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Unit 2: The New Nation
Civics Review
The highest law in the US is the Constitution. The first 10 amendments (additions and changes) to the Constitution are
called the Bill of Rights, which guarantee the protection of personal liberties and civil rights. The Constitution separated
the powers of the federal government between three branches: the executive, legislative, and judicial. The legislative
branch includes the Senate, in which every state has two members, and the House of Representatives, where
representation is based on a state’s population, with larger states having more members. The legislative branch is in
charge of creating the laws. The executive branch is led by the president and his or her advisors and departments who
enforce the laws. Lastly, the judicial branch is made up of the courts. The Judiciary Act of 1789 created the federal court
system and established the Supreme Court. The purpose of the courts is to interpret the laws.
1) Identify the three branches of the federal government and explain the job of each branch:
Branch of Government:
What was the job of each
branch?
2) What did the Judiciary Act of 1789 create?
George Washington & Political Parties
George Washington was the general of the American military against the British
during the Revolutionary War. Although he lost many battles, Washington led the
Americans in victory over the British in one of the greatest upsets in military
history. After the creation of the US Constitution, American leaders unanimously
chose Washington to become the nation’s first president. George Washington chose
his cabinet (a group of close advisors). He chose Alexander Hamilton to lead the
Department of Treasury, which manages the nation’s finances, and Thomas
Jefferson to lead the Department of State, which deals with foreign affairs.
Hamilton and Jefferson were brilliant thinkers, but they had very different political
ideas. The differences between the two caused bitter disagreements.
Hamilton was one of the founders of the Federalist Party. Federalists believed in a strong central government led by a
small group of wealthy and well-educated upper-class citizens. They were concentrated among the commercial interests
of New England and they believed commerce and industry were the keys to a strong nation. Insecure and uncertain of the
future, they stressed the need for order, authority, and regularity in the political world. The Federalist Party believed in
loose construction of the Constitution, which meant that the government had the right to powers that went beyond what
was actually written in the constitution. In Federalist eyes, potential enemies—both in the US and around the world—
perpetually threatened the nation, which required a continuing alliance with Britain for its own protection. Overall,
Hamilton’s vision of America was that of a country much like Great Britain, with a strong central government, commerce,
and industry. His views found more support in the North, especially New England (Vermont, New Hampshire,
Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island) as well as urban areas throughout the country.
Thomas Jefferson, on the other hand, was one of the founders of the Democratic Republican Party. This party distrusted a
strong central government, and in order to limit the government’s power, he believed in a strict interpretation of the
Constitution. This meant that the government did not have any powers except what was actually written in the
Constitution. Democratic Republicans favored strong state and local governments rooted in popular participation.
Jefferson favored an economy based on farming and trading in America rather than international trade. Jefferson’s views
won support from farmers, especially those in the South and the West and in most rural areas. Immigrants also favored
Jefferson’s party. Democratic Republicans tended to be self-assured, confident, and optimistic about both politics and the
economy. They foresaw a prosperous future based on westward expansion. Democratic-Republicans remained
sympathetic to France instead of Britain in international affairs.
3) If you lived during the 1790s, would you have supported the Democratic Republicans or the Federalists? Would you
have been a strict constructionist or a loose constructionist? Write at least a one paragraph response (5 sentences) using at
least 2 characteristics from the party you have selected:
Hamilton & the Economy
Alexander Hamilton, President Washington’s new secretary of
treasury, made a proposal to help the nation’s economy grow.
First, he believed that Congress should pay for all the debt
(money owed) that the federal and state governments still
owed from the war. This would prove that the US government
would pay back its loans, and that investors could trust the US
if it ever asked for another loan. Next, Hamilton
recommended that Congress create a national bank. The
purpose of the bank would be to collect and disperse money for the US Treasury and to circulate the nation’s currency
around the country. Other politicians, like Thomas Jefferson, opposed the creation of the bank because the Constitution
did not explicitly give the federal government the power to create the bank. Federalists, like Hamilton supported the bank
because he believed the federal government had more powers than just those specifically mentioned in the Constitution.
