Chapter 9: US History Vocab

Bill of Rights

Popular term for the first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution. The amendments secure key rights for individuals and reserve to the states all powers not explicitly delegated or prohibited by the Constitution.

Judiciary Act of 1789

Organized the federal legal system, establishing the Supreme Court, federal district and circuit courts, and the office of the attorney general.

funding at par

Payment of debts, such as government bonds, at face value. In 1790, Alexander Hamilton proposed that the federal government pay its Revolutionary War debts in full in order to bolster the nation’s credit.

assumption

Transfer of debt from one party to another. In order to strengthen the union, the federal government assumed states’ Revolutionary War debts in 1790, thereby tying the interests of wealthy lenders with those of the national government.

tariff

Tax levied on imports. Traditionally, manufacturers support tariffs as protective and revenue–raising measures, while agricultural interests, dependent on world markets, oppose high tariffs.

excise tax

Tax on goods produced domestically. Excise taxes, particularly the 1791 tax on whiskey, were a highly controversial component of Alexander Hamilton’s financial program.

strict construction

Legal philosophy that emphasizes literal interpretation of law. “Strict” interpretations of constitutional issues often narrowly focus on the original language of the constitution, rather than on changing circumstances. They also tend to favor limiting the power of the federal government and preserving the authority of the states.

Bank of the United States

Chartered by Congress as part of Alexander Hamilton’s financial program, the bank printed paper money and served as a depository for Treasury funds. It drew opposition from Jeffersonian Republicans, who argued that the bank was unconstitutional.

Wabash, Battle of the

Also known as “St. Clair’s Defeat,” battle in the Northwest Territories between an American military expedition and a coalition of Native Americans led by Little Turtle of the Miamis. The lopsided Indian victory caused alarm in Washington and a larger invasion two years later.

Whiskey Rebellion

Popular uprising of whiskey distillers in southwestern Pennsylvania in opposition to an excise tax on whiskey. In a show of strength and resolve by the new central government, Washington put down the rebellion with militia drawn from several states.

Reign of Terror

Ten–month period of brutal repression when some forty thousand individuals were executed as enemies of the French Revolution. While many Jeffersonians maintained their faith in the French Republic, Federalists withdrew their already lukewarm support once the Reign of Terror commenced.

Haitian Revolution

War incited by a slave uprising in French–controlled Saint Domingue, resulting in the creation of the first independent black republic in the Americas.

Neutrality Proclamation

Issued by George Washington, it proclaimed America’s formal neutrality in the escalating conflict between England and France, a statement that enraged pro–French Jeffersonians.

Fallen Timbers, Battle of

Decisive battle between the Miami Confederacy and the U.S. Army. British forces refused to shelter the routed Indians, forcing the latter to attain a peace settlement with the United States.

Greenville, Treaty of

Under the terms of the treaty, the Miami Confederacy agreed to cede territory in the Old Northwest to the United States in exchange for cash payment, hunting rights, and formal recognition of their sovereign status.

Jay’s Treaty

Negotiated by Chief Justice John Jay in an effort to avoid war with Britain, the treaty included a British promise to evacuate outposts on U.S. soil and pay damages for seized American vessels, in exchange for which Jay bound the United States to repay pre–Revolutionary war debts and to abide by Britain’s restrictive trading policies toward France.

Pinckney’s Treaty

Signed with Spain, which, fearing an Anglo–American alliance, granted Americans free navigation of the Mississippi and the disputed territory of Florida.

Farewell Address

George Washington’s address at the end of his presidency, warning against “permanent alliances” with other nations. Washington did not oppose all alliances, but believed that the young, fledgling nation should forge alliances only on a temporary basis, in extraordinary circumstances.

XYZ Affair

Diplomatic conflict between France and the United States when American envoys to France were asked to pay a hefty bribe for the privilege of meeting with the French foreign minister. Many in the United States called for war against France, while American sailors and privateers waged an undeclared war against French merchants in the Caribbean.

