Social Studies Quiz: Topic 5, Lessons 1-3

Sedition

The act of stirring up rebellion against a government.

First Bank of the United States

The bank set up in 1791 to hold government deposits and to issue paper money to pay government bills.

Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions

The declarations passed in 1798 and 1799 that claimed that each state has the right to decide whether a federal law is constitutional.

How did the early lives of Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson affect their political ideals?

The early lives of Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson affected their political views. Alexander Hamilton was born in the West Indies, and had built his way up from poverty. He believed that the wealthy and educated should control the government. He must must have believed this, because he worked so hard to get an education, and to earn money. On the other hand, Thomas Jefferson came from a wealthy family of Virginia planters. He owned large plantations and enslaved African Americans. Despite his wealth, Jefferson believed that the government should represent ordinary white people, not just wealthy and educated. He must have believed this because he might be worried that wealthy people, who have other people do their work, might not be the best people to represent the new government.

What were the long-term effects of the Whiskey Rebellion?

The long-term effects of the Whiskey Rebellion was that it showed Washington's quick response, proving to Americans that their new government would act firmly in times of crisis. Another long-term effect was that the President showed those who disagreed with the government that violence would not be tolerated.

Nullify

To cancel.

Neutrality Proclamation

A 1793 statement by President Washignton that declared the United States would not support or aid either France or Britain in their European conflict.

Whiskey Rebellion

A 1794 protest over a tax on all liquor made and sold in the United States.

Jay's Treaty

A 1795 agreement between Britain and the United States that settled differences and put off a threat of military conflict between the two nations.

XYZ Affair

A 1797 French attempt to demand a bribe of money from the United States before discussing French seizure of neutral American ships (XYZ were the names of the French soldiers, but the Americans wanted to keep them a secret).

Inauguration

A ceremony in which the President publicy take the oath of office.

Bond

A certificate that promises to repay money loaded, plus interest, on a certain date.

Frigates

A fast-sailing warship.

Farewell Address

A final, official speech of a President as he or she leaves office.

Judiciary Act of 1789

A law that created the structure of the Supreme Court and set up a system of district courts and circuit courts for the nation.

Foreign policy

A plan of action by a ntaion toward other nations.

French Revolution

A rebellion in France beginning in 1789 that overthrew the French monarchy.

Tariff

A tax on foreign goods brought into a country.

What freedoms, in the Bill of Rights, were threatened by the Alien and Sedition acts, according to opponents?

According to the opponents, the right to vote, and the First Amendment in the Bill of Rights, which protected the freedom of speech was threatened by the Alien and Sedition acts.

Alexander Hamilton

Alexander Hamilton (1757-1804) was an author of The Federalist, Secretary of the treasury under President Washington, and founder of the Federalist Party.

Why did Hamilton believe a strong federal government was important in order to stimulate trade and manufacturing?

Alexander Hamilton believed a strong federal government was important in order to stimulate trade and manufacturing, because a strong federal government would help increase commerce.

What events led to the decline of the Federalist Party?

Some events that led to the decline of the federalist Party was when Federalists won fewer seats in Congress, and when the Federalist Party was greatly weakened after its leader, Alexander Hamilton, was killed in a duel with Aaron Burr.

Speculator

Someone who invests in a risky venture in the hope of making a large profit.

homas Jefferson eventually left Washington's Cabinet after the Neutrality Proclamation for the French Revolution. What can you infer about his feelings about the French Revolution and freedom in general?

I can infer that Thomas Jefferson felt that the French had the right to use violence to win freedom, although he condemned the executions of the king and queen in the French Revolution. When George Washington called the Neutrality Proclamation Jefferson felt defeated, because he had such a strong passion for freedom and equality. He eventually left Washington's Cabinet, because of this defeat.

John Adams

John Adams (1735-1826) was the second President of the United States and had served as a statesman and diplomat during the Revolutionary War.

Why did Adams's actions and the threat of war with France cause a split in the Federalist party?

John Adams's actions and the threat of war with France caused a split in the Federalist party because although Adams was a Federalist, he resisted Hamilton's pressure for war.

unconstitutional

Not permitted by the Constitution.

