1788.

Previous to and during this year eleven of the States adopted the United States Constitution.

1789.

Jan. 4-Thomas Nelson, of Virginia, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, died.

Feb. 13 Ethan Allen, one of the most distinguished revolutionary heroes, died.

April 30-Washington inaugurated the first President of the United States, and the Government went into operation under the Constitution. July 4-Congress passed the first act imposing duties on imported goods. 27-The Department and Secretary of "Foreign Affairs," created by Act of Congress, but changed to Department and Secretary of State, in the following September.

Aug. 7-The Department and Secretary of War created by Act of Congress. 23-Silas Dean, U. S. Minister to France in 1776, died in England in extreme poverty.

Sept. 2-The Department and Secretary of the Treasury created by Act of Congress.

Sept. 22-The Post-office Department temporarily estabhshed, and the office of Post-Master-General created by a law of Congress.

24-The act for the establishment of the Judicial System of the U. S. passed. By this act, the U. S. Supreme Court, the Circuit and District Courts were created. Also the offices of the U. S. District Attorneys and Marshalls.

In this month, Congress passed (two-thirds of both Houses concurring) a resolution, proposing ten amendments to the Constitution, which were adopted by three-fourths of the States. These are the ten first amendments to that instrument.

1790.

March 1-Congress passed an Act, providing for taking the first Census

this year.

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24-First Naturalization Law passed.

April 15-First Patent Right Law passed.

30-Treason and piracy were defined by Act of Congress, and death by hanging was made the penalty in both cases.

May 29-U. S. Constitution adopted by Rhode Island.

31-First Act passed for securing Copy-Rights for the benefit of authors.

Gen. Israel Putnam, one of the most intrepid officers of the revolution, died this month.

July 16-Seat of Government, wh ch was at this time at New York, was by Act of Congress removed to Philadelphia, where it was to remain till A. D. 1800, when it was to be permanently fixed at Wasbingtou.

During this year, Virginia and Maryland ceded the District of Columbia to the United States as a location for the seat of government.

Benjamin Franklin, of Pa., William Hooper, of N. C., and Francis Hopkinson, of N. J., all signers of the Declaration of Independence, died this year.

Tennessee was formed into a territorial government this year.

1791.

Feb. 25-First United States Bank chartered by Congress, with a capital not to exceed $10,000.000; charter to continue for twenty years. March 4-Vermont admitted into the Union as a State, making the four

teenth State.

Nov. 4-Gen. St. Clair attacked in camp by the Indians, eighty miles north of Cincinnati, O., and lost 600 out of 2,000 men. (See further.) Dec. 20-The first United States Bank commenced business in Philadelphia.

This year, by Act of Congress, a tax was laid on distilled spirits.
This was the first attempt to raise revenue by internal taxes.
Benj. Harrison, of Va, one of the signers of the Declaration of
Independence, died this year.

During this and the preceding year, the country was involved in a
bloody war with the Indians north of the Ohio river.

1792.

Feb. 16-BOUNTIES TO FISHING VESSELS, first Act for, passed.

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20-An Act permanently to establish Post Offices and Post Roads in the United States.

April 2-The Act for establishing the U. S. Mint at Philadelphia passed, directing what pieces of coin should be made.

14-First Act apportioning the Representatives in Congress among the several States passed; this was based on the first census, taken in 1790.

May 8-First Act of Congress, providing for a Uniform Militia System throughout the United States.

June 1-Kentucky admitted into the Union. She was the second admission, making the fifteenth State.

Dec. 8-Henry Laurens, of South Carolina, first President of the Continental Congress, died.

In the autumn of this year, the second Presidential election occurred, when Washington was unanimously reelected President, and John Adams Vice-President.

1793.

Early in this year, Mr. Genet, Minister of the French Republic to the United States, arrived. But his conduct was so mischievous, that President Washington requested the French Government to recall him, which was done.

Feb. 12-First Fugitive Slave Law passed.

18-The President's Salary, fixed by Act of Congress at $25,000 per year, where it has remained ever since.

March 9 It was enacted by Congress that every male citizen, between the ages of 18 and 45, should be enrolled in the militia.

July 23-Roger Sherman, of Conn., one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, died.

Oct. 8-John Hancock, of Mass., the first man who signed the Declaration of Independence, died.

Dec. 31-Thomas Jefferson resigned his office of Secretary of State.

1794.

March 22-The law passed prohibiting the Slave trade, which made it a crime to bring slaves into or take them out of the country.

26-Congress laid an embargo on all vessels in United States ports for 30 days, which was extended to 60 days.

This year the eleventh Amendment of the Constitution was recommended by resolution of Congress, which was adopted by the States.

June 4 The President was authorized by Congress to lay embargoes on all vessels in any of the ports of the United States, and to revoke the same whenever he deemed it necessary for the interests of the country. "19-Richard H. Lee, of Va.; Sept. -Abraham Clark, of N. H.; and Nov. 15-John Witherspoon, of N. J., three signers of the Declaration of Independence, died.

