Section 1: General Knowledge

Timeline

People

Important People

Alexander Hamilton

Born 11 Jan, 1755 or 1757 Newis, British West Indies. Died 12 Jul, 1804 New York City.

Political Affiliation:

• Federalists

Hamilton was a major figure during the Early Republic period as he helped win the war, pushed the ratification of the Constitution, and then formed one of the first political party: The Federalist Party.

John Adams

Born 30 Oct, 1735 Braintree, MA. Died 4 Jul, 1826 Quincy, MA

Political Affiliation:

• Federalists ( —1808)

• Democratic—Republicans (1808— )

John Adams was the country’s 2nd President and was part of the Federalist Party before the political Schism between him and the High Federalists. It was during his presidency that the Quasi-War with France occurred along with the XYZ affair. He was the father of John Quincy Adams and the first, last, and only Federalist President.

Thomas Jefferson

Born 13 Apr, 1743 Shadwell, VA. Died 4 Jul, 1826 Monticello, VA.

Political Affiliation:

• Democratic—Republicans

Thomas Jefferson is best known for being America’s 3rd president. It was during his campaign that set the American Standard of a peaceful transition of power and during his presidency, he doubled the size of the country and set himself to be one of the country’s best presidents. Even before his presidency, he made himself known as the person who wrote the Declaration of Independence and stringent supporter of the Bill of Rights.

James Madison

Born 16 Mar, 1751 Port Conway, VA. Died 28 Jun, 1836 Montpelier, VA.

Political Affiliation:

• Federalists ( —1971)

• Democratic—Republicans (1791— )

James Madison was known for many things throughout his long political career. He is best known for being the 4th President and for leading the nation through the War of 1812. He began his career siding with Hamilton and the other Federalists, but switched sides later on to side with the Democratic-Republicans.

John Quincy Adams

Born 11 Jul, 1767 Braintree, MA. Died 23 Feb 1848 Washington DC

Political Affiliation:

• Federalists ( —1808)

• Democratic—Republicans (1809 - 1828)

• National Republicans (1828 - 1830)

• Anti—Masonic Party (1830 - 1834)

• Whig Party (1834— )

Son of John Adams, John Quincy Adams was known for being the 6th president, but his career extended way beyond those 4 years. He is known for negotiating the Adams-Onis treaty, supporting the rights of slaves and women, and also for winning the presidency through the controversial Corrupt Bargain.

Andrew Jackson

Born 15 Mar, 1767 Waxhaw Region, SC. Died 8 Jun, 1845 Nashville, TN.

Political Affiliation:

• Democratic—Republicans ( —1825)

• Jacksonian Democrats (1825 - 1828)

• Democratic (1828— )

Andrew Jackson is known as one of the most controversial presidents ever. As the 7th President, Jackson he dissolved the National Bank and forced out native groups out of their homes, but he is also known for recognizing the Republic of Texas, extending voting rights to all white men, and ending the National Debt. He was also a war hero during the War of 1812 and accused Adams and Clay of orchestrating the Corrupt Bargain.

Martin Van Buren

Born 5 Dec, 1782 Kinderhook, NY. Died 24 Jul, 1862 Kinderhook, NY.

Political Affiliation:

• Democratic—Republicans ( —1825)

• Democratic (1825 - 1848; 1852— )

• Free Soil Party (1848 - 1852)

Martin Van Buren was the 8th president and the founder of the Democratic Party. As part of Jackson’s Kitchen Cabinet, he had a strong pull on Jackson and advised him on the Bank War. His presidency was marked by sectional issues and through years of trying keep the Union united, War broke out during his last days.

Henry Clay Sr.

Born 12 Apr, 1777 Hanover County, VA. Died 29 Jun, 1852 Washington DC.

Political Affiliation:

• Democratic—Republicans ( —1825)

• National Republicans (1825 - 1833)

• Whig Party (1833— )

Known as the Great Compromiser, Henry Clay has become known as one of the most influential non-presidential politicians ever. He is known for negotiating the Treaty of Ghent, passing the Missouri Compromise, and for diffusing the sectional crisis. Though he ran multiple times for president, he didn’t succeed and the closest he got was to the position of Secretary of State under Adams, and his involvement caused him to be the center of the Corrupt Bargain. He was a supporter of emancipation and abolishment, but he compromised many times to keep the nation together.