The US Congress agreed with Hamilton, and they created the Bank of the United States. Moreover, about 20 years later,
the Supreme Court ruled in McCulloch v. Maryland (1819) that Congress had the power to create a national bank.
Hamilton also recommended that the government increase taxes to help pay for the debt from the war and to give the
government more revenue. In 1791, the US Congress created a tax on whiskey produced based on Hamilton’s advice. The
Congress could have chosen to tax any number of people in the US, but they specifically chose to tax people who distilled
whiskey. Why? Whiskey distillers lived far in the western parts of the US, and there were relatively few of them. The
government also figured that a tax on whiskey might reduce the consumption of whiskey. 18 th century Americans were
notoriously heavy drinkers; it is estimated that Americans in the 1700s drank twice as much alcohol per capita (per
person) as today’s rate.
4) Which political party believed a National Bank was constitutional? Which party believed it was unconstitutional? Why?
5) What did the Supreme Court decide in McCulloch v. Maryland?
6) Identify the 3 parts of Hamilton’s financial plan and explain if you agree with each part:
Parts of Financial Plan
1)
2)
3)
Smart idea? Why/why not?
Whiskey Rebellion
News of the tax set off protests in frontier areas of Pennsylvania, where residents were already
dissatisfied with the army’s unsuccessful attempts to defeat an Indian nation known as the
Miami Confederacy. To their minds, the same government that could not protect them from
the Indians now wanted to tax them. Unrest continued for two years on the frontiers of
Pennsylvania, and large groups of men protested the tax and harassed tax collectors.
President Washington
responded with restraint
until violence erupted in
July 1794, when western Pennsylvania farmers tar and
feathered and beat a federal marshal and a tax
collector trying to enforce the law. Three rioters were
killed and several militiamen wounded. About 7,000
rebels convened on August 1 to plot the destruction of
Pittsburgh. Washington then took decisive action by
calling up nearly 13,000 soldiers.
By the time federal forces marched westward (at times by Washington himself), the disturbances had ceased. The troops
met no resistance and arrested only 20 suspects. The leaderless and unorganized rebellion ended with little bloodshed.
The chief importance of the Whiskey Rebellion lay in the forceful message that the national government would enforce its
laws.
7) Choose the six most important events from the Whiskey Rebellion. Create a cartoon to illustrate the story of the
Whiskey Rebellion by drawing a picture for each event you have chosen:
Jay’s Treaty
In 1794 George Washington dispatched Supreme Court Chief Justice John Jay to London to negotiate unresolved
questions between Britain and the US. The first point at issue was recent British seizures of American merchant ships.
Americans wanted freedom of the seas, a right which would let Americans trade with any nation free from interference.
The British agreed to ease restrictions on American trade (although not entirely). John Jay also demanded the British
leave forts in the American west, which they agreed to evacuate. Lastly, Jay wanted the British to compensate American
slave owners for the slaves the British freed during the Revolutionary War, but the British did not yield to this demand.
Although many Americans disagreed with parts of Jay’s Treaty, the treaty averted war with Britain. Congress ratified Jay’s
Treaty at the same time as Pinckney’s Treaty with Spain, which gave American farmers the right to use the Mississippi
River for trading. This gave an economic boost to farmers in the West and the South.
Washington’s Farewell Address & the Election of 1796
Tensions rose between the Federalist and Democratic Republican Party in the 1790s. Wearied by criticism, George
Washington decided to retire, rather than run again for president in the election of 1796. He published his Farewell
Address which outlined two principles for America: 1) Do not have permanent and entangling alliances with other nations
(commercial ties are O.K.); 2) Avoid political parties. The Federalist Party nominated John Adams and the Democratic
Republicans nominated Thomas Jefferson. Since the American voters (white men with property) did not realize they had
to vote for presidential and vice presidential candidates together, both John Adams and Thomas Jefferson received the top
number of votes. In a divided administration, Adams became president and his biggest rival, Jefferson, became his vice
president.