Aug. 19-Battle of Maumee, in Ohio, when Gen. Wayne, with a force of 3,000 men, met and routed the Indians, and laid their country waste.

In the autumn of this year, the Whisky Rebellion broke out in Pa. This was a resistance principally by the opponents of the administration to the law of Congress imposing a tax on the manufacture of whisky.

Nov. 28-Baron Steuben died at Steubenville, N. Y., aged 61.

1795.

Jan. 23-Gen. Sullivan, a gallant and heroic officer of the Revolution, died.

Jan. 29--Congress passed an Act establishing a Uniform Rule of Naturaliza. tion, which was more stringent than a former law on the same subject.

May 19 Josiah Bartlett, of N. H., one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, died.

Nov. 28-A peace was concluded with Algiers, with whom a short naval war had been carried on by the United States this year.

1796.

Jan. 1-By Act of Congress, Tennessee was admitted as a State, making the 18th State.

"5-Samuel Huntington, of Connecticut, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, died.

June

Sept.

-Tennessee admitted as a State.

-Washington issued his Farewell Address to the people of the U. S., having determined to retire from public life at the end of his second presidential term of office.

the autumn of this year, the third Presidential Election took place, which resulted in the choice of John Adams.

Dec. 14 Gen. Wayne, Commander-in-Chief of the United States forces, died at Presque Isle, aged 51.

1797.

March 4-John Adams inaugurated the second President.

June 14-Congress enacted that no citizen of the United States should engage in privateering against any nation in amity with us.

Francis L. Lee, of Va.; Carter Braxton, of Va.; and Oliver Walcott, of Conn., all signers of the Declaration of Independence, died this year.

During this year the French Republic became exasperated at the United States because they refused to act with France against England, these two powers being then at war. France carried her spiteful feelings so far, as to drive our Minister, Mr. Pinckney, out of the country. She also authorized the capture and confiscation of American vessels. This state of things came near involving the two nations in a war; but fortunately it was soon afterwards settled.

1798.

April 3-The Navy Department created by Act of Congress. Up to this time we had no navy department.

7-Mississippi organized into a Territorial Government.

25-An Act of Congress authorized the President to order any alien to leave the country who he had reasonable grounds to believe was here for treasonable purposes.

July 7 and 9-Congress authorize the capture of French vessels; and all treaties with France were declared void. But these difficulties were soon after settled by treaty.

-Under an apprehension that there would be war with France, Gen.
Washington was again appointed Commander-in-Chief of the

army.

During this and the ensuing year, the Alien and Sedition Laws were passed. These laws rendered John Adams' administration very unpopular.

Lewis Morris, of N. Y.; James Wilson, of Pa.; and Geo. Read, of Del., all signers of the Declaration of Independence, died this year.

1799.

Feb. 9-Battle between the United States frigate Constitution, of 36 guns. Capt. Truxton, and the French frigate Insurgent, of 48 guns and 410 men. The Insurgent was captured.

By Act of Congress, Commercial Intercourse with France was prohibited. Our ships were not allowed to enter French ports.

Dec. 19-Washington died, in the 68th year of his age.

William Paca, of Md., one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, died this year.

1800.

Jan. 23-Edward Rutledge, of S. C., one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, died.

Feb. 1-Battle between the United States frigate Constitution, Capt. Truxton, and the French frigate La Vengeance, La Vengeance whippea. April 4-An Act establishing a uniform system of Bankruptcy throughout the United States passed by Congress.

May 7-Congress pass an Act to organize the Territory of Indiana.

In the summer of this year the seat of Government was removed to Washington, and the Mississippi Territory was organized into a territorial government.

Sept. 30-A treaty was concluded between the United States and France, now in the hands of Napoleon Buonaparte, and the long-standing difficulties between the two countries were amicably settled.

In the autumn of this year, the fourth Presidential election occurred, resulting in the choice of Thos. Jefferson.

1801.

Mar. 4-Thomas Jefferson Inaugurated the fourth President of the United States.

June 10-The Bashaw of Tripoli, one of the petty Princes of the Barbary States in the North of Africa, declared war against the U. States. "14-Benedict Arnold, the Traitor, died in London.

1802.

Jan. 14-An act apportioning the Representatives in Congress among the States, based on the census of 1800, by which a member was allowed for every 33,000 population.

Ohio was admitted into the Union this year, making the 17th State. April 14-Congress pass a new Naturalization law, repealing all former laws on this subject.

May 3 The City of Washington incorporated by act of Congress.

In October the Spanish Governor of Louisiana (which belonged to Spain at this time,) closed the port of New Orleans against the United States.

1803.

Oct. 31-The U. S. frigate Philadelphia, Capt. Bainbridge, ran on a rock in the harbor of Tripoli, when the Tripolitans captured her. The Philadelphia was one of a number of U. S. ships sent into the Mediterranean sea to punish the Tripolitans for their piratical depredations upon our commerce.

Dec. 20-The United States took possession of Louisiana, which they had bought this year of France for $15,000,000.

Matthew Thornton, of N. Y., Samuel Adams of Mass., and Francis Lewis of N. Y., all signers of the Dec. of Independence, died this year.