The First 7 Presidents Review

Question 1

Explain the problem of revolutionary war debt

Answer 1

After the American revolution, many states had large unpaid war debt, but the American dollar was worthless and no country wanted to loan the US money.

Question 2

Explain the causes of the Whisky Rebellion

Answer 2

When Congress raised a tax on luxury items to get money to pay back debts, farmers west of the Appalachian Mountains got angry because their whiskey was now more expensive to sell.

Question 3

Explain the Federalist and Republican perspectives on the future of the US economy

Answer 3

Federalists thought the best way to improve the US economy was by promoting manufacturing. Republicans wanted to promote agriculture.

Question 4

Explain the Federalist and Republican perspectives on the national bank

Answer 4

Federalists thought a national bank could consolidate all state debt, collect taxes, print currency and loan out money. Republicans thought this was a power grab by the federal government.

Question 5

Explain the Federalist and Republican perspectives on federal power vs. state power

Answer 5

Federalists believed in a strong national government. Republicans believed in stronger state governments.

Question 6

Explain the Federalist and Republican perspectives on voting rights

Answer 6

Federalists thought voting should be limited to the wealthy and educated. Republicans thought that all white men should be able to vote.

Question 7

Explain the Federalist and Republican perspectives on US involvement in the Fr. and Br. war

Answer 7

Federalists wanted to support England in the war because they were an important trading partner. Republicans wanted to support the French because they had supported us during the Revolution.

Question 8

What issues did the Jay Treaty resolve?

Answer 8

The Jay treaty resolved the problem of Britain still occupying forts in the Northwest Territories. It didn’t really resolve the problem of British impressment of US sailors or attacks on US ships.

Question 9

Explain Hamilton’s compromise in order to get the national bank

Answer 9

In order to get the national bank approved, Hamilton compromised with Southern States by agreeing to move the US capital to the South.

Question 10

What is isolationism?

Answer 10

Isolationism is a foreign policy where countries try not to get involved in foreign affairs and focus mostly on problems within their borders.

Question 11

What is imperialism

Answer 11

Imperialism is when a country gets involved in foreign countries’ affairs for their own economic benefit.

Question 12

What were the concerns mentioned in Washington’s Farewell Address?

Answer 12

Washington was concerned about the rise in political parties and how they divided the country and simplified the issues into right and wrong, black and white.

Question 13

Why did some states want to nullify the Alien and Sedition Acts?

Answer 13

They though the Alien and Sedition Acts were repressing freedom of the press and an abuse of power by the federal government.

Question 14

What is the XYZ affair?

Answer 14

The XYZ affair was when President Adams tried to negotiate a peace treaty with the French and the French diplomats demanded tribute just to speak with their leader. After this, Americans wanted to go to war with the French.

Question 15

What was Adam’s most proud of in his presidency?

Answer 15

Adams was most proud of the fact that he avoided war with the French even though the Am. public wanted it.

Question 16

Why was the election of 1800 called a peaceful revolution?

Answer 16

Because it was the first peaceful transfer of power between two political parties in the US

Question 17

How did the election of 1800 lead to the 12th Amendment?

Answer 17

Since Jefferson and Burr both got the same number of votes, Congress passed the 12th amendment which created separate votes for the president and vice-president.

Question 18

Why were the Br. and Fr. attacking US ships?

Answer 18

The Br. and the Fr. were at war with each other, so they attacked American merchant ships destined to their enemy.

Question 19

How did Jefferson respond to the attacks on Am. ships by the Br.?

Answer 19

Jefferson set up an embargo, which stopped all trade with the British. This ended up hurting American merchants and sailors more than the British.

Question 20

What problem did Jefferson face with the Barbary states?

Answer 20

The Barbary States kept demanding more and more tribute in exchange for stopping their pirate ships from attacking US merchant ships.

Question 21

What was Jefferson’s response to the Barbary states?

Answer 21

Jefferson attacked the Barbary States, blockading their ports. This mission was successful and the Barbary states negotiated a treaty in exchange for an end to the blockade.

Question 22

What nation did we fight in the War of 1812 and why?

Answer 22

The War of 1812 was fought between the British and the Americans because the Br. kept impressing US soldiers, attacking US merchant ships, and giving Natives weapons to attack Americans.

Question 23

What were the results of the War of 1812?

Answer 23

While neither country won the war, the US showed that they could defend themselves. However, it severely weakened native resistance to American westward expansion.

Question 24

Why was the period after the War of 1812 called the Era of Good Feelings?

Answer 24

After the war, American nationalism increased and the Federalist party died out, since they hadn’t supported the war. Thus, there was less fighting among political parties.

Question 25

What is the Monroe Doctrine and why did Monroe create this policy?

Answer 25

The Monroe Doctrine said that European nations needed to stay out of North and South America which was no longer open to colonization. President Monroe said this to support the independence revolutions in Latin America and to increase the US economic sphere of influence.

Question 26

What political party did Andrew Jackson start, and why?

Answer 26

Jackson started the Democratic party because he believed the government should serve the common people, and he wanted to remove land ownership requirements for voting.

Question 27

How was Jackson’s political campaign different than previous ones?

Answer 27

Jackson claimed to speak for the common people and wanted to get elitism and corruption out of the government.

Question 28

What did Jackson do to the Bank of the US and why?

Answer 28

Jackson vetoed Congress bill to continue the national bank. Jackson felt that the bank only helped the wealthy and that national money should be stored in local banks to help the commoners.

Question 29

What is the spoil’s system?

Answer 29

Jackson hired his friends and allies to positions in government.

Question 30

Why did South Carolina want to secede from the Union during Jackson’s presidency?

Answer 30

South Carolina was unhappy about a tax on imported goods that was passed by Congress. They decided to “nullify” the tax, saying that it didn’t apply to their state. The state also threatened to secede from the Union if the tax weren’t repealed.

Question 31

What was Jackson’s response to S. Carolina threat to secede?

Answer 31

Jackson threatened to send the military into South Carolina to force them to honor the tax. South Carolina eventually backed down.

Question 32

What was Jackson’s policy toward Native Americans?

Answer 32

Jackson refused to honor past treaties made with native American tribes. He used the military to continue to push natives off of their lands and into reservations out west.

Question 33

How did Jackson defy the Supreme Court with the Trail of Tears?

Answer 33

The Supreme Court ruled that the Native Americans could not be forced to leave land that had been given to them in earlier treaties with the American government. Jackson ignored this ruling and continued to send the military to force natives off their land. One example was the Trail of Tears, where the Cherokee and Creek tribes were forced to abandon their homes and walk 850 miles to their new reservation.