Midterm Review

Question 1

contingent election

Answer 1

happens if nobody wins a majority (270) of electoral votes, house selects a president and senate selects a vp. house members vote as state delegations and a candidate needs a majority of state delegations (26) to win.

no federal laws govern contingent elections and the messy process makes people bitter (corrupt bargain in 1825)

Question 2

washington’s farewell address

Answer 2

letter from washington to american citizens at the end of his two terms, written with help from hamilton and madison, warned against the dangers of party.

significant because it sets the precedent of two-term limits. also calls for national unity/neutrality that is harkened back to even today to address partisanship

Question 3

federalist no. 68

Answer 3

writted by hamilton, pro-electoral college. electors should be chosen by popular vote in each state. by assembling privately they won’t be subject to external pressures, and their temporary voting reduces corruption.

significant because it reinforces that USA is a republic and not a pure democracy + electoral college established

Question 4

jay’s treaty

Answer 4

supreme court justice john jay; between usa and britain in 1790s. try to remove brits from forts in northwestern territory, stop impressment and stop brits from fucking usa markets.

significant because the treaty is in favor of britain making it really unpopular with citizens; makes exactly the 2/3rds senate vote but was intended to prevent future war

Question 5

sedition act

Answer 5

1790s, makes it a crime for citizens to write and defame usa gov’t/unfavorable political speech. trying to stop the french war from interfering with the infant usa.

significant because targeting democratic-republicans created such backlash that it swept federalists from power and helped thomas jefferson become pres.

Question 6

aaron burr

Answer 6

vp from 1801-05, american politician, brought on to help jefferson win against adams but was interested in self-advancement and ended up running against jefferson for president. He didn’t concede when they tied which lead to a continguent election in the house

significant because the situation leads to creation of 12th amendment – electors must specify who is pres + vp on ballot in order to prevent another deadlocked tie

Question 7

charles cotesworth pinckney

Answer 7

american politician, federalist presidential candidate. minister to france, managed relations in xyz affair which attempted to make treaty with french gov’t. could’ve been president in 1800 but refused to take bargain for presidency on principle

significant because his bargain refusal lead to jefferson/burr deadlock, 12th amendment creation; refusal to give a bribe to french in xyz leads to quasi-war with france

Question 8

twelfth amendment

Answer 8

outlines how pres and vp are elected. states that electors must clearly distinguish who is pres and vp on their ballot, and that in order to win presidency you need majority move from 2/3rds of state reps.

significant because it prevents future deadlocked elections a la jefferson v. burr, restructures presidential elections, and prevents contingent elections.

Question 9

tariff of abominations

Answer 9

1828, wanted to protect domestic industry by raising cost of imports by a shit ton.

significant because it favored northeastern manufacturers and western farmers, while shitting on the south; the backlash helps propel southern-born andrew jackson to presidency

Question 10

martin van buren

Answer 10

professional politician, built political machine in NY (the albeny regency), controlled state politics. saw parties as essential to democracy since they gave voters clear choices.

significant because he introduced the tariff of abominations which would help propel jackson to presidency, also creates a south/west/north political coalition and developed democratic party

Question 11

henry clay

Answer 11

presidential candidate in 1824, speaker of the house, ‘son of the west’

significant because of his involvement in the corrupt bargain – allegedly appointed by Adams as a reward for using influence to win Adams votes. helped propel Adams to the presidency

Question 12

duff green

Answer 12

fought in war of 1812, politician from missouri, bought and edited the united states telegraph newspaper

significant because green used the newspaper to advocate for calhoun/jackson and attack adams, which helped propel jackson to presidency in 1828

Question 13

wide awakes

Answer 13

young northern republican organization that backed abraham lincoln in 1860

helped mobilize young voters in usa during election of 1860, assisted in electing lincoln to the presidency, political awakening of young americans

Question 14

know nothing party

Answer 14

anti-roman catholic, anti-immigrant party that flourished in 1850s, called for immigration restrictions.

significant because they were an early right-wing anti-immigration/catholic party that attracted ex-whigs and ex-democrats; provided a ‘middle ground’ on stance of slavery. short lived but influential

