Another APUSH Exam >:< Flashcards
Building a new nation under the Constitution
How many parts were in Hamilton’s financial plan, and what were they?
Five: 1. Funding at par of the national debt; 2. Assumption of state debts by the federal government; 3. Creation of a national bank; 4. An excise tax on distilled spirits (the Whiskey tax); 5. Tariffs on imports and establishment of a U.S. Mint.
Why did Hamilton want to develop U.S. credit-worthiness, and what were his two main methods?
To secure confidence for cheap borrowing and build industry: 1. Issued government bonds funding debt at face value; 2. Assumed state debts under federal government.
What were the key features of Hamilton’s national bank?
Chartered for 20 years with $10 million capital stock (1/5 government, 4/5 private), modeled on the Bank of England, held government deposits, lent to the Treasury, and issued a stable national currency.
In his Report on Manufactures, what two major policies did Hamilton recommend?
Protective tariffs on imported manufactured goods and subsidies or low-interest loans to domestic factories.
What three lines of criticism threatened Hamilton’s proposals?
- Strict constructionists (Madison and Jefferson) feared a centralized bank was unconstitutional and corrupting; 2. Western agrarians resented federal assumption of state debts; 3. Speculators would be paid “at par” for continental debt bought cheaply, angering previous holders.
How did Hamilton justify the constitutionality of his plan?
By invoking the “promote the general welfare” clause (and the Necessary and Proper clause) to grant Congress authority.
How did Jefferson and Hamilton compromise to get the plan passed?
In the Compromise of 1790, Hamilton dropped factory subsidies and Jefferson and Madison secured relocation of the capital to the Potomac River site (future Washington, D.C.).
Who were Pierre L’Enfant and Benjamin Banneker?
L’Enfant designed the street plan of the new federal city; Banneker surveyed its initial boundaries.
During the French Revolution, how did American public sentiment differ from that of its leaders?
Ordinary Americans celebrated France’s revolution as a “brother” uprising; Washington and his cabinet insisted on neutrality, fearing radical violence and foreign entanglements.
What happened in the Citizen Genêt affair?
French envoy Edmond‑Charles Genêt commissioned U.S. privateers under the French flag and tried to involve the U.S. in France’s wars, prompting Washington to demand his recall.
How were Americans harmed by Britain during the French Revolutionary wars?
The Royal Navy impressed thousands of U.S. sailors into service and maintained military forts on the western frontier.
Who negotiated Jay’s Treaty with Britain, and what did it achieve and fail to achieve?
John Jay secured British withdrawal from western forts and a commission on pre-war debts but failed to end impressment or secure compensation for seized ships.
What two political parties emerged despite Washington’s warning?
The Federalists and the Democratic-Republicans.
How did Republicans versus Federalists view the French wars?
Republicans sympathized with France’s liberty cause; Federalists feared radicalism, preferred order, and leaned toward Britain.
What pejoratives did each side use?
Federalists called Republicans “traitors”; Republicans called Federalists “monarchists.”
The 1790s saw intense _________, fueled by more _________ in the public sphere.
Partisan warfare, fueled by participation of ordinary citizens.
Washington’s opponents formed over 50 _________.
Democratic-Republican societies.
Which Thomas Paine pamphlet stirred controversy, and why?
Rights of Man, which defended revolutionary democracy and attacked aristocracy, alarming Federalists.
Who wrote A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, and what was its argument?
Mary Wollstonecraft argued that women deserve equal education and political rights.
Who argued women were not intellectually inferior, and how?
Judith Sargent Murray asserted that women’s minds match men’s when given the same opportunities.
What are the four executive-branch roles, and which was deemed most crucial?
Commander-in-Chief; Chief Legislator; Chief of State (most important as national symbol on world stage); Chief Executive Officer.
Why was Chief of State top priority in choosing the first president?
The president needed to personify the nation and earn immediate global recognition and respect.
Why did Washington win unanimously?
His unparalleled reputation as Revolutionary War hero made him the ideal national figurehead.
What was Jefferson’s constitutional philosophy?
Strict constructionism: federal powers exist only as literally stated in the Constitution.
What constitutional clauses did supporters of the Alien and Sedition Acts cite?
Article I, Section 8, Clause 4 (naturalization power); the Preamble (establish justice and ensure domestic tranquility); Article II, Section 2, Clause 1 (Commander-in-Chief).
What Jeffersonian objections targeted those Acts?
They violated the First Amendment’s free speech and press protections and the Sixth Amendment’s right to a jury trial.
What was the XYZ Affair?
French agents (X, Y, Z) demanded bribes before formal negotiations over U.S. neutrality, outraging Americans.
How did the XYZ Affair lead to the Alien and Sedition Acts?
Anti-French and anti-“alien” hysteria in Congress fueled laws suppressing dissent and tightening immigration rules.
How did Americans react to Jay’s Treaty?
They burned effigies and held widespread protests.
What did Pinckney’s Treaty (1795) accomplish?
Spain granted U.S. navigation rights on the Mississippi River and use of the Port of New Orleans.
How popular was Pinckney’s Treaty?
It was broadly celebrated as a major western gain.
What key presidential precedent did Washington establish?
A two-term maximum, later formalized by the 22nd Amendment in 1951.
Why did Washington warn against political parties?
He believed they would divide the nation and encourage loyalty to party over country.
Did the early U.S. enter any foreign alliances?
No; the Neutrality Proclamation of 1793 and subsequent treaties kept the U.S. alliance-free until after World War II.
Under the original Constitution, how were presidents elected?
Each elector cast two undifferentiated votes; the runner-up became vice president.
Why was the Election of 1796 described as chaotic?
Hamilton’s interference split Federalist electors, resulting in Adams as president and his rival Jefferson as vice president by accident.
