APUSH AMSCO quiz 2 pt.1 (Unit 3.8-3.13)

Constitutional Convention

Congress called for states to send delegates to Philadelphia to amend the Articles of Confederation in May 1787. They drafted a new framework that would give greater power to the central government. This document became the Constitution.

Mount Vernon, Virginia (1785)

Washington called for a meeting in his home town to discuss how to address critical problems which the country is facing

Annapolis Convention (1786)

Representatives from Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, and Pennsylvania agreed that they needed another conference in order to hold further discussions on the serious situation of the country

James Madison and Thomas Jefferson

Persuaded the others that they needed to meet in Philadelphia in order to revise Articles of Confederation

Gouverneur Morris and John Dickinson

Helped Madison and Hamilton direct the work in fashioning the specific articles of the Constitution. Though, they were from different states, they had the common goal of strengthening the US. Many other key figures (such as Thomas Jefferson) did not participate in Constitutional Convention because they were not present.

Federalism

system with a strong but limited central government. James Madison and Alexander Hamilton supported this system.

separation in powers

The idea of dividing the government’s power into 3 branches (legislative, executive, and judicial)

checks and balances

where the power of each government branch is limited by the powers of the others

Representation

Issue of whether larger states such as Virginia and Pennsylvania should have more representatives in Congress than the smaller states

Virginia Plan

Plan proposed in Constitutional Convention which favored the larger states. Representation would be based on population

New Jersey Plan

Plan proposed in the Constitutional Convention which favored the smaller states. Each state would get equal representation, no matter the population or size.

Great (Connecticut) Compromise

Plan that proposed a bicameral Congress with a senate (each state has equal representation) and house of representatives (each state represented according to population)

Three-Fifths Compromise

Each slave got counted as 3/5 of one human in terms of population for determining the taxation and representation of each state.

Commercial Compromise

allowed Congress to regulate interstate and foreign commerce, including placing tariffs on foreign imports (but not exports). Created because north wanted gov’t control over trade, but south was worried about taxes on exports.

Electoral College

Made it so that the delegates decided to assign each state a number of electors equal to the total of the state’s representatives and centers. This system was instituted to avoid mob rule from direct voting from the population.

Federalists

Supporters of the ratification of the Constitution and a strong federal government. Lived more in large Atlantic Coast cities.

Anti-Federalists

Group who did not support a strong federal government or the ratification of the Constitution, fearing it would be too powerful. Lived in more rural areas as small farmers and settlers in Western Frontier.

The Federalist Papers

a series of highly persuasive essays, written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay, in order to argue why to ratify the Constitution.

legislative branch

Congress makes laws, passes taxes, and allocates spending

executive branch

branch lead by president, it recommends and carries out laws and federal programs

judicial branch

consists of the Supreme Court and all lower federal courts; it interprets the laws of the Constitution.

amendments

rules to defend individual liberty

Bill of Rights

The ten amendments that were ratified by the states in 1791 after ratification of Constitution

Executive Departments

Departments of the law enforcing branch. The chiefs of these departments are chosen by the president, and must be approved by the senate. Washington’s first task was to appoint these heads of departments

Thomas Jefferson

secretary of state appointed by Washington

Alexander Hamilton

secretary of treasury appointed by Washington

Henry Knox

secretary of war appointed by Washington

Edmund Randolph

attorney general appointed by Washinton

Cabinet

the 4 advisors who the President meets with regularly to discuss major policy issues.

Federal Courts

courts with lesser powers than the supreme court which which congress can create and appoint justices to

Judiciary Act of 1789

One of congress’ first laws which established a Supreme Court with one chief justice and five associate justices. It was empowered to rule on the constitutionality of decisions made by state courts. It also provided for a system of 13 district courts and three circuit courts of appeals.

Hamilton’s Financial plan

financial plan addressing the financial difficulties faced under the Articles of Confederation. It had 3 main parts:

1. pay off national debt and have federal government assume war debts of the states

2. impose high tariffs on imports to protect the nations young industries

3. Create a national bank to deposit government funds and create a stable national currency

Proclamation of Neutrality (1793)

proclamation declaring that the US would not take part in helping France during its wars with Britain after the French Revolution. Lead to Jefferson resigning from Washington’s cabinet.