Quasi–War with France

Undeclared naval conflict between the United States and its former allies, the French. Diplomatic tension led to mutual attacks on shipping, and between French and American naval vessels. Both sides sought peace, and the Convention of 1800 ended the brief conflict.

Convention of 1800

Agreement to formally dissolve the United States’ treaty with France, originally signed during the Revolutionary War. The difficulties posed by America’s peacetime alliance with France contributed to Americans’ long–standing opposition to entangling alliances with foreign powers.

Alien Laws

Acts passed by a Federalist Congress raising the residency requirement for citizenship to fourteen years and granting the president the power to deport dangerous foreigners in times of peace.

Sedition Act

Enacted by the Federalist Congress in an effort to clamp down on Jeffersonian opposition, the law made anyone convicted of defaming government officials or interfering with government policies liable to imprisonment and a heavy fine. The act drew heavy criticism from Republicans, who let the act expire in 1801.

Virginia and Kentucky resolutions

Statements secretly drafted by Jefferson and Madison for the legislatures of Kentucky and Virginia. Argued that states were the final arbiters of whether the federal government overstepped its boundaries and could therefore nullify, or refuse to accept, national legislation they deemed unconstitutional.v

George Washington

(1732–1799) Revolutionary War general and first president of the United States. A Virginia–born planter, Washington established himself as a military hero during the French and Indian War. He served as commander in chief of the Continental army during the War of Independence, securing key victories at Saratoga and Yorktown. Unanimously elected president under the new national Constitution in 1788, Washington served two terms, focusing primarily on strengthening the national government, establishing a sound financial system, and maintaining American neutrality amidst the escalating European conflict.

Alexander Hamilton

(1757-1804) Revolutionary War soldier and first Treasury secretary of the United States. A fierce proponent of a strong national government, Hamilton attended the Philadelphia convention and convincingly argued for the Constitution’s ratification in The Federalist. As Treasury secretary, he advocated the assumption of state debts to bolster the nation’s credit and the establishment of a national bank to print sound currency and boost commerce. Hamilton died from a gunshot wound suffered during a duel with then–Vice President Aaron Burr.

Louis XVI

(1754–1793) King of France from 1774 to 1792; he and Queen Marie Antoinette were beheaded during the French Revolution.

Edmond Genêt

(1763–1834) Representative of the French Republic who in 1793 tried to recruit Americans to invade Spanish and British territories in blatant disregard of Washington’s Neutrality Proclamation.

Little Turtle

(1752–1812) Miami Indian chief whose warriors routed American forces in 1790 and 1791 along the Ohio frontier. In 1794, Little Turtle and his braves were defeated by General Anthony Wayne at the Battle of Fallen Timbers, after which they were forced to cede vast tracts of the Old Northwest under the Treaty of Greenville.

“Mad Anthony” Wayne

(1745–1796) Revolutionary War soldier and commander in chief of the U.S. Army from 1792 to 1796, he secured the Treaty of Greenville after soundly defeating the Miami Confederacy at the Battle of Fallen Timbers.

John Jay

(1745–1829) Leading American revolutionary and diplomat who negotiated the Treaty of Paris and, later, the much–criticized Jay Treaty of 1794, which averted war with Britain but failed to address key American grievances. Jay also served as the first chief justice of the Supreme Court from 1789 to 1795, a post he left to become governor of New York.

John Adams

(1735–1826) American revolutionary, statesman, and second president of the United States. One of the more radical patriots on the eve of the Revolution, Massachusetts–born Adams helped guide the Continental Congress toward a declaration of independence from Britain. From 1778 to 1788, Adams involved himself with international diplomacy, serving as minister to France, Britain, and the Netherlands. After serving as Washington’s vice president, he was elected president in his own right in 1796. Adams’s administration suffered from Federalist infighting, international turmoil, and domestic uproar over the Alien and Sedition Acts, all of which contributed to his defeat in the election of 1800.

Charles Maurice de Talleyrand

(1754–1838) French foreign minister whose attempts to solicit bribes from American envoys in the infamous XYZ Affair prompted widespread calls for war with France.