US History Chapter 4 Review

characters dates
acts, rebellions, wars vocabulary

Chapter notes: Lesson 1 (Creating a New Government)

- In 1789 Congress created the Department of state (secretary: Thomas Jefferson), of

Treasury (secretary: Alexander Hamilton), of War (secretary: General Henry Knox) and the
Office of the Attorney General (secretary: Edmund Randolph).

- Department heads came to be known as the cabinet (group of advisers to the president).

- Congress also established the federal judiciary. (Judiciary Act of 1789 created 13 district
courts and three courts of appeal in addition to the Supreme Court established by the
constitution. With the Senate’s consent, Washington appointed federal judges.

- Washington selected John Jay to become the first chief justice

- Revenue: income to pay for the nation’s expenses and massive war debts.

- James Madison (one of the leaders in Congress) and Hamilton responded to the need of
revenue with different plans for financing the government.

PLANS FOR FINANCING THE GOVERNMENT

James Madison: The Tariff of 1789 Hamilton’s Financial Program

To tax imports. Congress also passed Hamilton believes the government also
needed the ability to borrow money. He
the Tonnage Act (levying a tax per ton asked Congress to redeem the bonds made
of cargo on ships entering the United at the Revolutionary War at full value. (pay
their debts). He believed that if they did,
States, with foreign ships taxed higher wealthy creditors, bankers and merchants
rate) would think “If they paid their debts, we can
lend money”

Opposition to Hamilton’s Plan:

Critics argued that Hamilton’s plan was unfair to the original purchasers who,
fearing they would never be repaid, had sold their bonds at a low price. (From
the North had kept their debts, while Southerners had already paid their debts)

 Agreement!!
In July 1790, Hamilton, Madison and Jefferson compromised. Southerners
voted for Hamilton’s plan (in return, the capital would, in ten years time, relocate
to an area on the Potomac River that would be called the District of Columbia)

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The Bank of the United States

- Hamilton asked to create it to manage the nation’s debt and issue bank notes (paper
money- they would serve as national currency and promote trade, encouragement
investment, and promote economic growth).

- Madison argued that Congress could not establish a bank because it was not among the
federal government’s enumerated powers (powers listed in the Constitution).

- In 1791 Congress created the Bank of the United States with a 20-year charter.

- In 1791 Congress also imposed an excise tax on the manufacture of whiskey, which caused
the Whiskey Rebellion (1794, when in western Pennsylvania, farmers terrorized tax
collectors, stopped court proceedings and robbed the mail. 13,000 troops were needed to
crush the rebellion)

The Rise of Political Parties

Hamilton and Federalists Jefferson and Republicans

Favored a strong national government. Believed Believed that the strength of the US was in it’s
that democracy was dangerous to liberty. Wanted independent farmers. Believed in agrarianism (to
to put government into hands of the “rich, well think agriculture is the backbone of community).
born and able”. Supported manufacturing and Believed that too much commerce would divide
trade. Believed they were the basis of national society between rich and poor. Wealthy would
wealth and power.
corrupt the government.

Supporters: urban Northeast Supporters: rural South and West

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 Lesson 2: Partisan Politics

Trade and Western Expansion

- With the French revolution going on, Republicans supported the French radicals (those
whose political views are considered extreme) because they were fighting for liberty.
Federalists opposed because of the violence and chaos.

- When the war of France and Britain was declared, Washington remained neutral even when
the Treaty of 1778 stated that they must defend France.

- Despite Washington’s declaration, British still occupied American territory and incited Native
Americans to attack western settlers. These events pushed Congress to the brink of war in
1794.

-To avoid war, Washington sent John Jay to Britain to seek a solution. Britain agreed to
a treaty, where Jay was forced to agree that Britain had the right to seize cargoes
bound for French ports.

- Agreed to a most-favored nation (a policy between countries ensuring fair trading

practices.

Jay’s Treaty

- Washington didn’t want to sign Jay’s Treaty (Britain had the right to seize cargoes
bound for French ports), but he did to protect America’s fragile economy and to avoid
war.

- The treaty helped US win concessions from Spain, who controlled Florida and territory
west of the Mississippi River.

