Washington and Adams Flashcards
President George Washington
He established many of the presidential traditions, including limiting a president’s tenure to two terms. He was against political parties and strove for political balance in government by appointing political adversaries to government positions.
Vice-president John Adams
A Federalist, he had little say in Washington’s administration.
Judiciary Act, 1789
Created the federal court system, allowed the president to create federal courts and to appoint judges.
Sec. of the Treasury Hamilton
A leading Federalist, he supported industry and strong central government. He created the National Bank and managed to pay off the U.S.’s early debts through tariffs and the excise tax on whiskey.
Sec. of State Jefferson
A leading Democratic-Republican, he opposed Hamilton’s ideas. Washington tended to side with Hamilton, so Jefferson resigned.
Sec. of War Knox
A Revolutionary War hero, Henry Knox had served as Secretary of War under the Articles of Confederation, and stayed on in that capacity as part of Washington’s cabinet.
Attorney General Randolph
Edmund Randolph had been General Washington’s aide-de-camp at the outbreak of the Revolution, and served both as a Virginia delegate to the Continental Congressand as Governor of Virginia from 1786-1788. He submitted the virginia Plan at the Constitutional Convention. From 1789-1794 he served as U.S. Attorney General, and then succeeded Jefferson as Sec. of State. In 1795 he resigned form office after being falsely accused of receiving money from France to influence Washington’s administration against Great Britain, although his name was eventually cleared by the french government.
Hamilton’s Program: ideas, proposals, reasons for it
Designed to pay off the U.S.’s war debts and stabilize the economy, he believed that the United States should become a leading international commercial power. His programs included the creation of the National Bank, the establishment of the U.S.’s credit rate, increased tariffs, and an excise tax on whiskey. Also, he insisted that the federal government assume debts incurred by the states during the war.
Tariff of 1789
Designed to raise revenue for the federal government, resulted in a government surplus.
Bank of the U.S.
Part of Hamilton’s Plan, it would save the government’s surplus money until it was needed.
National debt, state debt, foreign debt
The U.S.’s national debt included domestic debt owed to soldiers and others who had not yet been paid for their Revolutionary War services, plus foreign debt to other countries which had helped the U.S. The federal government also assumed all the debts incurred by the states during the war. Hamilton’s program paid off these debts.
Excise taxes
Taxes placed on manufactured products. The excise tax on whiskey helped raise revenue for Hamilton’s program.
Report on Manufactures
A document submitted to Congress, which set up an economic policy to encourage industry.
Implied powers, elastic clause, necessary and proper clause
Section 8 of Article I contains a long list of powers specifically granted to Congress, and ends with the statement that Congress shall also have the power “to make all laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into execution the forfegoing powers.” These unspecified powers are known as Congress’ “implied” powers. There has long been a debate as to how much power this clause grants to Congress, which is sometimes referred to as the “elastic” clause because it can be “stretched” to include almost any other power that Congress might try to assert.
Loose, strict interpretation of the Constitution
Loose interpretation allows the government to do anything which the Constitution does not specifically forbid it from doing. Strict interpretation forbids the government from doing anything except what the Constitution specifically empowers it to do.