John Caldwell Calhoun

Born 18 Mar, 1782 Abbeville, SC. Died 31 Mar, 1850 Washington DC.

Political Affiliation:

• Democratic—Republicans ( —1828)

• Democratic (1828; 1839— )

• Nullifier Party (1828 - 1839)

John Caldwell Calhoun was the southern supporting counterpart to Henry Clay. A strong supporter of slavery and state’s right, Calhoun is blamed for starting many crises such as the Sectional Crisis and was blamed for the country’s step towards war.

Daniel Webster

Born 18 Jan, 1782 Salisbury, NH. Died 24 Oct, 1952 Marshfield, MA.

Political Affiliation:

• Federalist ( —1825)

• National Republicans (1825 - 1833)

• Whig Party(1833— )

Daniel Webster was the partner of Henry Clay and an experienced lawyer, arguing many cases in the Supreme Court. Though he was part of a party that was against slavery, many of his policies were centered around keeping the South happy, bridging the gap between the members of the Great Triumvirate.

Others

Abigail Adams (22 Nov, 1744 MA Bay - Oct 28, 1818 Quincy, MA)

Abigail Adams was the wife of John Adams and the mother of John Quincy Adams. She set the standard for the role of First Lady and was John Adams’s closest advisor and was very popular among the populace.

Charles Francis Adams (18 Aug, 1807 Boston, MA - 21 Nov, 1886 Boston, MA)

Charles Francis Adams was the son of John Quincy Adams and the Grandson of John Adams and is known for being a politician and diplomat. He founded the Free-Soil Party and supported abolition.

Fisher Ames (9 Apr, 1758 MA Bay - 4 Jul, 1808 Dedham, MA)

Fisher Ames was the first representative from Massachusetts and was a Federalist Leader.

Benjamin Austin (18 Nov 1752 Boston, MA - 4 May, 1820 Boston, MA)

Benjamin Austin was a Democratic-Republican Writer and Politician who created the Independent Chronicle.

Benjamin Franklin Bache (12 Aug, 1769 Philadelphia, PA - 10 Sep 1798 Philadelphia PA)

Benjamin Franklin Bache was the grandson of Benjamin Franklin and the founder of the Philadelphia Aurora also known as the Aurora, a radical Democratic—republican newspaper. He died of yellow fever.

Gamaliel Bailey (3 Dec, 1807 Mt. Holly Township, NJ - 5 Jun, 1859 Arago, Atlantic Ocean)

He was an extinguished abolitionist publisher who created The Philanthropist and The National Era. He also helped publish Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin.

Benjamin Banneker (9 Nov, 1731 MA - 19 Oct, 1806 Baltimore, MA)

He was a free black man who was known for his scientific and mathematical writing and he surveyed Washington DC. He also called out Jefferson for being a hypocrite because he wrote that “all men were created equal“ but he possessed slaves.

Phillip Barbour (25 May, 1783 Gordonsville, VA - 25 Fed)

He was the 10th speaker of the house and a judge that replaced John Marshall after his death, appointed by Andrew Jackson. He also represented Virginia in Cohens v. Virginia and supported state’s rights and Jacksonian ideals.

William T. Barry (5 Fed, 1784 Lunenburg VA - 30 Aug, 1835 Liverpool, UK)

He was the Postmaster General under Jackson and was the only cabinet member to not resign after the Petticoat Affair.

James Bayard (28 Jul, 1767 PA - 6 Aug, 1815 Wilming, DE)

He was a Federalist politician who helped negotiate the Treaty of Ghent and his work electioneering work impacted the election of 1800.

