Chapter 10 Flashcards
Judiciary Act of 1789
The Judiciary Act of 1789 created the federal court system including the 6-member Supreme Court (9 members since 1869)
Funding & Assumption plans
FUNDING
Hamilton urged Congress to fund at par the debt incurred during the Rev War
The feds would pay off its debts at face value, plus interest (about 54 mil)
A problem: gov bonds sold during the rev had decreased in value (to about 10-15 cents on the dollar)
Soldiers and their families had bought these bonds originally but had sold them to speculators when they lost value. Now the speculators would be getting rich)
ASSUMPTION
Hamilton urged Congress to assume (take over) state debts (about 21.5 mil)
Be believed that doing this would better link the states to the fed gov.
States with large debts like Hamiltion’s plan *those were the ones that had no western lands)
The states that had already paid off their debts were not happy
Whiskey Rebellion
The farmers rose in protest in 1794
The “whiskey boys” raised whiskey poles, cried out “Liberty and No Excise” and tarred and feathered revenue officers
President Washington summoned the militaries of several states, when the troops arrived in western PA, the whiskey boys had already dispersed
(could compared with shays rebellion– how shays rebellion was only left to mass, while the whiskey rebellion was able to have many states held due to government being stronger)
Democratic Republicans vs. Federalists
FEDERALISTS:
located in New England, NY
Merchants, manufacturers (no govt in business!)
Distrusted democracy wanted a strong central govt
Pro-brit
Anti-slavery
“The people” (elite, educated) should rule
DEMOCRATIC-REPUBLICANS:
Located in the South and West
Middle class, poor farmers
Wanted a weak central gov to keep power in states
Pro-french
Pro-slavery
“The people” (elite educated) should rule
Neutrality Proclamation
-washington issued a neutrality proclamation (1793) warning Americans to be impartial to both Britain and France
Republicans were incensed. They supported Citizen Edmond Genet, a representative from the French Republic (Genet outfitted privateers and recruited armies to invade Spanish FL and LA)
Washington demanded Genet return to France
Northwest Indian Wars
The Brits had refused to abandon northern frontier posts and they traded guns and alcohol with many tribes
The US fought Miami Chief LIttle Turtle in the Northwest Indian Wars (1785-95)
Defeating the Miami at the Battle of Fallen Timbers (1794)
The Miami signed the Treaty of Greenville, ceding most of their land in 1795 (they retained the right to hunt the land, received 20,000 as well as 9,000 dollars annually and recognition of sovereignty)
Jay’s Treaty
1794
The brits promised to evacuate a chain of forests and pay for damages to US ships
Issues not addressed: impressment, stealing ships, supplying arms to the tribes
Jay was forced to agree that the US would pay debts owed to Brit merchants on Rev-era accounts
Money to pay the debt would come from southern planters while Fed merchants would collect damages down to their vessels.
Pinckney’s Treaty
1795
Americans were granted free navigation of the Mississippi River and the large disputed territory north of FL
Spain wanted to make an alliance with the US due to fear of a Brit-American alliance
Washington’s Farewell Address
In Washington’s Farewell Address, he warned the US to steer clear of foreign alliances (bc of the fear you may be pulled into war) and political parties (because of the arguing)
He never delivered the address and Hamilton actually wrote it!
XYZ Affair
Adams sent three men to France to negotiate with the French forgein minister Talleyrand
Three go-betweens (later dubbed X, Y, and Z) approached the envoy and asked for a bribe of 250,000 dollars
When word of the bribe got back to the US Feds called for war: “Millions for defense, but not one cent for tribute!” (we’ll pay to defend ourselves, but not pay the french at all)
The Navy Dept and the US Marines were created and a new army was authorized
A 2.5 year undeclared war raged at sea. Americans captured over 80 french vessels
Talleyrand backed down and offered to receive the next envoy respectfully.
By the time new diplomats arrived in France, Napoleon had taken power; the Convention of 1800 annulled the Franco-American Alliance.
Alien Law
The Alien Law was an attempt to limit the number of immigrant voters (who usually voted Republican)
The law raised residency requirements from 5 years to 14 years
Related laws allowed the president to deport dangerous foreigners in peacetime and imprison them in wartime
He law was never enforced as it went against the spirit of the Constitution
Sedition Act
The purpose was to jail and fine anyone (republicans) who impeded the policies of the (federalist) gob or falsely defamed its officials
Many Rep newspapers editors were indicted under the act, 10 were convicted
The supreme court did nothing because it was dominated by Federalists
The law expired in 1801 so it couldn’t be used against the Federalists in the next election if they lost.
THE VA AND KY RESOLUTIONS
Jefferson’s Kentucky and Madison’s Virginia Resolution stressed Enlightenment “compact theory” that the 12 states were sovereign entities
Jefferson believed that states could judge whether federal laws were beneficial for them. If not,, a state could nullify, or refuse, to follow the law
The states’ rights idea popped up again during the mid-1800s with Calhoun’s “nullification theory”
