Unit 3: Building a New Nation

Judiciary Act of 1789

Sep. 24, 1789. Established the federal judiciary including the Supreme Court, district courts, and circuit courts; defining their powers and jurisdiction.

Bank of the United States

Proposed by Alexander Hamilton and chartered in 1791; aimed to stabilize the economy, regulate currency, and manage government funds. Faced opposition from Jeffersonian Republicans.

Whiskey Rebellion

1794. Revolt of Pennsylvania farmers against an excise tax on whiskey; prompted George Washington to lead federal troops to suppress the rebellion. Demonstrated the strength of the new federal government.

Jay's Treaty

1794. Signed between the U.S. and Britain; sought to resolve lingering issues from the Revolutionary War. Angered many Americans by failing to stop prevent British impressment.

Federalist Party

Led by Alexander Hamilton; favored a strong central government, industrial development, and close economic ties with Britain.

Democratic-Republican Party

Founded by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison in opposition to Federalists; favored states' rights, agrarian society, and close economic ties with France.

French Revolution

1789 - 1799. Radical movement that overthrew the French monarchy and sparked debates in the U.S.; Federalists opposed its violence, Democratic-Republicans supported its ideals.

XYZ Affair

1797. Diplomatic scandal in which French agents (referred to as X, Y, and Z) demanded bribes from American diplomats; led to anti-French sentiment among Americans.

Alien and Sedition Acts

1798. Passed under President Adams; controversial laws targeted immigrants through deportation and restricted free speech by making it illegal to criticize the federal government.

Kentucky & Virginia Resolves

Written in 1798 - 1799 by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison; argued that states could nullify federal laws deemed unconstitutional.

nullification

Idea that states have the right to invalidate federal laws they consider unconstitutional.

Election of 1800

Election that marked the transfer from the Federalist-dominated administration of John Adams to the Democratic-Republican-dominated administration of Thomas Jefferson.

Marbury v. Madison

1803. Supreme Court case that established the principle of judicial review, granting courts the authority to declare laws unconstitutional.

Gabriel's Revolution

1800. A planned slave revolt led by enslaved blacksmith Gabriel Prosser in Richmond, Virginia; thwarted by two members betraying the plan and led to the execution of Gabriel and dozens of members.

Haitian Revolution

1791 - 1804. A successful slave revolt/revolution in Saint-Domingue (present-day Haiti) led by Toussant L'Ouverture; overthrew French colonial rule and created the first independent Black republic.

Notes on the State of Virginia

Written in 1785 by Thomas Jefferson; presented his views on American society, including racial hierarchy (Black people were inherently inferior in his opinion), agrarian ideals, and potential for self-governance.

Republican Motherhood

Concept that encouraged women to educate their children in Republican values and reinforcing their role as moral leaders and preservers of civic virtue.

Louisiana Purchase

April 30, 1803. A land deal in which the U.S. (under President Jefferson) purchased the Louisiana Territory from France (under Emperor Bonaparte) for $15 million; doubled the nation's size.

Embargo Act

1807. Passed under President Jefferson; banned American trade with foreign nations to punish Britain and France for impressment. Backfired and devastated U.S. economy.

Sally Hemmings

A woman enslaved to Thomas Jefferson at Monticello who Jefferson was having an affair with, had multiple children together.

play-off system

A diplomatic strategy used by Native American nations to balance and manipulate competing European and American powers to preserve autonomy and gain advantages.

Tenskwatawa

A Shawnee religious leader known as "The Prophet" who preached Native American revitalization, cultural renewal and resistance to American expansion. Brother to Tecumseh.

Tecumseh

A Shawnee leader who sought to unite Native American tribes into a confederacy to resist U.S. westward expansion until his death in 1813. Brother to Tenkswatawa.

Red Sticks

A militant faction of the Creek Nation that opposed American expansion and fought in the Creek War (1813 - 1814); aligned with Tecumseh's resistance movement.

impressment

The British practice of forcibly recruiting American sailors into the British Navy by surrounding American ships; major cause of tension leading to the War of 1812.

War Hawks

Young nationalist members of Congress who aggressively advocated to war with Britain leading up to the War of 1812, much to the opposition of those old enough to have lived through the Revolutionary War.

Andrew Jackson

U.S. general and future president who gained fame for defeating the British at the Battle of New Orleans in 1815 and for his reputation as an "Indian killer."

Hartford Convention

Dec. 1814. A secret meeting of New England Federalists to protest the War of 1812. Controversial due to the rumors that Federalists wanted to secede New England from the rest of the country and Democratic-Republicans considered them traitors.