XYZ Affair
The Jay Treaty greatly improved America’s relationship with Great Britain, but it provoked the French government to
retaliate by ordering its ships to seize American vessels carrying British goods. In response, Congress increased military
spending, authorizing the building of ships and the stockpiling of weapons and ammunition. President Adams also sent
three commissioners to Paris to negotiate an end to French harassment. The American commissioners sought talks with
the French, but they demanded a bribe of $250,000 before negotiations could begin. The Americans refused and reported
the incident to the president Adams. Adams told Congress about the incident, withholding only the names of the French
agents, referring to them as X, Y, and Z. The revelation that the Americans had been treated with contempt stimulated a
wave of anti-French sentiment in the US.
8) Use the readings to complete the following chart:
Diplomatic Event What nation did
What did the US want?
it involve?
Was it successful? Why/why not?
Jay Treaty
Pinckney’s Treaty
XYZ Affair
9) In your opinion, should the US follow George Washington’s advice on foreign policy (international affairs)? Why or why
not? 5 sentences:
Alien and Sedition Acts
Although John Adams, a member of the Federalist Party, won the presidential election of 1796, Federalists knew that their
popularity was dropping. In 1798, the Federalist-controlled Congress adopted a set of four laws known as the Alien and
Sedition Acts, intended to suppress dissent and to prevent further growth of the Democratic-Republican Party. The Alien
Act authorized the federal government to deport immigrants (aliens) thought to endanger public safety. The law was
intended to deter immigrants from voting for the Democratic-Republican Party. The Sedition Act made it a crime to speak
or publish criticism of the federal government. The law was intended to silence newspaper published by supporters of the
Democratic-Republican Party.
People who broke these laws faced at least 2 years in prison and a fine of at least $2,000. Today any law punishing speech
alone would automatically be considered unconstitutional. In the 18 th century, however, when political opposition was by
definition suspect, many Americans supported the Sedition Act’s restrictions on free speech. The Sedition Act led to 15
indictments and 10 convictions. Most of the accused were outspoken newspaper editors who supported the DemocraticRepublican Party.
Virginia & Kentucky Resolutions
The Alien & Sedition Acts disturbed many Democratic-Republicans including Thomas Jefferson, author of the Declaration
of Independence and James Madison, the man who wrote most of the US Constitution. Jefferson and Madison protested
what they believed were unjust laws that took away Americans’ civil rights. They knew that if they challenged the
government publicly, they risked imprisonment from the Alien & Sedition laws, so they decided to write resolutions
criticizing the government anonymously and convinced state legislators to introduce the resolutions. These protests were
called the Virginia & Kentucky Resolutions. Jefferson and Madison believed in nullification, the theory that the states
have the right to nullify (cancel) any federal law that contradicts with a state law. The Virginia and Kentucky resolutions
rallied Democratic-Republican supporters around the country, but the laws remained in effect until they expired in 1802.
10) What was the Alien Act? What was the Sedition Act? Why did the Federalists create these laws?
11) How did the Democratic Republicans protest the Alien & Sedition Acts? What is nullification?
12) Decide whether or not you would have supported or opposed the Alien & Sedition Acts. Create a poster that could be
held during a protest in support or opposition to the Acts. Include a slogan, picture, and which side you are on:
The Election of 1800
In 1800, the nation had a choice for president between the Federalist John Adams, who was running for reelection, and
the Democratic-Republican challenger, Thomas Jefferson. Federalists feared that Jefferson would return power to the
states and overturn Hamilton's financial system. The Democratic-Republicans charged that the Federalists had shown
contempt for the liberties of the American people. Jefferson's Federalist opponents called him an atheist and a drunk.
They also alleged that he had sex with one of his 600 slaves. This turned out to be true. Jefferson's supporters said that
President Adams was a monarchist who longed to reunite Britain with its former colonies. The election was extremely
close. It was the Constitution's three-fifths clause, which counted three-fifths of the slave population in representation,
which gave the Democratic Republicans a majority in the Electoral College. Thomas Jefferson and the DemocraticRepublicans gained control of the presidency.