“Citizen” Edmund Genêt

broke all rules of diplomacy by appealing directly to the American people to support the French cause, chose to remain in the US, where he married and became a citizen.

Jay Treaty (1794)

treaty where Britain agreed to evacuate posts on the US western frontier. Also attempted to negotiate trade with Britain and tried to stop British impressment of US seamen. Made sure to maintain Washington’s policy of neutrality.

Pinckney Treaty

Treaty with Spain which:

• Opened lower Mississippi River and NOLA to American trade

• The right of deposit granted so no need to pay duties to Spanish gov’t for transferring cargoes in NOLA

• Spain agreed that 31st parallel should be northern border of Florida.

Battle of Fallen Timbers (1794)

battle where US army, lead by General Anthony Wayne, defeated Northwest Confederacy tribes in northwestern Ohio.

Treaty of Greenville (1795)

Result of Battle of Fallen Timbers. Chiefs of defeated peoples agreed to surrender claims to Ohio Territory and open it up to settlement.

Whiskey Rebellion (1794)

Rebellion on Hamilton’s decision of taxing Whiskey to make up for tariffs being lower than he wanted. The government easily put down the rebellion, demonstrating dominance compared to the previous Shays’ rebellion

Public Land Act (1796)

Act which established orderly procedures for dividing and selling federal lands, that were gained as a result of Jay treaty and Battle of Fallen Timbers.

Federalist political party

Supported Hamilton and his financial program. This party’s era was in the 1790s

Democratic-Republican political party

Political party that supported Jefferson and tried to elect candidates in different states who opposed Hamilton’s program.

Washington’s Farewell address

Address Washington gave before he retired from President:

• Do not get involved in European affairs

• Do not make permanent alliances in foreign affairs

• Do not form political parties

• Do not fall into sectionalism

John Adams

Second US president

XYZ Affair

Due to conflicts with France, US diplomats are sent to France to negotiate. The French diplomats, who were unnamed, ask for bribes to negotiate. Leads to 2 year quasi war with France

Alien and Sedition Acts

Acts which time required for immigrants to gain citizenship from 5-14 years. Allowed president to deport aliens considered dangerous and detain them in times of war. And finally, made it illegal for newspaper editors to criticize either the president or Congress.

The Kentucky and Virginia resolutions

Responses of Madison and Jefferson to the Alien and Sedition Acts, which challenged the legislation of the Federalist Congress by enacting nullifying laws of their own in the state legislatures.

Developing an American Identity

Many traits which separate the US culture/identity from European countries:

• Abolition of Aristocratic Titles: no monarchy!!

• Separation of Church and State: most states followed this (except New Hampshire, Connecticut, and Massachusetts)

• Regional Variation: mostly in slavery at the time, but also in the character of the people of the area.

• The existence of Political Parties

• Cultural Change: away from Britain, by means of newspapers, art, novels, etc

Charles Peale

Opened what is recognized as the first art gallery in Philadelphia

Pierre-Charles L’Enfant

Developed the design for Washington DC

Gilbert Stuart

Painted the nation’s leaders, which was displayed at the American Academy of Fine Arts

Indian Intercourse Act

Act which placed the federal government in control of all legal actions with Native Americans, meaning state governments do not purchase land or regulate trade over land. These laws were largely ignored.

Daniel Boone

scout who lead the way across the Appalachian mountains and established early white settlements in the Northwest.

Eli Whitney

inventor of the cotton gin

cotton gin

device for separating cotton fiber from the seeds. Lead to the increase of slavery because more slave were being put to the field in order to grow more cotton. This along with the mechanization of the textile industry made cotton cloth less expensive and more plentiful than before. Cotton became a potent global industry

Movements of Enslaved African Americans

Chesapeake states had a surplus of slaves due to the decline of the Tobacco industry. As a result, an interregional slave trade began where the surplus slaves were sold to Southern states, who required slaves for cotton production. This brutal trade separated many families and lead to the transportation of between 500,000-1mil enslaved before the Civil War (1861)