SS Test 4/9 Flashcards
When did Washington become President? How many terms did he serve?
1789
2 terms
What rebellion did Washington put down? When was it?
The Whiskey Rebellion in 1791. It was resolved in 1794.
What did Washington want Congress and the Senate to do?
Cooperate
What two things were big debates when Washington became the first President?
- A strong national government vs limiting power
- The title for the President
What did Washington want his title to be?
Mr. President
What 3 Executive branches did Congress create during Washington’s presidency?
The Department of State, Department of War, and Treasury.
Who was in Washington’s cabinet?
Jefferson, Hamilton, Knox
What and when was the National Treasury Crisis and what did Congress do?
The national treasury was empty and this lead to tax debates. Congress agreed to an excise tax (an indirect tax on specific goods, services and activities) on whiskey and luxury goods in 1791.
What and when was the Whiskey Rebellion? How was it ended?
Settlers in Appalachian Mountains resisted the tax, on whiskey, so Congress lowered the tax in 1793. Rebels in western Pennsylvania continued, and as a result, Alexander Hamilton and George Washington led 13,000 state militia troops to end the rebellion.
What did Washington warn future presidents about?
He warned future presidents to stay neutral when it came to foreign affairs, and to not have political parties.
Where was Hamilton born and raised? Which party was Hamilton a part of?
Born in the West Indies on the Caribbean island of St. Croix. He was an influential leader of the Federalists.
What were Hamilton’s and the Federalist’s views?
He was shaped by wartime experiences, and believed that people were selfish and out for themselves. Hamilton and the Federalists favored a strong national government. They supported a loose construction of the Constitution. They also favored using the government’s power to support business, manufacturing, and trade. Alarmed by the violence of the French Revolution, the Federalists favored Great Britain in its war with France.
Where was Jefferson born and how/when did he start his career?
He was born in Virginia, and started his career as a Virginia tobacco planter, enslaving people. He wrote very eloquently, and entered Virginia’s politics.
What were Jefferson’s and the Dem-Rep’s views?
They believed that people could make good decisions and they championed states’ rights. They favored an economy based on agriculture. They supported a strict construction of the Constitution. Democratic-Republicans saw the French Revolution as a step toward democracy and attacked the Federalists’ support for Great Britain.
What was the electoral college originally made to do? When were the political parties a part of the election process, and who were the major leaders for the two groups?
The electoral college originally made to select president and vice president. Political parties became part of the election process in 1796, and Jefferson was a Democratic-Republican and John Adams was a federalist.
What were the Alien and Sedition Acts?
The Alien Acts targeted the French and foreign immigrants that (possibly) were a threat to the nation. The Sedition Act made insulting John Adams a crime and was used to punish Dem-Rep newspaper people.
What were the Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions and what prompted them?
Democratic-Republicans viewed Sedition Act as an attack on free speech and press rights. Jefferson and James Madison proposed resolutions opposing the Acts where they said their states wouldn’t follow those Acts and that they could nullify them since they were unconstitutional.
Where was the new National Capital located, and when was this official?
Washington DC in Virginia, in 1800
In the election of 1800, who did the Dem-Rep party want for president and who did the Federalist party want?
Democratic-Republican leaders supported Thomas Jefferson for president, with Aaron Burr as vice president. Federalists chose John Adams for reelection, with Charles Pinckney as vice president.
What happened during the campaigns of the election of 1800?
The campaign focused on Jefferson’s support for the Constitution and states’ rights, while Adams was accused of tyranny and wanting a monarchy. Jefferson was also declared “godless” and an atheist, so citizens were scared to vote for him.
What was the outcome of the election of 1800, and what does the 12th Amendment have to do with it?
Adams lost the election of 1800 to Thomas Jefferson after Hamilton said he preferred Jefferson and broke a tie vote between Jefferson and Aaron Burr. The election was sent to the House of Representatives, and after days of deadlock, Jefferson was eventually elected president. In 1804, the Twelfth Amendment was added to the Constitution to prevent such ties in an election.
What is the 12th Amendment and when was it made a part of Constitution?
The amendment calls for the Electoral College to cast separate ballots for president and vice president. If no presidential candidate receives a majority of electoral votes, the House of Representatives chooses a president from the top three candidates. If no candidate for vice president receives a majority, the Senate chooses the vice president. It was added to the Constitution in 1804.
Why was the election of 1800 a victory for the government established by the Constitution?
Because in other countries, power changed hands by means of war or revolution. In the United States, power had passed from one group to another without a single shot being fired.
Why did President Washington create a foreign policy and what was it?
He knew that the young nation had a weak military and was unprepared for war, so GW established a policy of isolationism to avoid alliances with other countries which could draw the country into wars abroad.
