Early Presidents Test 2/2/23 Flashcards
George Washington
-1st president of the United States
-Revolutionary War hero
-Technically a Federalist, but didn’t care about political parties
John Adams
-1st. VP of the US
-2nd president of the US
-A federalist and was considered a disgrace to the party
-Lost election of 1800 and was a sore loser
-Just kinda there
Thomas Jefferson
-George Washington’s Secretary of State
-2nd VP of US
-3rd US president
-Leader of the Democratic-Republican Party
-Had a laissez-faire approach
-James Madison was his VP
-Wrote DOI
-Liked France
Alexander Hamilton
-Never a president
-Brilliant
-George Washington’s Secretary of Treasury
-Leader of the Federalist party
-Only member of Washington’s cabinet to have a musical
Precedent
The standard/example for something
Cabinet
A group of people that advises the president
Neutrality
Not picking a side
Foreign Policy
How a country interacts with other countries
Isolationism
The policy of avoiding political or military agreements with other countries
Sedition
Conduct or speech meant to cause people to rebel against authority
Alien
Someone from a foreign nation
What was the Whiskey Rebellion
-Was in response to a bill from Congress passed on liquor made in the US
-Tax angered many people, mainly farmers (Lots of Pennsylvanians)
-Many even resorted to violence
-George Washington himself, while president, led the militia to stop the revolt
-Set the precedent for federal response
What were Washington’s main concerns as he left presidency?
-Political parties would divide the country
-The US would get too involved in the problems of foreign countries
What were the main beliefs of the Republican party?
-Informed citizens can make decisions for themselves and their country
-Common people should be the voice of the government
-A strong central government would overpower the rights of the people
-Constitution should be strictly interpreted
-The economy should be based on agriculture
-They didn’t like the national bank
What were the main beliefs of the Federalist party?
-The wealthy and well-educated should run the country
-The national government needs to be strong
-The Constitution should be loosely interpreted
-The economy should be based on manufacturing
-They supported the national bank
What were the Alien acts?
Laws that increased the time it took to become a US citizen from 4 to 14 years
What were the Sedition acts?
Laws that made encouraging rebellion against the government a crime
Why happened during the XYZ affair?
-3 French agents simply referred to as X, Y, and Z met with American representatives
-Americans wanted to stop paying tribute to the French
-The French tried to blackmail the US with threat of pirate attacks and seizing US ships
-This made many Americans want a war with France
What happened during the Marbury vs Madison case? Why was it significant?
-A man named William Marbury sued over not getting a job
-It was the first time the Supreme Court exercised the power of Judicial Review
What led Jefferson to make the Embargo Acts? What were the effects?
-Jefferson stopped paying off pirates, so ships from Africa, Britain, and France started attacking American ships and forcing the sailors into impressment
-Jefferson retaliated by saying that they wouldn’t trade at all (Embargo)
-This was catastrophic for American buisness
Why did Jefferson make the Louisiana Purchase? What were the details?
-Jefferson initially just wanted to buy New Orleans to ensure Americans had access to the Mississippi River and New Orleans’ port
-France was in the middle of a war with Britain and a slave revolt in Hati, both of which were costly and time-consuming endeavors
-France offered to sell the whole territory for 15 million dollars, and Jefferson agreed
Explain the Lewis and Clark expedition.
-Merriweather Lewis and William Clark were chosen to go on a Congress-funded expedition to map the Louisianna purchase
-They were to lead 50 men, chart a path to the Pacific Ocean, study climate, plant and animal life, and make positive connections with Native American tribes along the way
-The expedition started in May of 1804
-The men kept very detailed journals
-During the trip, they met Sacagawea, who acted as a guide and translator
-The group reached the Pacific Ocean on November 7, 1805
How did the Lewis and Clark Expedition later affect Native Americans?
American settlers will take over the area over time and kick the Native people off pf their land
