Terms : Hide Images
| The Bank of the United States was an idea proposed by Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton. The Bank was to be a powerful private institution in which the U.S. government would be the major stockholder. The treasury could deposit excess money in to this bank thus stimulating business by remaining in circulation. Another purpose of the proposed bank was to print paper money. Thomas Jefferson was very much opposed to Hamilton's idea and called the bank unconstitutional. However George Washington was swayed by Hamilton and sent the issue to Congress. Here the bank was enthusiastically approved by the commercial north while opposed by the agricultural south. The bank measure passed and the Bank of the United States was chartered for 20 years in Philadelphia. | ||
| The Bill of Rights were created in response to the antifederalists concern that the Constitution failed to provide the guarantees for individual rights such as freedom of religion and trial by jury, In order to pass these 10 amendments either a constitutional convention needed to convene or Congress needed to pass the measure with two-thirds vote. James Madison thought that another constitutional convention would be detrimental to the Federalist cause and thus wrote and directed the Bill of Rights through Congress himself. The Bill of Rights were adopted in 1791 and secured the rights to freedom of religion, speech, and the press; the right to bear arms and to be tried by a jury; and the right to assemble and petition the government for redress of grievances. It protects U.S. citizens from cruel and unusual punishment, and arbitrary government seizure of private property. The Bill of Rights successfully ensured a strong national government while appeasing the antifederalist desires for individual liberties. | ||
| After the British had ignored the Peace Treaty of 1783 by maintaining posts on U.S. soil and attacked American ships in the West Indies, it seemed that war was eminent. However Washington in an effort to avoid war sent John Jay to London in 1794. During the peace agreements, the British promised to evacuate their U.S. posts but this promise had been made in 1783 too and not followed. Additionally, the British agreed to pay for the damages of U.S. ships that had recently been seized. There were no agreeements set however to stop future seizures and the U.S. was forced to pay pre-Revolutionary debts still owed to British merchants. Many were upset with the treaty's results as it seemed the U.S. had surrendered to Britain. The South was especially angered as the north would be gaining money from the ship seizures while the south would have to pay the majority of revolutionary debts. Spain was concerned that the treaty foreshadowed an Anglo-American alliance and consequently moved to create their own treaty with the Americans, Pinckney's Treaty of 1795 which granted the Americans free navigation of the mississippi and the territory of north Florida. | ||
| The Convention of 1800 was a treaty signed by the United States and France to avoid war. The 22 year old alliance was broken but the U.S. agreed to pay the damages of American shippers. This was the start to the U.S.'s policy of avoiding foreign entanglements or permanent alliances. | ||
| James Madison recognized that another Constitutional Convention could destroy the federalist victory then reached in the U.S. and to avoid this he took it upon himself to draft the Bill of Rights and lead them through Congress. He was intelligent and politically skilled which made his efforts successful and established him as a leading political figure. | ||
| John Adams became the second president of the United States after beating the anti-Federalist Thomas Jefferson by a narrow margin in the Electoral College. Adams was stern in his principles and admired for his stubborn devotion but did not gain popular support nor did he wish for it. When he entered office, Adams inherited problems with France and was threatened by his enemy, Alexander Hamilton, and his plots against him. During his presidency, Adams was able to prevent war with France and consequently laid out the right conditions for the Louisiana Purchase a couple years later. | ||
| The Judiciary Act of 1789 created a system of federal courts led by the Supreme Court which contained one chief justice and five associates. Federal districts and circuit courts were created and it established the attorney general's office. John Jay became the first chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. | ||
| The Whiskey Rebellion began in southwestern Pennsylvania in 1794 in retaliation of Hamilton's excise tax. Distillers tarred and feathered revenue officers, stopping all collections. George Washington called on the militias of several states to calm the rebellion but when the soldier's arrived, the "Whiskey Boys" didn't fight. Only 3 rebels were killed but the rebellion showed that the national government had the force to control its citizens and commanded a new respect. | ||
