In 1798, calls for war with France were rising and there was concern about a possible French invasion. The existing US Army comprised about 3,000 men, not nearly adequate to defend our borders. Congress reluctantly agreed to create a 10,000 soldier “provisional” force and President John Adams nominated George Washington to lead it. Despite being unprepared at the outset of the Quasi-War, the United States quickly responded and acquitted itself well.

The Quasi-War was an undeclared war between France and the United States, fought in the Caribbean and along the southern coast of America, between 1798 and 1800. President John Adams, wanting to maintain our neutrality, refused to declare war but recognized the need to rebuild our navy, which had been disbanded after the American Revolution.

America’s first armed conflict after the American Revolution was a mostly forgotten fight with France called the Quasi-War and was the culmination of a series of disagreements with our former ally.

John Adams lost the Presidential election of 1800 to Thomas Jefferson after a bitter fight. Adams, a critical player in practically every major event of our nation’s formative years, retired to Quincy, Massachusetts, where he spent his time working his farm and staying out of politics.

John Adams faced many difficulties during his presidency, including a vice president from an opposing party trying to undermine his administration and rising tensions with France.

The election of 1796 was America’s first contested presidential election. With George Washington’s retirement, the electorate split into two camps. Under the original rules of the Constitution, the top vote getter, John Adams, a Federalist, was declared President and the second highest, Thomas Jefferson, a Democratic-Republican, was named Vice President.

In the first Presidential election, the Electoral College met on February 4, 1789, and unanimously selected George Washington as President. The second highest vote getter was John Adams, thus becoming America’s first Vice President.

From 1800-1824, the Democratic-Republicans dominated the American political landscape like no party has ever done, making America essentially a one-party country. This period of unity and dominance came to a crashing halt with the bitter Presidential election of 1824.

From the First Continental Congress in 1774 until the election of 1824, America was more politically united than at any other time in our nation’s history. While there were differences of opinion, the Founders had a common goal of gaining our independence from England. Only after England was defeated and the new Constitution took effect did their unity begin to splinter.

The Newburgh Conspiracy represents a time when our nation came closest to deviating from our core revolutionary principles of representative government with civilian control of the military. Only George Washington’s steady and unselfish leadership on March 15, 1783, when he calmed the discontent of Continental Army soldiers, prevented this devastating event from happening.

On March 11, 1783, soldiers were supposed to meet after an anonymous letter circulated through the Continental Army’s encampment at Newburgh encouraging them to take action against Congress and their unfulfilled promises of a pension for the men.

On March 10, 1783, an anonymous letter circulated through the Continental Army’s encampment at Newburgh encouraging the soldiers take action against Congress, who had begun to waffle on their promise of a lifetime pension of half-pay upon discharge from the service.

The Tenth Amendment guarantees us a government which divides power between a distant central authority and legislatures closer to home and more in tune with local needs.

The Ninth Amendment, crafted by James Madison, reserves for the people all rights not expressly granted to the government. Tom Hand, creator and publisher of Americana Corner, explores how this visionary amendment addressed the concern that the new Bill of Rights might be construed as a complete list, and why it still matters today.

Our Forefathers knew that a person accused or convicted of a crime within the bounds of our judicial system would be relatively powerless without certain protections. To prevent harsh and arbitrary treatment by the government, the Founders created the Eighth Amendment.

Our founding fathers had experienced a country in which the monarchy had been both the judge and the jury. This one-sided system was terribly unfair. In response, they created the Seventh Amendment to ensure the people, not the government, decide if someone is innocent or guilty.

The Sixth Amendment helped usher in a new age of justice. With the various rights included in this amendment, the Founders guaranteed to all Americans transparency and fairness in criminal proceedings, and protection from an over-reaching government.

The Fifth Amendment contains five separate but related rights protecting those accused of a crime. Thanks to the foresight of our Founders, we are innocent until proven guilty, and the burden to prove guilt falls on the government.