Ch 10 The American Pageant 16th Edition

Bill of Rights (1791)

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.

Bank of the United States (BUS) (1791)

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.

Whiskey Rebellion (1794)

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.

Neutrality Proclamation (1793)

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.

Jay's Treaty (1794)

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.

Pickney's Treaty (1795)

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

Treaty of Greenville (1795)

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.

Farewell Address (1796)

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 (1797)

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.

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 American's long-standing opposition to entangling alliances with foreign powers.

Alien Act (1798)

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

Sedition Act (1798)

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 heavy fine. The act drew heavy criticism from Republicans, who let the act expire in 1801.

Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions (1798-1799)

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

Alexander Hamilton

Native of the British West Indies and was the treasury Secretary of the new government. He wanted to correct the economic vexations in the Articles of Confederation. Urged funding at Par.

Thomas Jefferson

voted against the bank, and believed power should lie in the states, not the government.

John Adams

Vice President of George Washington, won by 71 to 68 votes in Electoral College. No appeal to the masses.