Building America

(Period: Westward Expansion and Regional Differences)

Synopsis:

For a brief synopsis of the history of this time and period: Click Here.

Historical synopsis courtesy of A Hypertext on American History from the colonial period until Modern Times by Department of Humanities Computing, University of Groningen, The Netherlands and the former United States Information Agency (1953-1999).

Key Events:

• Marbury v. Madison (1803) - a hugely important Supreme Court decision wherein it was decided that the court had the power to challenge the constitutionality of any legislative action.
• McCulloch v. Maryland (1819) - the court ruled that the government had more power than what was expressly stated in the constitution.

Key People:

• Henry Clay and John C Calhoun - supporters of protectionism, which would limit US interaction with other countries with the interest of the US' own development in mind.
• John Marshall - a committed Federalist who became Chief Justice and strengthened the position of the court.