2023 Unit 3 The New Republic

Unicameral Legislature

A single group of people who make laws. This structure was used in the Articles of Confederation.

Confederation Congress

The name of the legislature under the Articles of Confederation. Each state sent 2-7 delegates, but only had one vote each.

Powers of the Confederation Congress

Declare war and make peace, regulate foreign affairs, regulate weights and measures and manage the post office.

Northwest Ordinance of 1787

Created a system of government for the Northwest Territory. As population increased, territories would be able to create an elected legislature and eventually apply for statehood. It also banned slavery in these territories.

Economic weakness of the government under the Articles of Confederation

No power to regulate commerce or tax

Shays' Rebllion

An uprising of farmers in western Massachusetts in 1787. The farms shut down the courts in order to prevent their farms from being seized. The rebellion only ended when the eastern elite created a private militia to shut it down. Showed the government under the Articles of Confederation were weak and could not protect citizens' right to property.

Separation of Powers

The principle that government power should be dispersed among independent branches and not concentrated into a single person or institution.

Checks and Balances

The principle that each branch of government should have the ability to restrain certain actions of other branches.

Federalism

The principle that power should be divided between a central government and smaller units (the states).

Legislative

The branch of government responsible for making the laws.

Executive

The branch of government responsible for enforcing the laws.

Judicial

The branch of government responsible for interpreting the laws.

Great Compromise

Created a bicameral legislature. In one house that states were represented proportionally and in the second house states had equal representation.

Bicameral legislature

A system where two groups of people make the laws.

Three-Fifths Compromise

Agreement that slaves would be counted as a fraction of the population to calculate state population and taxation.

Senate

Representatives are elected to 6 year terms originally by the state legislatures. Must be 30 years old and a citizen for 9 years to be eligible. The president of this institution is the Vice President of the United States.

Federalists

Believed sepration of powers, checks and balances, and federalism would keep the national government from becoming too powerful and worried that including a bill of rights would prevent rights not listed from being protected.

Anti-Federalists

Believed the national government was given too much power and were worried about the lack of a Bill of Rights.

Precedents set by George Washington

Going by the title "Mr. President," adding "So help me God" to the oath of office, creating a Cabinet, serving two terms

Alexander Hamilton

First Secretary of the Treasury. Created a plan to solve America's financial problems.

Hamilton's Financial Plan

Bank of the United States, Excise taxes, Assumption of state debts, Tariffs

Implementation of Hamilton's Financial Plan

Bank of the United States created for 20 years, excise tax on Whiskey, assumption of the state debt in exchange for moving the nation's capital to the South, tariffs on imported goods

Federalist Political Party

Led by Alexander Hamilton and John Adams. On the whole believed in a strong national government, a loose interpretation of the Constitution and a manufacturing economy. They supported Britain in the conflict between Britain and France, the Jay Treaty and the Alien and Sedition Acts.

Democratic Republicans

Led by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. On the whole believed in a smaller national government, a strict interpretation of the Constitution and an agricultural economy. They supported France in the conflict between Britain and France. They did not support the Jay Treaty or the Alien and Sedition Acts.

Washington's Farewell Address

Advice for future Americans including warnings about political parties and sectionalism, the need to stay neutral and the need to maintain America's improving credit.

Bill of Rights

The first ten amendments to the Constitution, protect individual liberties of citizens

George Washington

1st President; elected unanimously

National Bank

Give out loans to Americans who wanted to manufacture and trade; Increase the economic power of the national government

excise tax

An indirect tax charged on the sale of a good, 1st on whiskey

Assumption of State Debts

Would help the states by giving them a clean economic slate; Would help the national government by proving the new national government was financially responsible and restore the nation's credit

tariff

tax on imports; way to raise money and encourage people to buy American manufactued goods

Whiskey Rebellion

In 1794, farmers in Pennsylvania rebelled against Hamilton's excise tax on whiskey. Washington, put down the rebellion. showed that the new government's strength.

Capital compromise (Washington D.C.)

In exchange for assuming the state debts, the national capital would be moved to the south

Jay Treaty

Britain would give up the forts on American soil & pay damages from American ship seizures; The United States would pay pre-Revolutionary War debts owed to Britain

Pinckney Treaty with Spain, 1795

America got free shipping rights on the Mississippi River and access to New Orleans; Boundary of Spanish Florida decided

Washington's Proclamation of Neutrality, 1793

1793 Great Britain and France are at war. US had a treaty with France from the Revolution, but the US is too weak and too dependent for trade to go to war with Great Britain. Washington declares the US will stay neutral in the conflict.

John Adams

2nd president, Federalist, VP to Washignton

Alien and Sedition Acts

Acts passed by Federalists giving the government power to imprison or deport foreign citizens and prosecute critics of the government

Virginia and Kentucky Resolves

Written anonymously by Jefferson and Madison in response to the Alien and Sedition Acts, they declared that states could cancel federal laws that the states considered unconstitutional.

Revolution of 1800

Jefferson's election peacefully transferred political power from Federalists to Democratic- Republicans, so it was called a "revolution."

Lousiana Purchase

Land purchased by Jefferson from France doubling the size of the U.S.. Western boundary was the Rocky Mountains, southern boundary was the Red River and eastern boundary was the Mississippi River.

Embargo of 1807

Act prohibiting American ships from trading with any foreign nation

Causes of the War of 1812

Impressment, War Hawks, Orders in Council, Chesapeake Affair, Native Americans

Impressment

British practice of taking American sailors and forcing them into military service

War Hawks

Those who were eager for war with Britain to take over Canada

Orders in Council

edicts that closed European ports to foreign shipping unless they stopped first in a British port

Treaty of Ghent

Ended the War of 1812 in a virtual draw, restoring pre-war borders but failing to address any of the grievances that first brought America into the war.

Marbury v. Madison

This case establishes the Supreme Court's power of Judicial Review

Judicial Review

The power of the courts to declare laws and actions of the executive unconstitutional

Articles of Confederation

First government of the United States. It was a confederation, meaning the national government was weak and most power belonged to the state governments.

House of Representatives

Elected by the people for 2 year terms. Must be 25 years old and a citizen for 7 years in the United States to be eligible to serve.

President of the United States

Chosen by the electoral college to serve 4 year terms. Must be 35 years old and a natural born citizen of the US to be eligible.

Supreme Court Justices

Nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate. Serve for life and there are no constitutional qualifications to be a member.