After 1788, the easiest "landmark" for each period is the President.  That does not mean he is the most important person, but being able to identify the President is an easy way to organize the important events.  '''I should be able to name any date and you should be able to say who was President.'''  Or, if you prefer, you can organize events around the numerous wars, but that may not be as easy because there were significant periods in American history without ''any'' wars.

After 1788, the easiest "landmark" for each period is the president.  That does not mean he is the most important person, but being able to identify the president is an easy way to organize the important events.  '''I should be able to name any date and you should be able to say who was president.'''  Or, if you prefer, you can organize events around the numerous wars, but that may not be as easy because there were long periods in American history without ''any'' wars.

Let's try it now:  1798: who was president?<ref>John Adams.</ref>1793?<ref>George Washington.</ref>  1790?<ref>Also George Washington.</ref>

Let's try it now:  1798: who was president?<ref>John Adams.</ref>1793?<ref>George Washington.</ref>  1790?<ref>Also George Washington.</ref>

Throughout the late 1700s and all of the 1800s the federal or national government raised money for its operations primarily through tariffs, which are taxes on imports.  When a foreign country sent goods to be sold in the United States, our federal government would impose a tariff (tax) on those goods.  The more goods that were imported, the more the revenue there would be from the tariffs.  Tariffs were ultimately replaced by the income tax on individuals as the primary means for supporting our government, because President Woodrow Wilson thought tariffs caused conflicts and wars between nations.

Throughout the late 1700s and all of the 1800s the federal or national government raised money for its operations primarily through tariffs, which are taxes on imports.  When a foreign country sent goods to be sold in the United States, our federal government would impose a tariff (tax) on those goods.  The more goods that were imported, the more revenue there would be from the tariffs.  Tariffs were ultimately replaced by the income tax on individuals as the primary means for supporting our government, because President Woodrow Wilson thought tariffs caused conflicts and wars between nations.

Tariffs helped protect the domestic (United States) businesses by increasing the costs of the foreign competition, and thus are called "protective tariffs."  If you owned a factory that produced computers, and there was a tariff imposing a $100 tax on all imported computers, then you would be thrilled because you could undersell the competition and make more profits.  The North liked tariffs because they protected their manufacturing companies against competition by foreign manufacturers; the South disliked tariffs because it caused the cotton farmers to pay more for equipment, and because foreign nations would retaliate by imposing similar tariffs on the cotton exported by the South to them.

Tariffs helped protect the domestic (United States) businesses by increasing the costs of the foreign competition, and thus are called "protective tariffs."  If you were to own a factory that produces computers, and if there were a tariff imposing a $100 tax on all imported computers, then you would be thrilled because you could undersell the competition and make more profits.  The North liked tariffs because the tariffs protected their manufacturing companies against competition by foreign manufacturers; the South disliked tariffs because it caused their cotton farmers to pay more for equipment, and because foreign nations would retaliate by imposing similar tariffs on the cotton exported by the South, which reduced the southern farmers' revenue.

An example of a protective tariff today would be a surcharge of $2000 on every foreign car sold in the United States.  American car companies would benefit from such a tariff, and the government would benefit from the extra revenue, but buyers of cars would not be happy about it.  People in the North were like the car companies that would support tariffs; people in the South were like car buyers that would oppose them.  The conflict between the North and the South over tariffs was a major economic cause of the Civil War.

An example of a protective tariff today would be a surcharge of $2000 on every foreign car sold in the United States.  American car manufacturers would benefit from such a tariff, and the government would benefit from the extra revenue, but buyers of cars would not be happy about it.  People in the North in 1800 were like the car manufacturers today that would support tariffs; people in the South in 1800 were like car buyers today who would oppose the tariffs.  The conflict between the North and the South over tariffs was a major economic cause of the Civil War.

By 1800 decisions about tariffs and all other federal laws were being made in the marshy land now known as the District of Columbia.  This, too, was a compromise between the North and the South.  Our capital was initially in New York City, but then Hamilton brokered a compromise with Jefferson whereby the capital would move to Philadelphia in 1791 for ten years, and then to D.C. starting in 1800.  In order to obtain support by northerners for moving the capital towards the South, Hamilton agreed to arrange for the federal government to assume debts incurred by the states for the Revolutionary War.  So Washington actually suppressed the Whiskey Rebellion by riding from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, not from Washington, D.C., because the capital was in Philadelphia at that time.

By 1800 decisions about tariffs and all other federal laws were being made in the marshy land now known as the District of Columbia.  This, too, was a compromise between the North and the South.  Our capital was initially in New York City, but then Alexander Hamilton brokered a compromise with Thomas Jefferson whereby the capital would move to Philadelphia in 1791 for ten years, and then to D.C. starting in 1800.  In order to obtain support by northerners for moving the capital towards the South, Hamilton agreed to arrange for the federal government to assume debts incurred by the States for the Revolutionary War.  So Washington actually suppressed the Whiskey Rebellion by riding from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, not from Washington, D.C., because the capital was in Philadelphia at that time.

In this class we focus on the period from 1800 to 1840.

In this class we focus on the period from 1800 to 1840.