The Convention of 1818 (1818) This event resolved several important issues that followed theWar of 1812. It defined the northern boundary of the Louisiana Purchase; it set the U.S.-Canada border at the 19th parallel west... more » to the Rockies; and, as an interim agreement, it established the northern boundary of the Oregon Country. McCulloch v. Maryland (1819) Under the guidance of Chief Justice John Marshall, this landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision determined that the federal government had a right to legally establish a national bank and that a state (in this case Maryland) could not levy a state tax on a federal bank. The Missouri Compromise (1820) When Maine and Missouri applied for statehood in 1819, the question of slave or free state arose. Henry Clay proposed the compromise that Maine be a free state and Missouri a slave state. The debate over slave states versus free states would continue and finally erupt into the CivilWar 40 years later. The Monroe Doctrine (1823) The United States announced to the world its intent to defend its own liberty and the freedom of other nations in this document, signed by President James Monroe. The document warned other nations not to try to extend their political systems to our shores. It is one of the most important documents of American political philosophy. The Indian Removal Act (1830) This act opened lands to settlers by forcing the removal of Indian tribes from the Southeast to Oklahoma. The Cherokee fought for their rights. The U.S. Supreme Court, in Worcester v. Georgia (1831), ruled in favor of the Indians. But President Andrew Jackson, in an unprecedented move, ignored the court s ruling and ordered the Cherokee to move west by 1838. The terrible Trail of Tears journey was the result. Educators from noted American universities share their insights.« less