Historical Research Library
Discover the people, events, and key documents that shaped the Founding Era.
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Thomas Jefferson on Manumitting Slaves, 1789
Letter sent from Paris reflecting on freeing slaves—revealing his conflicting beliefs on liberty and equality amid the revolution
Supporting Document
Debate on a National Bank, 1790–1791
Intense deliberations over Hamilton’s proposal for a central bank—highlighting the federal government vs. state government power struggle
Event
Hamilton’s Report on the Subject of Manufactures, 1791
The third part of Alexander Hamilton’s vision for the economy advocated industrialization, tariffs, and government support for infrastructure
Key Document
Whiskey Rebellion, 1794
Pennsylvania farmers violently resisted a federal whiskey tax—illustrating the tensions between frontiersmen and the new government’s authority
Event
George Washington’s Farewell Address, 1796
Washington’s warning against political divisions and foreign entanglements
Key Document
Presidential Election of 1800
A fierce contest between John Adams, Charles Pinckney, Thomas Jefferson, and Aaron Burr that was marked by party polarization and scandal—testing the peaceful transfer of power
Event
Samuel Adams
One of the first Americans to challenge British rule and resist their policies in the 1760s and 1770s
Person
Paul Cuffe
Black and Wampanoag businessman and shipbuilder who advocated for abolition, civil rights, and African colonization
Person
Nathanael Greene
Trusted aide to George Washington known for strategic brilliance and Revolutionary War victories
Person
Alexander Hamilton
A poor immigrant from the Caribbean who became a key figure in the Revolution and in establishing the US government
Person
Philip Hamilton
Eldest son of Alexander Hamilton and Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton who died in a duel defending his father’s honor
Person
George III
King of Great Britain viewed as a tyrant by colonists and a symbol of imperial rule
Person