Question 15

kansas nebraska act

Answer 15

1854, says members of kansas and nebraska territories should be able to choose themselves if they’ll allow slavery.

significant bc it effectively repealed the missouri compromise (technically both should be free since they’re above the 36/30N parallel), leads to violent conflict and helps found the republican party (which opposed slavery in territories)

Question 16

lecompton constitution

Answer 16

proposed state constitution for kansas, pro-slavery and advocated for by president buchanan. didn’t pass, northern dems and republicans teamed up against it

significant because it was sent to congress despite having a huge proportion of the votes deemed fradulent; since the issue was resolved the republican party lost the wind in its sails

Question 17

constitutional union party

Answer 17

formed of ex-whigs and ex-know-nothings, appeals to border states and rallies support by playing it right down the middle.

significant because it splits the democratic vote enough to ensure the election of republican lincoln in 1860

Question 18

rutherford b. hayes

Answer 18

19th president, republican, 1876 contested election.

significant because Reconstruction crumbled under him, ultra contested election

Question 19

1874 mid-terms

Answer 19

occurred during grant’s presidency, huge increase of democrats in the house.

significant because it upsets republican dominance in post-civil war era, predicting the democrat-dominant era that would follow and signifying reconstruction’s crumbling

Question 20

C. Vann Woodward, Reunion and Reaction

Answer 20

1951 book that gives a new interpretation of the compromise

significant because it forced a revision of attitudes towards the Reconstruction era.

Question 21

electoral commission 1877

Answer 21

temporarily created to resolve the disputed electoral votes from louisiana, south carolina, florida, and oregon between hayes and tilden

significant because it reassures people that there can still be peacefully resolved disputes even after the civil war

Question 22

samuel tilden

Answer 22

successful lawyer that sought reform and broke up the ‘tweed ring’, supported van buren

significant because he was nominated for president against hayes in 1876, and the dispute over their presidency lead to the hayes-tilden compromise where military occupation of southern states ended and reconstruction crumbled

Question 23

grant corruption scandals

Answer 23

1870s; Credit Mobilier where members of Grant’s cabinet benefited from railroad companies overcharging for gov’t contracts, also the Whiskey Ring, which involved Grant’s secretary siphoning liquor tax revenue into individual pockets

significant because it created widespread distrust of the federal government and made people question the republican party and reconstruction policies.

Question 24

liberal republicans

Answer 24

1870s party organized to oppose grant’s reelection, made of ex-democrats and states’ rights republicans.

significant because it showed building backlash to grant and anti-confederate politicians; indicates reconstruction falling apart post-Civil War

Question 25

trusts

Answer 25

legal arrangement where a person/group holds property for multiple beneficiaries, limits competition like a monopoly significant because they influenced politics in the early 1900s, also had unfair control over the free market and opposition to them helped propel roosevelt to power in 1912

Question 26

1910 midterms

Answer 26

gave democrats partisan control of the house significant because it gives democrats more power and boosts their confidence; Woodrow Wilson gains a political seat

Question 27

william howard taft

Answer 27

roosevelt's protege, elected 1909. alienated progressive republicans. significant because he contributes to the split in republican ranks in 1912, which allowed democratic woodrow wilson to take the presidential seat

Question 28

progressive party

Answer 28

roosevelt was the figurehead, supports women's sufferage, anti-child labor and pushing for reforms significant because it very nearly won the presidency in 1912, split the republican party and inadvertently allowed woodrow wilson to win the presidency

Question 29

osawatomie speech

Answer 29

delivered by roosevelt in 1910 in kansas, laid out his vision of new nationalism that would end special business protections in government. significant because it sort of served as roosevelt's progressive party campaign speech, rallied support for the progressive movement and creates competition over the republican presidential nomination

Question 30

1912 republican primary elections

Answer 30

roosevelt and taft compete for the republican nomination; taft earns the nomination significant because after losing the republican nomination, roosevelt founds the progressive party which splits republican votes and eventually allowed woodrow wilson, a democratic candidate, to win.