Neutral

Not taking sides in a conflict.

Who tended to support the Federalists? Who tended to support the Republicans? Why?

Small farmers, artisans, and some wealthy planters in the South tended to support the Republicans, while merchants and manufacturers in such cities as Boston and New York supported the Federalists. The small farmers, artisans, and some wealthy planters supported the Republicans because Thomas Jefferson's ideas have regarded the benefit of them. Merchants and manufacturers supported the Federalists because Alexander Hamilton's views regarded the benefit of them. Federalists = Republicans now Democratic Republicans = Democrats now

Why did the North and the South disagree on the issue of having a protective tariff on imported goods?

The North and the South disagreed on the issue of having a protective tariff on imported goods. In the North, there were more and more factories, and many people supported Hamilton's plan. In the South, the farmers bought many imported goods, and they opposed a protective tariff, because it would make imports more expensive.

Why did Alexander Hamilton support debt repayment? Why did James Madison oppose it? Summarize and explain the arguments on both sides.

Alexander Hamilton supported debt repayment, because he had the urge to fix the problem he had faced of national debt. One of his first acts in government was to ask Congress to pass a tariff, or tax on imports, to pay for the government. Hamilton wanted the government to buy up all the bonds issued by both the national and state governments before 1789. He planned to issue new bonds to pay off the old debts. As the economy improved and income from the tariff increased, his plan allowed the government to pay off the new bonds. On the contrary James Madison opposed Alexander Hamilton's plans, because he argued that it would reward speculators, or people who invest in risky ventures in the hope of making large profits. He opposed the other part of Hamilton's plan, because most southern states had paid off their debts from the Revolution.

Why were many Americans outraged and insulted when they heard about the XYZ Affair and how France handled the attempted peace talks?

Americans were outraged and insulted when they heard about the XYZ Affair and how France handled the attempted peace talks because they thought that the French were asking for an exorbitant amount of money for no reason.

Precedent

An act or decison that sets an example for others to follow.

Why did creating the Bank of the United States spark such strong emotions for both Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson?

Creating the Bank of the United States sparked such emotions for both Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson. Thomas Jefferson worried that a national bank would give too much power to the government and to wealthy investors who would help run the bank. He opposed the law setting up the bank. He claimed that it was unconstitutional. For him, any power not specifically given to the federal government belonged to the states. Alexander Hamilton did not agree with Thomas Jefferson. The Constitution gave Congress the power to make all laws "necessary and proper" to carry out its duties. Hamilton argued that the Bank was necessary for the government to collect taxes and pay its bills.

What are the similarities and differences between the political ideals of Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson?

Differences: Alexander Hamilton - believed that the wealthy and educated should control the government - believed that supporting business and trade was the best way to improve the nation's economy - favored Britain over France - wanted to model the government after Britain favored a national bank Thomas Jefferson - believed that the government should represent ordinary white people, not just the wealthy and educated - he supported policies that favored small farmers rather than businessmen - favored France over Britain Similarities: - both shared their political views - both were supported in newspapers - both bad mouthed their opponent - both members of Washington's Cabinet - both wanted to help the nation succeed

George Washington

George Washington (1732-1799) was the leader of the Continental Army during the American Revolution and the first President of the United States.

Identify two important decisions George Washington made and explain why they are still important in the U.S. government today.

George Washington set several important precedents as the first president of the United States. An important precedent he set at the end of his term was his decision to not run for a third term. Another precedent Washington set was by choosing well-known leaders to serve in his Cabinet.

Do you think Jefferson was effective at getting his ideas about the Alien and Sedition acts across in the federal government? Explain your inference.

I don't think Jefferson was effective at getting his ideas about the Alien and Sedition acts across in the federal government at first because he couldn't convince the federal government to consider his ideas. Instead, he urged that the states had the right to nullify, or cancel, a law passed by the federal government. Jefferson, with the help of Madison, passed the Kentucky and Virginia resolutions in 1798 and 1799. Within a few years, the Kentucky and Virginia resolutions influenced the federal government to change or drop the Alien and Sedition Acts. The Kentucky and Virginia resolutions also raised the issue of states' rights.

