The Continental Congress signs the Declaration of Independence.

Our examination begins with a review of the American Revolution and how it inspired diverse people to build a nation according to the ideals and lessons learned during the Revolution. Americans had a wide range of Revolutionary experiences, so there is more than one way to think about how the early United States was created.

Sacajawea, a Shoshone woman, served as a guide and interpreter on Lewis and Clarks' expedition to the Pacific. She has recently been commemorated with her portrait on the U.S. golden dollar coin.

After exploring the nation's Revolutionary origins, we will consider the laws that made new rules for state and national governments. Did you know that there were two different sets of rules for the national government of the early United States? Before the Constitution took effect in 1788, the United States was ruled by the Articles of Confederation. This site will help you to figure out the differences between them and why one replaced the other.

This 15-star flag flew over Fort McHenry during the War of 1812; seeing it during a battle was Francis Scott Key's inspiration for "The Star Spangled Banner."

Next, we'll consider the creation of the nation from several points of view. For instance, George Washington is famous for being the first president. But what more do you know about him? This site explores his life and presidency in detail. Washington's incredible popularity made him an unusual president. Why did other major public leaders like John Adams, Alexander Hamilton, and Thomas Jefferson often suffer great controversy and opposition in early national life?

We'll also explore the opinions and experiences of the majority of people who were excluded from participating in formal politics during this period. For instance, poor people, African Americans, Native Americans, and all women were denied the right to vote during the early years of the nation. What meaning did the Revolutionary legacy and the new nation have for them?

1. When Does the Revolution End?
   1. The Declaration of Independence and Its Legacy
   2. The War Experience: Soldiers, Officers, and Civilians
   3. The Loyalists
   4. Revolutionary Changes and Limitations: Slavery
   5. Revolutionary Changes and Limitations: Women
   6. Revolutionary Limits: Native Americans
   7. Revolutionary Achievement: Yeomen and Artisans
   8. The Age of Atlantic Revolutions
2. Making Rules
   1. State Constitutions
   2. Articles of Confederation
   3. Evaluating the Congress
   4. The Economic Crisis of the 1780s
3. Drafting the Constitution
   1. Shays' Rebellion
   2. A Cast of National Superstars
   3. The Tough Issues
   4. Constitution Through Compromise
4. Ratifying the Constitution
   1. Federalists
   2. Antifederalists
   3. The Ratification Process: State by State
   4. After the Fact: Virginia, New York, and "The Federalist Papers"
   5. The Antifederalists' Victory in Defeat
5. George Washington
   1. Growing up in Colonial Virginia
   2. The Force of Personality and Military Command
   3. The First Administration
   4. Farewell Address
   5. Mount Vernon and the Dilemma of a Revolutionary Slave Holder
6. Unsettled Domestic Issues
   1. The Bill of Rights
   2. Hamilton's Financial Plan
   3. Growing Opposition
   4. U.S. Military Defeat; Indian Victory in the West
   5. Native American Resilience and Violence in the West
7. Politics in Transition: Public Conflict in the 1790s
   1. Trans-Atlantic Crisis: The French Revolution
   2. Negotiating with the Superpowers
   3. Two Parties Emerge
   4. The Adams Presidency
   5. The Alien and Sedition Acts
   6. The Life and Times of John Adams
8. Jeffersonian America: A Second Revolution?
   1. The Election of 1800
   2. Jeffersonian Ideology
   3. Westward Expansion: The Louisiana Purchase
   4. A New National Capital: Washington, D.C.
   5. A Federalist Stronghold: John Marshall's Supreme Court
   6. Gabriel's Rebellion: Another View of Virginia in 1800
9. The Expanding Republic and the War of 1812
   1. The Importance of the West
   2. Exploration: Lewis and Clark
   3. Diplomatic Challenges in an Age of European War
   4. Native American Resistance in the Trans-Appalachian West
   5. The Second War for American Independence
   6. Claiming Victory from Defeat
10. Social Change and National Development
    1. Economic Growth and the Early Industrial Revolution
    2. Cotton and African-American Life
    3. Religious Transformation and the Second Great Awakening
    4. Institutionalizing Religious Belief: The Benevolent Empire
    5. New Roles for White Women
    6. Early National Arts and Cultural Independence
11. Politics and the New Nation
    1. The Era of Good Feelings and the Two-Party System
    2. The Expansion of the Vote: A White Man's Democracy
    3. The Missouri Compromise
    4. The 1824 Election and the "Corrupt Bargain"
    5. John Quincy Adams
    6. Jacksonian Democracy and Modern America