Crash Course US History: Where US Politics Came From

Vocabulary flashcards covering key political figures, parties, economic policies, foreign relations, and domestic conflict in the early political history of the United States.

Mercantile

An economic concept favored by Alexander Hamilton in which a country is deeply involved in world trade.

Federalist Party

The political party associated with Alexander Hamilton that represented the rich, able, and well-born, supporting a strong central government, manufacturing, trade, and close ties with Great Britain.

Republicans

The political party associated with Thomas Jefferson (also called Democratic Republicans) that advocated for an agrarian republic, local self-government, greater democracy, and close relations with France.

Hamilton's Five-Point Plan

An economic strategy consisting of: 1) establishing creditworthiness by assuming state debts, 2) creating a national debt via bonds, 3) creating a Bank of the United States, 4) levying a whiskey tax, and 5) encouraging domestic manufacturing through tariffs.

Strict Construction

The legal and political doctrine that government action must be strictly limited to the powers explicitly listed in the text of the Constitution.

Whiskey Rebellion

A 1794 protest by Western Pennsylvania farmers against the federal excise tax on whiskey, which President George Washington put down by leading a force of 13,000 men into the field.

Impressment

The practice by the British Navy of kidnapping American sailors and forcing them into military service.

Jay Treaty

An agreement negotiated by John Jay that improved trade relations between the US and Great Britain, though it failed to address impressment or American shipping rights.

Judith Sargent Murray

An early American writer who argued for the equal intellectual capacity of women and men.

XYZ Affair

A diplomatic conflict in which three French emissaries demanded a bribe from US negotiators, sparking public outrage and anti-French sentiment in America.

Alien and Sedition Acts

Laws passed during John Adams' administration that extended the timeframe to become a US citizen (Alien Act) and criminalized criticisms of the federal government (Sedition Act).

Matthew Lyon

A Vermont congressman jailed under the Sedition Act for criticizing President John Adams, who managed to win reelection to Congress while in prison.

Nullification

The political theory advanced in the Virginia and Kentucky resolutions asserting that individual states have the power to void or overturn federal laws deemed unconstitutional.