Lyman Beecher (12 Oct, 1775 CT - 10 Jan, 1863 Brooklyn, NY)

He was a Presbyterian minister who was also the father of Harriet Beecher Stowe, the person who wrote Uncle Tom’s Cabin. He advocated for women’s rights and abolition

John Bell (18 Feb, 1796 Mill Creek, SW Territory - 10 Sep, 1869 Stewart County, TN)

He was a politician from Tennessee and a Democrat who didn’t support Jackson and later became a Whig. He also served as the Secretary of War under William Henry Harrison, but left when Tyler came to power. He also tried to run for president in the election of 1860. Though he owned slaves, he was against the idea of expanding slavery ad voted against the Compromise of 1850. He also campaigned against secession. After war broke, he allied himself with the confederates.

Thomas Hart Benton (14 Mar, 1782 Orange County, NC - 10 Apr, 1858 Washington DC)

He was a Democratic politician from Missouri who supported Andrew Jackson, Manifest Destiny, the Texas Annexation, and the Mexican-American War, but was against slavery.

John M. Berrien (23 Aug, 1781 Rockhill, NJ - 1 Jan, 1856 Savannah, GA)

He was a Jacksonian Democrat and a senator from GA and was the Attorney General under Jackson, but resigned due to the petticoat affair.

Nicholas Biddle (8 Jan, 1786 Philadelphia, PA - 27 Feb, 1844 Andalusia, PA)

He was the 3rd president of the National Bank and managed it efficiently. He was one of the main opponents to Andrew Jackson during the Bank War, which caused the bank to collapse.

James G. Birney (4 Feb, 1792 Danville, VA - 18 Nov, 1857 Perth Amboy, NJ)

He was the mayor of Huntsville, Alabama and he ran for presidential nomination twice, but lost badly. Though he owned slaves at first, be became a stout abolitionist, and ran for president under the abolitionist Liberty Party.

Francis Preston Blair (12 Apr, 1791 Abingdon, VA - 18 Oct, 1876 Silver Spring, MA)

Originally a Democrat, he created the Washington Globe to promote Democratic ideals and was part of Jackson’s Kitchen Cabinet. He later changed his views on slavery and became a Free-Soiler and then a Republican.

Napoleon Bonaparte (15 Aug, 1769 Ajaccio, Corsica - 5 May, 1821 Longwood, St.Helena)

He was a very effective French general who gained popularity during the French Revolution and in 1804, he named himself the Emperor of France. He was responsible for selling America the Louisiana Purchase, modernizing France and also uniting much of Europe for the first time after the Fall of the Roman Empire. He was also inaccurately portrayed as being short even though he was taller than average for his time.

Aaron Burr “Sir“ (6 Feb, 1756 NJ - 14 Sep, 1836 Staten Island, NYC)

He was a politician from New York who served as its senator and then later served as Jefferson’s VP. He was known for being the “fool“ that shot Hamilton in 1803 and then tried to make his own country in 1807, but was acquitted for both crimes.

William Carroll (3 Mar, 1788 Pittsburg, PA - 22 Mar, 1844 Nashville, TE)

He was a Tennessee militia general from 1821 to 1827 and fought in the Creek War and War of 1812 under General Andrew Jackson. He also served as the Governor of Tennessee 6 times.

Lewis Cass 9 Oct, 1782 Exeter, NH - 17 Jun, 1866 Detroit, MI)

He was a Democratic congressman for both houses from MIchigan and served the Secretary of War under Jackson and Secretary of State under Buchanan. He was against the secession of the South and was angry at the president for not intervening, but supported state’s right.

Samuel Chase (17 Apr, 1741 MA - 19 Jun, 1811 Baltimore, MA)

A founding father, he was appointed by Washington as to the Supreme Court, but he was almost impeached for having a political (Federalist) bias in 1804-1805. He was the only justice to go through the impeachment process.

DeWitt Clinton (2 Mar, 1769 NY - 11 Feb, 1828 Albany, NY)

Nephew of George Clinton, he was the Democratic-Republican Governor of NY and helped build the Erie Canal. He later ran as the Federalist Presidential Candidate against Madison in the election of 1812.

George Clinton (27 Jul, 1739 NY - 20 Apr, 1812 Washington DC)

A founding father and a Democratic-Republican, he was a General in the Continental Army and then served as the VP under Jefferson and Madison. He was the first VP to die and the first to die in office.