"Star Spangled Banner"

A poem written by Francis Scott Key during the British bombardment of Fort McHenry on Sep. 13 - 14, 1814; officially became the national anthem in 1931.

internal improvements

Term for infrastructure projects like roads, canals, and bridges funded bu federal and state governments to promote economic growth and national unity; supported by Federalists.

American System

Henry Clay's economic plan that promoted a national bank, protective tariffs, and internal improvements to foster economic development and national unity.

Monroe Doctrine

Dec. 2, 1823. Declared by President James Monroe that the Western Hemisphere was now off-limits to any further European colonization and intervention, as well as asserting U.S. involvement in Latin America.

1. What were the 3 parts of Hamilton's financial plan?

1) Establish a national bank

2) Pay off national debt

3) Utilize tariffs and excise taxes

2. Why did Hamilton believe a national debt would strengthen the U.S. and help to ensure her survival?

If the U.S. were to assume state debt, it would increase the national credit market Hamilton hoped to create and provide a reason for creation of a national bank to oversee the debt, ensuring financial stability and national economic unity.

3. Why did Jefferson oppose the creation of the Bank of the U.S.?

He believed it was unconstitutional and would centralize too much economic power in the federal government, as well as benefiting the wealthy elites at the expense of southern farmers. Hamilton opposed this by claiming the Necessary and Proper Clause in the Constitution did give Congress the power to create the bank. (Note: Jefferson agreed to the creation of the bank in exchange for moving the national capital from New York to Washington D.C. aka what happens in Hamilton during "The Room Where It Happens" lol.)

4. How did events abroad during the 1790s sharpen political divisions in the U.S.?

The French Revolution and following wars in Europe intensified U.S. political divisions, with Federalists fearing anarchy and siding with Britain and Democratic-Republicans supporting revolutionary ideals and siding with France.

5. Why is the election of 1800 often referred to as the "Revolution of 1800"?

It was the first peaceful transfer of power between political parties; from Federalist John Adams to Democratic-Republican Thomas Jefferson, marking a shift towards more democratic governance.

6. Did the United States draw more from the vision of Alexander Hamilton or Thomas Jefferson?

Both. It combined Hamilton's focus on a strong central government and industrial economy with Jefferson's emphasis on democratic principles.

7. What was Republican Motherhood and how did it change understandings of gender?

It promoted the idea that women were responsible to raising virtuous citizens, thereby increasing the importance of women's roles in the private sphere and education while reinforcing traditional gender roles.

8. How did slave rebellions, in the U.S. and beyond, change the life and laws of the nation?

Both successful (Haitian Rev.) and unsuccessful (Gabriel's Rebellion) slave rebellions heightened fears of insurrection among slaveholders, leading to stricter slave codes and greater repression in an effort to prevent future uprisings

9. How did Native American nations interact with the U.S. in the early period?

They often used diplomatic strategies to play European powers against each other, sought alliances, and sometimes engaged in conflicts to resist U.S. expansion, as seen during the War of 1812.

10. What were the arguments for and against acquiring the Louisiana Purchase?

For: It would provide land for agrarian expansion and strengthen the nation militarily and politically.

Against: Feared it was unconstitutional and would weaken federal authority by creating too much land for one government to control.

11. What were the causes and effects of the War of 1812?

Causes: British impressment, interference with trade, and support for Native American resistance.

Effects: Increased national pride among Americans, end of the Federalist Party, and Native American land loss.

12. Why do historians think the decisions of the Marshall Court constitute a Federalist legacy?

Through decisions like Marbury v. Madison (1803) and McCulloch v. Maryland (1819), the Court strengthened federal power and judicial review, ensuring a strong central government that aligned with Federalist ideals.

13. What caused the Panic of 1819?

A sudden collapse of cotton prices, reckless banking practices, and a post-war economic downturn as American businesses struggled to compete with foreign markets now that they were open to international trade again.

14. What were the three elements of Henry Clay's American System?

1) Promote a national bank

2) Protective tariffs to support American industry

3) Internal improvements to develop infrastructure

15. What prompted the Missouri crisis of 1819 - 1821?

Missouri's request to enter the U.S. as a slave state; raised concerns about the balance of power in the Senate between slave state and free states because if Missouri joined there would be more slave than free representation.

16. What compromises over slavery did Congress make to settle the Missouri crises?

The Missouri Compromise (1820), proposed by Henry Clay, did three things:

1) Admitted Missouri as a slave state

2) Carved the new state of Maine out of Massachusetts as a free state

3) Prohibited slavery norther of the 36°30' latitude line in the Louisiana Territory

17. To what extent was the period of 1817 - 1821 an "Era of Good Feelings"?

The period saw a temporary absence of the two-party system and created a sense of national unity after the "success" (it was a draw) of the War of 1812 under President James Monroe, but underlying tensions over issues like slavery and economic policy only increased over time.