US History Chapter 8

Thomas Jefferson

appointed at the secretary of the Department of State

Alexander Hamilton

appointed as the secretary of the treasury

Henry Knox

appointed as the head of the War Department

State, Treasury, and War

the three departments of the executive branch

cabinet

an advisory body

Judiciary Act of 1789

organized 13 district courts, established, three circuit courts to handle appeals, and set the number of Supreme Court justices at six

John Jay

appointed as the court’s chief justice

James Madison

a leader in the House of Representatives that said, “We are in a wilderness without a single footstep to guide us. Our successors will have an easer task.”

Mr. President

the title used for the president

Bill of Rights

the first ten amendments in the Constitution

Report on Public Credit

Hamilton’s proposal that for the sake of national pride and future credit, all government debt had to be paid using two major aspects: funding and assumption

funding

proposed that the federal government give bonds paying 6% interest to those the Continental Congress owed money for goods or military services provided during the war

monetizing the debt

procedure in which the bonds given by the federal government were to be recognized as currency

assumption

the national government’s takeover of all state debts

national bank

Hamilton’s plan to issue a uniform currency and provide a source for business loans to encourage economic expansion

loose constructionists

those who advocated more flexibility of the Constitution on a given issue

strict constructionists

those who held to a closer reading of the constitutional text

Alexander Hamilton

proposed and created the first National Bank

Federalists

political party that favored a strong but limited central government and weaker state governments; favored a loose interpretation of the Constitution; wanted the National Bank; pro-British

Republicans

political party that favored a weak central government and stronger state governments; favored a strict interpretation of the Constitution; opposed the National Bank; pro-French

French Revolution

France declared war on Britain in 1793 to gain independence and put America in its first foreign policy crisis

Proclamation of Neutrality

Washington’s declaration that the US would pursue a policy of friendliness and impartiality toward France and Britain

Citizen Genet

the title of the flashy French ambassador that went to America to stir up pro-French sentiment in hopes of overturning American neutrality

impressment

seizing American sailors and forcing them into British naval service

Jay Treaty

the promise that Britain would remove it’s soldiers from American territory and offered to pay compensation for the previous years of raiding by the British navy on American shipping

Whiskey Rebellion

refusal to pay the tax on whiskey that led to violence against the government; settled by a command led by Washington

Daniel Boone

explored Kentucky and blazed the “Wilderness Road’ which became the main route of early settlers to Kentucky; established the first settlements in Kentucky

Washington’s Farewell Address

speech in which Washington encouraged commercial ties with Europe but warned against political ties

John Adams

the Federalist candidate for the election of 1796; the second president of the United States

Thomas Pinckney

the Federalist candidate for the vice-president in the election of 1796

Thomas Jefferson

the Republican candidate for the election of 1796; the second vice-president of the United States

Aaron Burr

the Republican candidate for vice-president in the elections of 1796 and 1800

Quasi War

the unofficial war between France and America in which the French had seized cargo on 300 American ships

XYZ Affair

event in which three American diplomats were sent to France to negotiate and France said they would only if America paid them a large amount of money

Alien and Sedition Acts

two acts in which the Federalist-controlled Congress sought to silence their political opponents

Alien Acts

placed restrictions on immigrants that were predominantly Republican and gave the president the power to expel or imprison these individuals

Sedition Act

outlined penalties for antigovernment activities but also made it illegal to speak or write anything false against the government or the president

Kentucky Resolutions

written by Jefferson in response to the Alien and Sedition Acts and opposed the acts as a violation of the First Amendment; held that the national government existed by the consent of the states so therefore the states could nullify government acts that they deemed unconstitutional

Virginia Resolutions

written by Madison in response to the Alien and Sedition Acts and opposed the acts as a violation of the First Amendment; held that the national government existed by the consent of the states so therefore the states could nullify government acts that they deemed unconstitutional

Thomas Jefferson

the third president of the United States

Judiciary Act of 1801

increased the number of federal judges

midnight appointments

the time in which Adams stayed up until midnight signing commissions for the new judges from the Judiciary Act of 1801