William Crawford (24 Feb, 1772 VA - 15 Sep, 1834 Lexington Depot, GA)

Frederick Douglass

Stephen Douglas

William Duane

Thomas Earle

John Eaton

Margaret O’Neale Timberlake Eaton

George Henry Evans

John Fenno

John Floyd

Phillip Freneau

Albert Gallatin

William Lloyd Garrison

Edmond-Charles Genet

Elbridge Gerry

Stephen Girard

Duff Green

Angelina Grimke

Jared Ingersoll

John Jay

Richard Mentor Johnson

Amos Kendall

James Kent

Rufus King

William Berkeley Lewis

Nathaniel Macon

Dolley Madison

William Marcy

John Marshall

George McDuffie

Louis McLane

Shadrach Minkins

James Monroe

Ely Moore

William Morgan

Lucretia Mott

Timothy Pickering

Charles Pinckney

Charles Cotesworth Pinckney

Thomas Pinckney

James K. Polk

Sarah Polk

John Randolph

James Shield

Stephen Simpson

Thomas Skidmore

Margaret Bayard Smith

William Smith

Elizabeth Cady Stanton

Joseph Story

James Tallmadge

Roger B. Taney

Lewis Tappan

John Taylor of Caroline

John W. Taylor

Alexis de Tocqueville

Nat Turner

John Tyler

Stephen Van Rensselaer

Denmark Vesey

David Walker

George Washington

Thurlow Weed

Hugh Lawson White

William Wirt

Levi Woodbury

Frances Wright

Silas Wright

Terms

1842 Apportionment Act

“Dark Horse"

“Hard Cider Campaign"

“Kitchen Cabinet"

“Our Federal Union, it must be Preserved."

“Rather be Right than President"

“Seventh of March Speech"

“Tyranny of the Majority"

Abolition Movement

A.B. Plot

Adams cabinet purge

Address of Southern Delegates to Constituents

Age of Reason by Thomas Paine

Albany Regency

Alien and Sedition Acts

American Anti-Slavery Society

American Colonization Society

American System

American Temperance Society

American Toleration and Reform Ticket

Amistad Affair

Anti-Jackson Party

Anti-Masonic Party

Argus of Western America

Assumption Plan

Aurora General Advertiser

Bank Veto

Bank War

Bluffton Movement

Boston Brahmins

Bucktail Republicans

Buffalo Anti-Slavery meeting

Burr Conspiracy/Trial

Chesapeake-Leopard affair

Clay statement on Texas Annexation

Come-Outer

Committee of Fifteen (1819)

Compact Theory

Compromise of 1850

Conscience Whigs

Corrupt Bargain

Cotton Whigs

Deism

Democracy

Democratic Party Convention of 1832

Democratic Party Convention of 1844

Democratic-Republican Societies

Dorr Rebellion

Doughface

Era of Good Feelings

Erie Canal

Electoral College

Essex Junto

Federal Debt

Federalism

Federalists

Federalists Paper No. 10

First Bank of the United States

First Party System

Force Bill

Free Soil Party

French Revolution

Fries' Rebellion

Gabriel's Rebellion

Gag Rule

Gazette of the United States

General Survey Act

German Republican Society

Graves-Cilley duel

Griswold and Lyon fight

Hammett Letter

Hartford Convention

Henry Papers/ Henry-Craig Plot

High Federalists

Independent Treasury

Independent Treasury Act (1840)

Indian Removal Act/Process

Inquiry into the Principles and Policy of the Government of

the United States by John Taylor

internal improvements

Jackson assassination attempt by Richard Lawrence

Jackson-Benton duel

Jacksonian Democracy

Jay Treaty

Jeffersonian Republicans

Judiciary Act of 1801

Kentucky Resolution

Know Nothing Party

The Liberator

Locofocos Party

Louisiana Purchase constitutionality debate

Missouri Compromise

Monroe Tour of New England (1817)

Nashville Convention

Nat Turner Insurrection

National Gazette

National Intelligencer

National Republican Convention 1831

Section 2: Book

Section 3: Resources

Court Cases

Primary Sources

Vetoes and Messages

Elections