| Federalists believed that only the elite, the "best people" should be in power and feared that giving power to the masses was too unpredictable. Government, they argued, should support private enterprise rather than interfere with it. Federalists were most commonly found in merchants, manufacturers, and shippers on the coast. They were generally pro-British in foreign affairs and supported foreign trade. The anti-Federalists meanwhile, also called Democratic-Republicans, were led by Thomas Jefferson. This group believed that a weak central government should be established and that power should be given to the states in order to prevent dictatorship. These beliefs were popular amongst the agricultural workers of the South and Southwest. They believed that the people should rule for themselves but only those who were educated enough to make proper decisions. The anti-Federalists leaned towards the French and supporting the French Revolution. With two such different sects in the U.S., disunity reigned. | ||
| The Alien acts were introduced by the Federalists to discourage Jeffersonian support. In these acts, the residence requirements for aliens who wished to become citizens was raised from five to fourteen years. Additionally the president was encouraged to deport or imprison aliens in times of war or peace. The Sedition Act restricted the rights of speech and the press by stating that anyone who attacked U.S. officials including the president would be subject to fines or imprisonment. Under this act, many Jeffersonian editors were imprisoned for their publications. Although these acts went against the Constitution, they were successful in gaining public Federalist support before the congressional elections of 1798-1799 due to anti-French hysteria. | ||
| Washington's Farewell Address to the U.S. nation was published in newspapers in 1796 but never delivered orally. In his address, Washington discouraged the nation from creating "permanent aliances" and argued for a strong national government, encouraging Federalist support. | ||
| Alexander Hamilton was the genius Treasury Secretary who served under George Washington. Hamilton aimed in his economic policies to favor the wealthy who he thought would then lend the government money. Eventually he believed this wealth would trickle down to the masses. He also argued for the national government to assume the state's debts that were created during the Revolution. Hamilton believed that this would tie the states more closely to the national government and provide unity. Hamilton was not concerned by the cost as he said a national debt was a "national blessing." Hamilton raised funds by creating an excise tax on whiskey. During his office he created a national bank and was generally successful in his pursuits but they led him to make enemies with Thomas Jefferson. He was not popular with the masses and thus never went after the position of president. | ||
| The Virginia/Kentucky resolutions were created by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison in response to the alien and sedition acts. They stressed the "compact theory" which stated that the states were the final judge on whether the national government had overstepped its power and rights. Only Virginia and Kentucky accepted the resolutions but they had major implications as they were later used by the southern states to succeed from the union. | ||
| Jeffersonian Republicans were anti-Federalists who wanted a weak central regime that governed at a minimum. They argued that the states retained power rather than the national government, the Constitution should be strictly interpreted, and all debt should be paid off. Additionally they argued for class equality and the rule of the educated people rather than the elite. | ||
| In his efforts to avoid war with France, John Adams sent three diplomats including John Marshall to Paris in 1797 to speak with Talleyrand. When the men arrived, they were approached secretly by three go-betweens which came to be called X,Y,Z. These French spokesmen demanded a loan of 35 million florins and $250,000 just to speak with Talleyrand. This was unacceptable to the Americans and they returned as war preparations hurried along. This event was significant as the Jeffersonians were forced to recognize the misconduct of their French allies. | ||
| Impressment is the practice of forcing sailors to enlist in service and was used by the Brisih for centuries. This led to the Chesapeake Affair in 1807. It was unacceptable and demoralizing to the Americans and could justify war if Jefferson wanted. | ||
| The Judiciary Act of 1801 was one of the last laws to be passed by the Federalist Congress under President Adams. It established 16 new federal judgeships as well as other judicial offices. It met hostility from the Republicans who saw the creation of these lifetime posts as inflicting upon the people's will. When the Republican Congress took power, it repealed the act within a year of its passage. | ||
| The Chesapeake Affair of 1807 occurred when a British ship demanded the surrender of four alleged deserters from an American ship. When the American captain refused to hand any men over, the British fired on the ship killing three men and injuring eighteen. The Americans were outraged and war seemed likely. | ||
| On April 30, 1803 the United States gained the Louisiana Purchase. This more than doubled the land area of the U.S. and was bought for about $15 million which is only about 3 cents an acre (828,000 square miles). Jefferson was unsure that the purchase was constitutional but brought it to Congress anyways. Here it was enthusiastically received. The louisiana purchase was significant as it allowed for the U.S.'s expansion and made it a significant power. | ||
| The "War Hawks" were the young men who desired another war with Britain. They wanted "Free Trade and Sailors' Rights" and free land. Especially in the west these War Hawks wanted to eliminate Indian threats and this was largely achieved as the Indian people were driven away from their homes to accomodate the new white settlers. | ||
