Constitution & Confederation
True or False:
Virginia recommended that the Constitution be amended to include a Declaration of Rights.
True!
Wanted to secure the unalienable rights of the people; right to a jury, speedy trial, protection from self-incrimination.
What was the significance of the Revolution of 1800?
It was an orderly transfer of government; John Adams to Jefferson, two opposing political parties.
Describe James Madison.
Known as the "Father of Constitution", was the 4th President, and helped to write the federalist papers with John Jay and Alexander Hamilton; authored the first 10 amendments (the bill of rights) to compromise with the Anti-federalist.
What was Andrew Jackson's nickname?
King Andrew.
Define Chattel Slavery.
Slavery where people are treated as property, or chattel, and can be bought, sold, and owned forever
What is the difference between "Separation of Powers" and "Checks and Balances"?
Separation of Powers: The division of government authority into branches (Executive, Legislative, Judicial)each with its own set of responsibilities.
Checks and Balances: Each branch has the ability to limit or review the actions of the other branches, preventing any one branch from becoming too powerful
How can you define Jeffersonian Republicanism?
While Jefferson championed the small, family farmer, he also believed that the best would rise to the upper echelons of power in society.
Deferential politics, A sort of “natural aristocracy” (meritocracy).These men would be the representatives of the People, with the Peoples’ interests foremost in their minds.
What were the main causes of the War of 1812?
British interference with American trade through Orders in Council, the practice of impressment where British sailors forcibly took American seamen from merchant ships, and the desire for westward expansion by the United States, often fueled by tensions with Native American tribes supported by the British.
Who were Andrew Jackson's two biggest opponents?
Henry Clay and John Quincy Adams.
How and why did slavery become so important in 1800s?
The rise of cotton production, which relied heavily on slave labor to cultivate large quantities of cotton that fueled the burgeoning textile industry both domestically and internationally.
This made slavery a vital part of the Southern economy, generating significant wealth for plantation owners and contributing to the region's prosperity, even as it resulted in immense human suffering for enslaved people.
Why was there debate over representation at the Constitutional Convention?
The debate over representation at the Constitutional Convention of 1787 was contentious because large and small states had differing views on how representation should be determined:
How did Jefferson, a believer in strict constitutional interpretation and limited government, enlarged the scope of the Presidency?
He significantly expanded the scope of the Presidency primarily through the Louisiana Purchase, where he used executive power to acquire a vast territory without explicit constitutional authorization, effectively demonstrating a "loose construction" of the Constitution when it served national interests; this action set a precedent for future presidents to exercise broader powers in certain situations.
What was the Missouri Crisis?
What was the 2nd Great Awakening and why was it important?
A Protestant religious revival during the late 18th to early 19th century in the United States. It spread religion through revivals and emotional preaching and sparked a number of reform movements.
- Abolitionism
- Chautauqua Movement
- Transcendentalism
Describe the day-to-day life of a typical enslaved person.
- Minimal space, food, and clothing
- Treated poorly and often exploited and overworked
- Minimal freedom; marriages had to be sanctioned, free days had to be on holidays or earned, religion was pressed.
What are the 4 main compromises in this era?
Virginia Plan: Representation in legislature based strictly on population.
Small State Plan: States are equally represented.
Connecticut/Great Compromise: Established 2 Houses in Congress; Senate and House of Reps.
3/5th Compromise: Three-fifths of the enslaved population would be counted for determining direct taxation and representation in the House of Representatives.
Describe the Louisiana Purchase:
- Who, What, Where, and Why?
Who: Jefferson initiated, Lewis & Clark expedition set forth first.
What: Supported westward expansion, doubled the size of the US.
Where: The territory stretched from the Mississippi River to the Rocky Mountains and from the Gulf of Mexico to the Canadian border.
Why: Napoleon Bonaparte, was losing interest in establishing a North American empire and needed funds to fight the British, so he directed his emissaries to offer not just New Orleans but all of the Louisiana Territory to the Americans.
What were the main results of the War of 1812?
No significant territorial changes between the US and Britain, a strengthened sense of American nationalism, the emergence of new American military heroes like Andrew Jackson, and a solidified border between the US and Canada, largely established by the Treaty of Ghent which ended the war.
Describe the Market Revolution.
The expansion of trade in agricultural products and
manufactured goods from local, to regional, to national, and ultimately, the world market. The country linked more closely even as it expanded. There were several internal improvements: New roads, canals, later, railroads.
Describe ways in which people resisted their enslavemen.
Revolts, Running Away, Petty Thievery and Sabotage, Underground Railroad.
What are the governmental concepts embodied in the Articles of Confederation?
Each state 1 vote, State legislatures appoint delegates, States held power to tax, States could keep western lands
Congress—unicameral, No executive branch, no judiciary, Declare war, Appoint military & navel officers, Post office, Foreign affairs, Coin money, Settle Indian disputes, Arbitrate disputes between states, Each state had right of veto.
Describe the term "Westering". Who migrated, why, and what did they encounter?
Who: People who lived East of the Appalachian Mountains moved westward.
Why: Wealth in the West, good land opportunities, less rigid class structure, lots of ambitions with no laws prohibiting them.
Encountered isolation, disease, etc.
Indian Removal, Nullification Crisis, and Bank War.
Name and describe some of the best known slave revolts.
- NYC, 1725 30 SLAVES
- STONO, SC, 1739 100 SLAVES
- GABRIEL’S REVOLT (1800)
- ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST PARISH, LA (1811)
- DENMARK VESEY CONSPIRACY (1822)
- NAT TURNER’S REBELLION (1831)
- JOHN BROWN (1859)