1800
- 1800 Census: Population about 5.3 million people.
- 30 August. Gabriel Prosser's plan to lead Virginia slaves in rebellion is revealed.
- The Library of Congress is established. In 1815, Thomas Jefferson's library of 7,000 volumes will be purchased.
- In Philadelphia, free African Americans petition Congress to end the Fugitive Slave Act of 1793.
- Congress convenes in Washington, D. C. for the first time.
- John Chapman, a.k.a. "Johnny Appleseed," begins dispensing apple seeds and seedlings to settlers in Ohio.
- Thomas Jefferson is chosen as president over incumbent
John Adams in a contested election that is decided in the House of Representatives; Aaron Burr becomes vice-president. With this election, the Federalist party loses control of the presidency and of Congress.
- War with Tripoli begins and will last until 1805.
- In the last weeks of his presidency,
John Adams creates new judgeships and "packs the courts" with Federalist appointees to mitigate the effects of the election. Among his appointments is John Marshall as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.
- 4 July. United States Military Academy opens at West Point, N. Y. Among its cadets will be Ulysses Grant, Robert E. Lee, and Edgar Allan Poe.
- In the case of Marbury v. Madison, the Supreme Court under Chief Justice John Marshall rules that an act of Congress is null and void when it conflicts with provisions of the U. S. Constitution. This is the first important test of the system of checks and balances between the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government.
- May. Louisiana purchase ($15 million) doubles the land area of the United States.
- 31 August. Lewis and Clark expedition sets out down the Ohio River; they will complete a 3-year journey to the West Coast.
- Passage of the 12th Amendment: election of president and vice president on separate ballots.
1804
- April. Aaron Burr is defeated in his campaign for governor of New York.
- May. Lewis and Clark expedition leaves St. Louis. By October, the expedition is encamped for the winter at a Mandan Indian village near what is now Bismarck, N.D.
- July. Aaron Burr challenges Federalist Alexander Hamilton, his longtime rival, to a duel after Hamilton had successfully foiled Burr's bid to become governor of New York. Burr shoots Hamilton, who dies 10 hours later.
- Jefferson wins a second term as president, with George Clinton as vice president.
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