First Presidents (Chapter 7)

What was Hamilton's biggest challenge as the nation's first secretary of the treasury?

Terms in this set (5) As secretary of the treasury, Alexander Hamilton's biggest challenge was paying off the national debt. Thomas Jefferson believed in a strong federal government. Alexander Hamilton promoted an economy based on manufacturing and economic growth, while Jefferson believed that agriculture was the key.

What was the Alien Act? What was the Sedition Act? What political party pushed these acts through Congress?

The Alien and Sedition Acts were four laws passed by the Federalist-dominated 5th United States Congress and signed into law by President John Adams in 1798. The Sedition Act of 1918 was an Act of the United States Congress that extended the Espionage Act of 1917 to cover a broader range of offenses, notably speech and the expression of opinion that cast the government or the war effort in a negative light or interfered with the sale of government bonds.The Federalists believed that Democratic-Republican criticism of Federalist policies was disloyal and feared that aliens living in the United States would sympathize with the French during a war. As a result, a Federalist-controlled Congress passed four laws, known collectively as the Alien and Sedition Acts

Compare the characteristics of the Federalist Party and the Democratic-Republican Party.

The Federalists believed that American foreign policy should favor British interests, while the Democratic-Republicans wanted to strengthen ties with the French. The Democratic-Republicans supported the government that had taken over France after the revolution of 1789.

What was the Industrial Revolution?

The Industrial Revolution, now also known as the First Industrial Revolution, was the transition to new manufacturing processes in Europe and the United States, in the period from about 1760 to sometime between 1820 and 1840.

What was the Judiciary Act 1789?

The Judiciary Act of 1789 was a United States federal statute adopted on September 24, 1789, in the first session of the First United States Congress. It established the federal judiciary of the United States.

Indian uprisings in the Northwest Territory were aided by what foreign country?

The Northwest Indian War (1785-1795), also known as the Ohio War, Little Turtle's War, and by other names, was a war between the United States (along with its Native Chickasaw and Choctaw allies) and the Western Confederacy (a confederation of numerous other Native American tribes), with support from the British.

What was the Whiskey Rebellion?

The Whiskey Rebellion was a tax protest in the United States beginning in 1791 and ending in 1794 during the presidency of George Washington, ultimately under the command of American Revolutionary war veteran Major James McFarlane.

What was the XYZ Affair?

The XYZ Affair was a political and diplomatic episode in 1797 and 1798, early in the presidency of John Adams, involving a confrontation between the United States and Republican France that led to the Quasi-War.

What is the national debt?

The national debt of the United States is the total debt, or unpaid borrowed funds, carried by the federal government of the United States, which is measured as the face value of the currently outstanding Treasury securities that have been issued by the Treasury and other federal government agencies.

What were the Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions?

The resolutions argued that the federal government had no authority to exercise power not specifically delegated to it in the Constitution. ... The Kentucky Resolutions, authored by Jefferson, went further than Madison's Virginia Resolutionand asserted that states had the power to nullify unconstitutional federal laws.

What did Washington say about political parties in his Farewell Address?

Washington recognizes that it is natural for people to organize and operate within groups such as political parties, but he also argues that every government has recognized political parties as an enemy and has sought to repress them because of their tendency to seek more power than other groups and to take revenge.

What is a precedent?

an earlier event or action that is regarded as an example or guide to be considered in subsequent similar circumstances.

Who was the first vice-president?

John Adams.

Who were America's first cabinet members?

Washington held his first full cabinet meeting on November 26, 1791, with Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson, Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton, Secretary of War Henry Knox, and Attorney General Edmund Randolph. One prominent individual who did not attend cabinet meetings was Vice President John Adams.

Why was Washington chosen unanimously to become the first President of the United States in 1789? Why did he accept?

But he soon realized that the Nation under its Articles of Confederation was not functioning well, so he became a prime mover in the steps leading to the Constitutional Convention at Philadelphia in 1787. When the new Constitution was ratified, the Electoral College unanimously elected Washington President. When the new Constitution was ratified, the Electoral College unanimously elected Washington President. He did not infringe upon the policy making powers that he felt the Constitution gave Congress. But the determination of foreign policy became predominantly a Presidential concern.

What American inventor came up with the cotton gin and the concepts of interchangeable parts and mass production in the 1790s?

Eli Whitney, (born December 8, 1765, Westboro, Massachusetts [U.S.]—died January 8, 1825, New Haven, Connecticut, U.S.), American inventor, mechanical engineer, and manufacturer, best remembered as the inventor of the cotton gin but most important for developing the concept of mass production of interchangeable parts.

Who was elected president in 1796? How did Thomas Jefferson become vice-president in 1796?

George Washington. Jefferson received 68 electoral votes and was elected vice president. Reflecting the evolving nature of both parties, several electors cast one vote for a Federalist candidate and one vote for a Democratic-Republican candidate.

Why did Hamilton feel the debt assumption was so important to our nation? What were some of Hamilton's ideas to accomplish this goal?

Hamilton proposed that the federal Treasury take over and pay off all the debt that states had incurred to pay for the American Revolution. The Treasury would issue bonds that rich people would buy, thereby giving the rich a tangible stake in the success of the national government. Hamilton's vision for reshaping the American economy included a federal charter for a national financial institution. He proposed a Bank of the United States. Modeled along the lines of theBank of England, a central bank would help make the new nation's economy dynamic through a more stable paper currency.

How did Hamilton and Jefferson feel about constitutional interpretation?

In the debate over the constitutionality of the national bank, Jefferson contended that Hamilton's broad reading of the Necessary and Proper Clause tended to render the powers of the national government unlimited. In his own Opinion, Hamilton denied that his principles could reasonably be pressed so far.

What was Jay's Treaty?

Jay Treaty, (November 19, 1794), agreement that assuaged antagonisms between the United States and Great Britain, established a base upon which America could build a sound national economy, and assured its commercial prosperity.

What was Pinckney's Treaty?

Pinckney's Treaty, also known as the Treaty of San Lorenzo or the Treaty of Madrid, was signed on October 27, 1795 by the United States and Spain. It defined the border between the United States and Spanish Florida, and guaranteed the United States navigation rights on the Mississippi River.

Who brought the plans for the spinning jenny to America in 1789?

Slater.