- In 1795, Spain signed the Treaty of San Lorenzo, or Pinckney’s Treaty (granting US to
navigate the Mississippi and deposit goods in New Orleans)

The War Between the Parties

- In 1796, George Washington steps down and first election is held. Federalists want John
Adams and Republicans want Thomas Jefferson.

- Adams edged out Jefferson 71-68.

- French were mad of the Jay’s Treaty and began seizing goods from the American ships
headed to Britain. Federalists wanted war.

- Adams sent Charles Pinckney, Elbridge Gerry, and John Marshall to Paris to negotiate.

- Federalist slogan: “Millions for defense but not one cent for tribute”

- In June of 1798, Congress suspended trade with France.

- Two nations started fighting an undeclared war at sea, known as the Quasi-War.

- Convention of 1800 released the US from the Treaty of 1778 and ended the war.

- Because of the public anger at France in 1798, Federalists pushed four laws through
Congress, known as the Alien and Sedition Acts.

- First 3 laws were aimed at aliens (people living in the country who were not citizens).

• #1- Extends the number of years that immigrants had to wait before they
could become citizens from 5 to 14 years.

• The next 2 gave the president the power to deport without trial any alien
deemed dangerous to the nation.

- 4th law was to prevent sedition (incitement to rebellion). Made it illegal to criticize the
federal government or any government official, depriving citizens of their basic right
to free speech.

- In 1798 and 1799 the Republican-controlled legislatures of Kentucky and Virginia passed
resolutions (anonymously written by Jefferson and Madison) that criticized the acts.

- Introduced the theory of interposition (theory that a state should be able to intervene
between the federal government and the people to stop an illegal action)

- Advanced the theory of nullification (theory that states have the right to declare a federal
law invalid)

- “If the federal government passed an unconstitutional law, the states had the right to nullify
the law, or declare it invalid”

- The republican nominees for the Election of 1800 (Jefferson and Aaron Burr [vice president])
opposed the taxes and the national bank.

- The system was: citizens > state electors > electoral college > vote

- Each voter voted for 2 people, president and vice-president

- When the votes were counted, both Burr and Jefferson had 73 votes. Since no candidate
had a majority, the Federalist controlled House of Representatives had to choose the
president.

- Federalists hated Jefferson but Hamilton convinced them to like him.

Lesson 3: Jefferson in Office

Jefferson’s Administration

- Jefferson referred to his election as the Revolution of 1800.

- Began by paying off the federal debt, cut government spending and did away the whiskey
tax.

 -Chose Albert Gallatin to be secretary of treasure.

-One of his strongest beliefs was that a republic could survive only if most people
owned land. So he wanted to expand the country farther west.

- In 1800 French leader Napoleon Bonaparte convinced Spain to give Louisiana back
to France in exchange for helping Spain getting part of Italy. This worried Jefferson
Louisiana Purchase

because it gave France the control of the lower Mississippi and the port of New
Orleans.

- By 1803, Napoleon had begun making plans to conquer Europe and was short on
funds.

- On April 30 1803, US bought Louisiana from France for over $11 million. Also agreed
to take on French debts about $3.75 million owed to American citizens making the
total cost about $15 million.

- Jefferson chose Meriwether Lewis and William Clark to lead an expedition to

Louisiana to find a route to the Pacific River.

-In May 1804 the “Corps of Discovery” headed west. Met Sacagawea,
Shoshone woman who became their guide and interpreter

Lewis &

Clark

- Path taken was: Camp Dubois (May 1804) > Council Bluffs (August 1804) > Fort
Mandan (Winter 1804) > Great Falls (June 1805) > Over the Rockies (September
1805) > Canoe Camp (October 1805) > Reaching the Pacific

- In 1805 Zebulon Pike mapped much of the upper Mississippi River, and he traveled to
Colorado. This is the Pike expedition.

- Essex Junto- small group of federalists who drafter a plan to remove New England from the
Union. They persuaded Vice President Burr to run for governor of NY in 1804.

- Hamilton said he wasn’t trustable as governor. Burr challenged Hamilton to a duel and killed
Hamilton.

- At the end of their term, Federalist majority enacted Judiciary Act of 1801 creating 16 new
federal judgeships.

