Early U.S.

The years following the American Revolution were challenging for the new nation, as it contended with the Articles of Confederation, Shay's Rebellion, Federalism, the Alien and Sedition Acts and more.

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Illustration by Eduardo Ramón Trejo. Photos from Getty Images.

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Shays' Rebellion was a series of attacks on courthouses and other government properties in Massachusetts that helped spur the creation of the U.S. Constitution.

Federalism, or the separation of powers between state and federal government, was entirely new when the founders baked it into the Constitution.

The Alien and Sedition Acts were a series of four controversial laws passed by the U.S. Congress in 1798 that severely curtailed freedom of speech and of the press.

A surplus of U.S. corn crops led to a boom in whiskey sales—and consumption—following the Revolutionary War.

The Rise and Fall of Freemasons in the U.S.

The Rise and Fall of Freemasons in the U.S.

The secret society known as the Freemasons had more of an influence over the inception of the United States than many might realize.

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Early U.S.

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The Old Cape Henry Lighthouse

As America’s first federal public works project, the Old Cape Henry Lighthouse guided ships through one of Virginia’s key trade gateways.

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Twenty-four traders signed the ‘Buttonwood Agreement’ in 1792.

In colonial times, divorce was barely an option. By the late 1970s, it became much more feasible—and common.

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What is the secret handshake, and what are those symbols all about, anyway?

Americans’ pursuit of quick wealth has sparked financial chaos more than once.

Noah Webster believed the United States needed its own standardized language.

The entrepreneur dressed in a coffee sack, donned a tin hat and traveled barefoot.

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The Articles of Confederation, composed in 1777 and ratified in 1781, granted powers to Congress as the first written constitution of the United States.

Shays' Rebellion was a series of attacks on courthouses and other government properties in Massachusetts that helped spur the creation of the U.S. Constitution.

In the 17th and 18th centuries, students at America’s elite universities were treated differently based on the social stature of their parents.

The tradition began during a time of national sorrow.

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Sensationalist headlines played off tensions between Spain and the United States in a time when raucous media found a voice.

A diplomatic incident between the United States and France in 1797 outraged Americans and led to an undeclared war.

The Federalist Party was an early U.S. political party that fought for a strong federal government. Supporters included John Adams, Alexander Hamilton and John Jay.

Skeletal analysis of troops at the Battle of the Little Bighorn suggests a very different outcome.

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