| The Embargo Act of 1807 was passed by congress and forbade any and all exports from the United States. Jefferson believed that this was an alternative to war and would result in the European powers bowing to American demands as they relied on American goods. However this damaged New England's commerce and talk emerged of secession. Thus the embargo was repealed on March 1, 1809 with the exception of trade to England or France. The embargo turned out to be three times more costly than war and wasn't successful in its aims. Due to Jefferson's failure, Federalist support increased. | ||
| The Non-Intercourse Act was created in response to the failure of the Embargo Act of 1807. In this new act, all foreign trade was restored except with England and France until finally war hit in 1812. This economic failure encouraged Federalist support and left many unhappy with Jefferson. | ||
| In this case, it was established that the Supreme Court holds the final authority in determining the meaning of the Constitution. This further separated the three branches of federal governement and strengthened the judicial branch. | ||
| James Monroe was sent by Thomas Jefferson in 1803 to work with Robert Livingston to secure the purchase of New Orleans for the United States. However Monroe gained much more than New Orleans for the U.S. He and Livingston negotiated the Louisiana Purchase which gave the U.S. 828,000 square miles for about $15 million. | ||
| William Clark was a young army officer who was sent to explore the land of the Louisiana Purchase. The two and a half year expedition resulted in the creation of maps, new scientific knowledge, and knowledge of the local Indian tribes. The expedition was significant as it encouraged future settlement and a great move westward. | ||
| Albert Gallatin was secretary of the treasury under Thomas Jefferson. He worked to eliminate the national debt and was successful in substantially reducing it while balancing the budget. Much of Hamilton's economic policies were kept in place showing Jefferson's moderation and economically the country prospered. | ||
| Robert Livingston was the minister to France who successfully negotiated the Louisiana Purchase in which the United States gained 828,000 square miles for just about 3 cents an acre. This more than doubled the size of the U.S. and held major implications for the nation's future. | ||
| Zebulon Pike was an explorer who journeyed to the headwaters of the Mississippi in 1805-1806 and later explored the Southern portion of the Louisiana territory. His exploration and those of other explorers, encouraged Western settlement and inspired the ideas of "Manifest Destiny." | ||
| John Marshall, a cousin of Thomas Jefferson, was appointed by John Adams to the supreme court. Marshall was an extreme Federalist who despite the collapse of the Federalist party continued to voice his Federalist beliefs and ruled accordingly. | ||
| Aaron Burr was responsible for turning New York in Jefferson's favor which was imperative in his victory over Adams. His reputation came into question when Burr killed Jefferson's greatest political enemy, Alexander Hamilton. Burr was later tried for treason as he had schemed to separate the western U.S. from the eastern but was unable to gain followers showing that the Louisiana Purchase had inspired support of the Federal government. | ||
| William Marbury was a Federalist and justice of the peace for the District of Columbia. When he discovered that his commission was being shelved by James Madison, he sued. The court case was significant as it established that the Supreme Court had the final ruling in the interpretation of the Constitution. | ||
| James Madison became president on March 4, 1809. He was small in stature and unable to control his party effectively. Although he tried to avoid war with Europe, in 1812 war was declared on England. | ||
| Tecumseh was a Shawnee Indian who decided that he must rally together a confederacy of all the Indian tribes east of the Mississippi to stop the white people from taking over their lands. While this inspired Indian unity and cultural revitalization, the Indians were defeated and Tecumseh was killed. | ||
| Toussaint L'Ouverture led a rebellion of ex-slaves against Napoleon and his forces on the island of Santo Domingo. While this resistance was ultimately broken, Napoleon decided he did not want the island and consequently didn't need Louisiana leading to the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. | ||
| Samuel Chase was a supreme court justice who was extremely unpopular and efforts were made, led by Jefferson, to impeach him. However these efforts were unsuccessful and proved a victory for the judiciary branch and the separation of powers. | ||
| Meriwether lewis was Jefferson's personal secretary who he sent to explore the lands attained in the Louisiana Purchase. Through Lewis' expedition, knowledge of the area, the Indians who occupied it, and its potential was shared. After this exploration, western settlement began and the idea of "Manifest Destiny" emerged. | ||
| Sacajawea was a Shosoni woman who helped Lewis and Clark on their expedition. Her skills as translator and guide proved valuable to the expedition. | ||
| Henry Clay of Kentucky was one of the "War Hawks" who became speaker of the House at 34. He was known for his eloquence and magnetism. |
