Early US - Unit 2, Part 1: A New Nation: Washington, Adams, and Jefferson

Despite providing a strong foundation, this document was not a detailed blueprint for governing?

Constitution

What types of decisions did Washington and Congress have to make to create a working government?

How to raise revenue, provide for defense, among others

What act answered critical questions about our court systems?

Judiciary Act of 1789

What did the judicial act in 1789 do?

• Provided for a Supreme Court with a Chief Justice and five associate justices

• Allowed state court decisions to be appealed to a federal court

• Established system for federal district courts

When Washington took office, the executive branch of government consisted of what two officials?

The president and vice-president

To help these leaders govern, Congress created three executive departments. Name them and what each does?

Department of State: Deal with foreign affairs

Department of War: To handle military matters

Department of the Treasury: Manage finances

Who were the people initially in charge of each executive department?

Thomas Jefferson: Secretary of state

Alexander Hamilton: Secretary of treasury

Henry Knox: Secretary of war

What did Edmund Randolph serve as?

Attorney General

Jefferson, Hamilton, Knox, and Randolph became collectively known as the president’s…?

Cabinet (aka chief advisers)

What did Hamilton believe in regard to government?

A strong central government led by a prosperous, educated elite of upper-class citizens.

Who did Jefferson distrust?

A strong central government and the rich

What did Jefferson favor in contrast to Hamilton?

Strong state and local governments rooted in popular participation.

How did Hamilton and Jefferson differ in their views of what made a strong nation?

Hamilton believed commerce and industry were the keys to a strong nation.

Jefferson favored a society of farming citizens.

Hamilton hoped to tie wealthy investors to the country’s welfare. What did he envision for this?

He envisioned The Bank of the United States that would issue paper money, handle tax receipts and other government funds.

Who argued that the Congress had no right to authorize the national bank?

James Madison; he argued Congress couldn’t authorize it since the Constitution made no provision for a national bank.

James Madison’s challenge started what?

His challenge started the debate on how strictly we should follow the Constitution.

To win support, Hamilton suggested moving the nation’s capital from New York City to a city of…?

a city on the Potomac River

Why did moving the capital please southerners like Madison and Jefferson?

They felt a southern capital would allow for Southern issues to be taken more seriously

After a few years of the American Revolution, what country saw its own?

France

Because of their alliance with the United States, the French expected American help. Thus, who wanted to honor the treaty?

Thomas Jefferson and James Madison wanted to honor the 1778 treaty and support France

What position did Washington take in regards to tackling foreign affairs?

A position of neutrality.

What did the United States want in regards to land and shipping rights?

They wanted to secure land claims west of the Appalachian Mountains and wanted to gain shipping rights on the Mississippi River.

What was concluded in the Treaty of San Lorenzo?

1) Spain agreed to open the Mississippi River to traffic by Spanish subjects and U.S. citizens.

2) Spain recognized the 31st parallel as the southern boundy of the United States and the northern boundary of Florida.

Why did President Washington ultimately decide not to seek a third term in office?

He decided not to go for a third term because of the growing division between Federalists and Democratic-Republicans.

In his farewell address, what did Washington stress?

He urged the United States to “steer clear of permanent alliances” with other nations.

In the presidential election of 1796, who did the Federalists nominate for Vice-President and President?

President: John Adams

Vice-President: Thomas Pinckney

In the presidential election of 1796, who did the Democratic-Republicans nominate for Vice-President and President?

President: Thomas Jefferson

Vice-President: Aaron Burr

How many votes did Adams and Jefferson receive?

Adams received 71 electoral votes, Jefferson received 68

What did the election of 1796 underscore?

Sectionalism in the nation

After taking office, Adams faced his first crisis: a looming war with…?

France

What did many Federalists believe in regards to the French when Adams became president?

They thought French agents were everywhere, plotting to overthrow the government

To counter what they was as a growing threat to the government, the Federalists pushed in Congress (in 1798) four measures that became known as…?

the Alien and Sedition Acts

What did three of the Alien Acts do to the citizenship residency requirement?

Raised it from 5 years to 14 years

What power did the Alien Acts give the president regarding undesirable aliens?

The power to deport or jail them

What did the Sedition Act set fines and jail terms for?

Anyone trying to hinder the government or expressing "false, scandalous, and malicious statements" against it

How did Democratic-Republican leaders (Jefferson and Madison) view the Alien and Sedition Acts?

As a serious misuse of federal government power

Which two candidates faced off in the Election of 1800?

Thomas Jefferson and John Adams