Washington to Monroe Flashcards
Who was George Washington?
George Washington was:
- The first president on the United states
- The former leader of the continental army and praised war hero
- An advocate of a loose interpretation of the Constitution in regards to establishing a national bank
- An advocate of Neutrality during the French Revolution
- Served two terms
- Vice president was John Adams
Who were the two opposing members of George Washington’s cabinet?
Secretary of State, Thomas Jefferson, and Secretary of the Treasury, Alexander Hamilton often disagreed on what America should become in the years following.
Who was Thomas Jefferson?
Thomas Jefferson was:
- The Secretary of State in George Washington’s Cabinet.
- The third president of the United States
- A noted republican
- An advocate of an agricultural America
- A strict interpreter of the Constitution
- Not a supporter of a big federal government
Who was Alexander Hamilton?
Alexander Hamilton was:
- The Secretary of the Treasury in George Washington’s Cabinet
- A noted federalist
- A loose interpreter of the Constitution
- The man proposed the first national bank
- A supporter of
- industrialization
- mercantilist policies
- A strong federal government
- Killed in a duel by political opponent Aaron Burr
What are some ways in which Jefferson and Hamilton differed?
Jefferson and Hamilton differed in the following ways:
- Jefferson was Republican, Hamilton was Federalist
- Jefferson favored state power, Hamilton advocated a strong central government
- Jefferson saw the future of America in agriculture, Hamilton saw it in manufacturing.
- Jefferson believed in free trade, Hamilton supported tariffs on foreign goods
What was Hamilton’s Report on the Public Credit?
Hamilton’s Report on the Public Credit included plans for economic reform in America. In the report, Hamilton proposed that:
- The federal government assume the debts of the individual states
- The federal government should sell land in the west to pay money owed to Europeans
- The federal government start repaying the war debt by issuing government bonds
What was proposed in Hamilton’s Report on a National Bank?
In this report to congress, Hamilton proposed the chartering of a national bank that could loan capital to developing industries. The bank would serve as a place to store tax revenue, and to borrow money from when goverment funding was low. The national would also have authority to regulate state banks on their business ventures.
The bank would in part be funded by a public stock offering, Share holders stood to gain a lot from a steady flow of interest payments to the bank.
What were some criticisms of the national bank?
Due to the banks partial funding from shareholders, many saw the bank as vulnerable to corruption. By offering shares, the national bank could fall under the control of a handful of wealthy people (like politicians), who could then influence the government through the bank.
Jefferson openly opposed Hamilton’s plan and the bank, saying that it was a “ a machine for the corruption of the legislature”.
Madison, favoring a strict interpretation of the Constitution, saw the bank as unconstitutional and not within the government’s power to charter.
What is the Necessary and Proper clause?
The necessary and proper clause gives the government the power to enact an all measures which are necessary and proper for the government to carry out its constitutional duties.
Loose constructionists like Hamilton, who believe in a broad interpretation of the Constitution, have used this clause to justify powers which may not be explicitly delegated to the federal government.
How does the Necessary and Proper clause come into play during the deliberation over the national bank?
Hamilton used the clause to convince Washington to charter the national bank. Hamilton, a loose constructionist, believed that the necessary and proper clause granted the federal government the power to charter the bank, and that the only unconstitutional acts were those explicitly prohibited in the Constitution.
How do loose constuctionists and strict constructionists differ?
Loose and strict constructionist differ on how they interpret the constitution.
Strict constructionists believe that the federal government’s powers are limited to those explicitly stated in the Constitution.
Loose constructionists allow for some leeway and interpretation of the intentions of the laws in the Constitution.
How did Hamilton’s financial programs indirectly spark the Whiskey Rebellion?
After the federal government assumed the state’s debt, as Hamilton proposed, it needed more money. To bring money in, Hamilton suggested a tax on domestic whiskey. This tax would cut into the profit margins of farmers to the point were they decide to rebel against it.
How does Washington respond to the French Revolution?
Washington issued a Declaration of Neutrality, favoring trade with both sides over fighting.
Who was revolting, and who was revolted against in the French Revolution?
Originally France’s lower class revolted against the nobility. After the Reign of Terror, were the king was executed, things would escalate into a call for all subjected people to revolt against their kings. This would further escalate into an war against the British who tried to resist the spread of revolution beyond France.
How did the prominent political parties split over there support of the French revolution?
Republicans, like Jefferson, supported the assault on a centralized power like a monarchy. Hamilton, a Federalist, called France a “mobocracy” and supported the British in preventing the spread of revolution.