- Republican leaders believed that the impeachment power was one of the checks and
balances in the Constitution and tried to move other Federalists from the judiciary

Rising International Tensions

- During Jefferson’s second term he had to keep America out of war

- Barbary Pirates: Barbary States (Morocco, Tripoli, Tunis and Algiers) of North African coast
menaced Mediterranean shipping.

- In 1801 Tripoli declared war on the US. Jefferson sent a naval squadron into the
Mediterranean in what was the US’s 1st foreign military conflict. Ended in 1815.

- Impressment: legalized form of kidnapping that forced people into military service.

- In June 1807, British warship Leopard stopped the American ship USS Chesapeake.
Chesapeake’s captain refused to comply and the Leopard opened fire and killed 3
Americans.

- Instead of going to war, Jefferson asked Congress to pass the Embargo Act of 1807, halting
all trade between the US and Europe. Affected the US and Congress repealed it in 1809 after
Jefferson left office.

Lesson 4: The War of 1812

The Decision for War

- Republican party nominates James Madison for 1808. Federalists nominated Charles
Pinckney.

- James Madison won easily. Assumed office when the tension between British and American
was high.

- Asked congress to pass the Non-Intercourse Act (forbade trade with France and Britain but
authorized the president to reopen trade with whichever removed its trade restrictions first).

- In May 1810, Congress took a different approach with a plan drafted by Nathaniel Macon
of North Carolina.
- Macon’s Bill Number Two: reopened trade with both Britain and France but stated that if
either nation dropped its restrictions on trade, the US would stop importing goods from the
other nation.

- Napoleon announced the France would no longer restrict American trade but still allowed for
the seizure of American ships.

- In June 1812, Britain finally ended all restrictions.

- War Hawks: they believed the nation’s reputation was in danger if the US did not go to war
to stop the British from seizing American sailors.

- Americans in the South and West wanted to go to war because of the British’s trade
restrictions that had just planters and farmers who earned their income shipping underseas.

- Tecumseh: Shawnee leader, wanted Native Americans to unite to protect their lands.

- Tenskwatawa: Tecumseh’s brother, “the Prophet”, called for spiritual rebirth of cultures.

- William Henry Harrison: governor of Indiana who prepared to stamp it out.

- Tenskwatawa sent fighters to intercept Harrison and his troops near the Tippecanoe River.

- The battle of Tippecanoe resulted in 150 casualties on both sides, but America claimed
victory.

- Many Western argued that war with Britain would enable the US to seize Canada and end
Native American attacks

- In June 1812, Madison declared war.

The Invasion of Canada

- The nation was not ready to fight.

- In NY they called it “Mr. Madison’s War”

- It was hard to borrow money because bankers located in the Northeast were opposed to the
war.

- They attacked Canada in 3 ways, Detroit, Niagara Falls, Hudson River… and all 3 failed.

- British navy forced General William Hull to surrender.

- The following year, US had more success after Commodore Oliver Perry ranged for the
construction of a fleet on the coast of Lake Erie in Ohio.

- On September 10th 1813, Perry’s fleets attacked the British fleet. British surrendered.

- The victory also enabled Harrison to recover Detroit and march into Canada.

- By the end of 1813, US had not conquered any territory of Canada.

The War Ends

- In 1814, Napoleon’s empire collapsed.

- In August 1814, a British fleet sailed into Chesapeake Bay and landed troops within
marching distance of Washington D.C.

- British set fire to the White House and the Capitol.

- Francis Scott Key: a young lawyer held abroad a British ship during the shelling, was elated
to see the American flag still lying above the fort at dawn. He scribbled a poem about the
battle that would become the national anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner

- In December 1814, Federalists from New England met in Hartford, Connecticut to discuss
what they could do independently of the United States.

- That same month, a British fleet with some men landed near New Orleans.

- The American commander, General Andrew Jackson, had not yet received the news that
negotiators had signed the Treaty of Ghent on December 24th.

- On January 8th 1815, Jackson led the troops to New Orleans. He became a national hero

- The war of 1812 increased the nation’s prestige overseas and generated a new spirit of
patriotism and national unity