How do you think people in the North felt about Alexander Hamilton and his policies? How did people in the South feel toward Hamilton?

I think people in the North like Alexander Hamilton and his policies while people in the South do not. I can come to this conclusion, because the northerners are always siding with Alexander's plans, and the southerners are not. For example the northerners sided with him for a protective tariff, and his plans of debt repayment, while the southerners didn't, because it wouldn't benefit them.

Summarize and explain John Adams's response to the threat of war with France.

In response to the threat of war with France, John Adams's refused to ask Congress to declare war on France, because he wanted to keep the country out of European affairs. He could not ignore French attacks so, therefore, he strengthened the navy by building frigates, or fast-sailing warships.

Federalists

Members of the party led by Alexander Hamilton that favored a strong federal government.

Democratic Republicans

Members of the political party founded by Thomas Jefferson.

Alien and Sedition Acts

The Federalist-supported laws created in 1798 that permitted the President to expel foreigners, made it harder for immigrants to become citizens and allowed for citizens to be fined or jailed if they criticized the government or its officials. Alien Act: - made it harder to become a citizen - instead of 5 years it was 14 - hurt Democratic-Republicans the most because most immigrants voted for Democratic Republicans Sedition Act: - people could be fined of jailed for criticizing the government of other officials - newspaper writers and editors were often fined or bailed under this act - hurt Democratic Republicans the most because they could not speak out with this act

In his Farewell Address, George Washington advised the U.S. to steer clear of foreign alliances. How did the French Revolution influence his views on this?

The French Revolution influenced his views of steering clear of foreign alliances, because the Americans traded with both the French and the British. While France and Britain were at war they had to steer clear and stay neutral, not siding with either nation so that they weren't dragged into another war they certainly were not ready for.

What did French Revolution reveal about the values of Hamilton and Jefferson?

The French Revolution revealed that Alexander Hamilton cared more about trade and that his nation didn't get into another war with Britain because they would not have been ready; it also revealed that Thomas Jefferson cared more for the freedom of individuals.

Explain how the financial interests of the southern states were similar to and different from the financial interests of the northern states during the period after the Revolutionary War.

The financial interests of the southern states were different from the financial interests of the northern states, because most southern states had paid off their debts from the Revolution. The New England states, still owed a lot. The financial interests of the southerners were similar to the financial interests of the northern states during the period after the Revolutionary War, because even before any debts were paid off the northerners and southerners both owed around the same amount of money when state to state debt differed.

Cabinet

The group of officials who head government departments and advise the President.

Early Republic

The historical period from 1789 to 1824 in American history, following the ratification of the United States Constitution.

States' rights

The right of states to limit the power of the federal government.

Why did the tax on whiskey incite rage among many people?

The tax on whiskey incited rage among many people, because many smaller liquor manufacturers had a difficult time paying the taxes while larger companies didn't. Backcountry farmers hated the tax on whiskey, because it sharply reduced their income.

Nation Debt

The toal sum of money that a government owes to others.

In the election of 1796, candidates from opposing parties were elected as President and Vice President. What are the advantages and disadvantages of having a President and Vice President with opposing viewpoints?

There are advantages and disadvantages of having a President and a Vice President. The advantages would be that both parties would get some representation in government even though one may have a greater impact than the other. The disadvantages are that the President and Vice President would disagree on a lot of things causing some situations to be hard to resolve, but because of their political views, the people from the opposing party of the President might not like him so then the President might have trouble pleasing the public.

Thomas Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826) was the drafter of the Declaration of Independence, founder of the Democratic Republican Party, and third President of the United States.

What was the lasting impact of the Federalist party? Give two examples, and cite evidence from the text to support your answer.

Two lasting impacts of the Federalist party were the establishments of the economy of the new nation, and that the new constitutional government was vigorous and capable. Even Democratic Republican Presidents kept most of Hamilton's economic programs after the fall of the Federalist party. The successful suppression of the Whiskey Rebellion in Pennsylvania proved the strength of the new federal government. Furthermore, Washington and Adams both managed to avoid the war raging between Britain and France, while increasing the nation's naval strength by building frigates.