The Constitution & Government
This meeting in 1787 was held to fix the Articles of Confederation and ended with the creation of the Constitution.
The Constitutional Convention
He was the first president of the United States and set many precedents for future presidents.
Who is George Washington?
This political party believed in a strong federal government and was led by Alexander Hamilton.
Who are the Federalists?
This policy means the United States would not take sides in conflicts between other countries.
What is neutrality?
Which river gave Americans access to trade routes that made the Louisiana Purchase especially valuable?
The Mississippi River.
These are the three branches of the U.S. government.
The Legislative, Executive, and Judicial branches
This group of advisors helped Washington make decisions and included leaders like Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton.
What is the cabinet?
Thomas Jefferson believed the Constitution should be interpreted in this way, meaning the government should only do what is clearly written.
What is strict interpretation?
President Washington wanted the United States to avoid these with foreign nations because they could drag the country into wars.
What are permanent alliances?
Why was the Louisiana Purchase controversial for President Thomas Jefferson even though he supported it?
The Constitution did not clearly state that a president could buy foreign land, so Jefferson worried it might be unconstitutional.
This system prevents one branch of government from becoming too powerful by allowing each branch to limit the others.
Checks and balances
This 1794 rebellion tested Washington’s authority when farmers protested a tax on whiskey.
What is the Whiskey Rebellion?
Alexander Hamilton wanted to create this to manage the country’s money and improve the economy.
What is the National Bank?
This French-related conflict during John Adams’s presidency involved French officials demanding bribes from American diplomats.
What is the XYZ Affair?
How did British impressment violate American neutrality before the War of 1812?
Britain seized American sailors and ships even though the United States was trying to remain neutral in European wars.
The first ten amendments to the Constitution that protect individual freedoms are called this.
The Bill of Rights
In his farewell address, Washington warned Americans to avoid these two dangers in politics and foreign affairs.
What are political parties and foreign alliances?
These laws passed under John Adams made it harder for immigrants to become citizens and punished criticism of the government.
What are the Alien and Sedition Acts?
This law passed by Jefferson stopped American ships from trading with foreign countries in an attempt to avoid war.
What is the Embargo Act?
Explain how the Embargo Act reflected Jefferson’s attempt to use economic pressure instead of military force, and why this strategy ultimately failed.
Jefferson hoped that stopping American trade would pressure Britain and France into respecting U.S. neutrality without going to war. However, Britain and France found other trading partners, while the American economy, especially merchants and farmers, was badly damaged, causing widespread opposition to the act.
This principle divides power between the national government and state governments.
Federalism
John Adams became president after Washington and served as this number president of the United States.
Who is the second president?
Hamilton and Jefferson disagreed because Hamilton wanted a strong central government while Jefferson believed more power should belong to these.
What are the states?
Washington’s decision to stay neutral during the war between Britain and France showed that the new U.S. government prioritized national survival over old revolutionary loyalty to France.
What is the Proclamation of Neutrality?
Evaluate how the War of 1812 transformed American politics by increasing nationalism while simultaneously destroying the influence of the Federalist Party.
The war created a surge of nationalism because many Americans believed the war proved that the United States had become a stronger and more independent nation capable of standing up to Britain militarily and politically. Meanwhile, the Federalist Party lost credibility after strongly opposing the war and meeting at the Hartford Convention, where some delegates proposed constitutional changes and hinted at secession. Because these actions occurred during wartime, many Americans saw the Federalists as disloyal, leading to the party’s rapid decline after the war.