Marbury v. Madison
Before John Adams left office, he appointed many Federalists as judges in the judiciary branch. The Senate confirmed
(approved) their appointment, but President Thomas Jefferson, refused to accept these last minute, or ‘midnight’
appointments. One of the judges was angry for not being allowed to have his job, and he sued the government. The case
made it to the Supreme Court, which was led by John Marshall. Marshall was the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court from
1801-1835, and he was instrumental in developing the American legal system. In Marbury v. Madison, the court ruled
that the appointment of “midnight judges” was not legal. Most importantly, the Supreme Court ruled that the Court had
the right to judicial review. This is the right of the Supreme Court to review laws passed by Congress and to determine
their constitutionality.
Louisiana Purchase/Lewis & Clark
Democratic-Republicans and Federalists divided sharply over more than just the Supreme Court; Jefferson’s acquisition
of the Louisiana Territory in 1803 was another point of contention. Jefferson shared with many other Americans the
belief that the United States was destined to expand its “empire of liberty,” and his presidency made western expansion a
national goal. At the time the French controlled the Louisiana Territory, named after former French King Louis XIV.
Revolutionary French leader, Napoleon, failed to reconquer Haiti and he chose to sell Louisiana to the United States for
$15 million. But for Jefferson, the purchase presented a dilemma because it conflicted with his strict constructionist
beliefs. The Constitution did not explicitly give the president the power to buy new land. In the end, Jefferson decided he
had the power to make the purchase. At the stroke of a pen, the Louisiana Purchase doubled the size of the nation and
opened the way for continental expansion. Most Americans loved his decision, and Jefferson sent an expedition headed
by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark to explore the newly purchased land.
13) Who won the election of 1800? What do you think was the most important issue during the election?
14) What power did Marbury v. Madison establish for the Supreme Court? What did this mean?
15) Why was the Louisiana Purchase a difficult decision for President Thomas Jefferson?
“Damn You, Britain!”
President Jefferson proclaimed to refuse all entangling alliances just as George Washington recommended. However, the
US could not escape the web of European hostilities when Britain and France went to war against each other in Europe,
and the nations tried to block each other’s trade to hurt them financially. All tension focused on the seas, where Britain,
although commanding the world’s largest navy, suffered a severe shortage of sailors. The British Royal Navy resorted to
stopping American vessels and impressing, or forcibly detaining, American sailors. Perhaps six to eight thousand
Americans were impressed in this way between 1803 and 1812. Americans saw impressment as a direct assault on the
independence of their new republic.
In June 1807, the forty-gun frigate USS Chesapeake left Norfolk, Virginia, headed to protect American ships. About 10
miles from shore, it met the fifty-gun British ship Leopard. When the Chesapeake refused to be searched, the Leopard
fired its cannons on the American ship, killing three Americans and wounding eight. Americans were outraged. Had the
US been better prepared militarily, the ensuing howl of public indignation (outrage) might have brought about a
declaration of war. But the still-fledgling country was ill equipped to defend its neutral rights with force; it was certainly
no match for the British navy.
President Jefferson instead closed American waters to British warships to prevent similar incidents and increased military
spending. Jefferson then supported the Embargo Act, which forbade all exports from the US to any nation. Created to
prevent war with Britain, the Embargo Act infuriated merchants because it halted nearly all profits made through trade
with Europe. The economy of the early republic relied heavily on shipping. Since the US was Britain’s best customer, and
the British bought most American exports, the US economy greatly suffered. Most of these merchants were members of
the Federalist Party, and their pressure forced Congress to end the Embargo Act.
16) Why were Americans so angry at Britain? Who hated the Embargo Act? Do you think the Embargo Act was a smart
idea? Why or why not?
The War of 1812: Causes
American anger and opportunity led to
a second war against Britain (The first was the War of
Independence in 1775). In 1812, the British continued to impress American sailors and interfere with American shipping.
Americans were furious and "Free Trade and Sailors' Rights!!!!" was a popular battle cry. Americans from the South and
the West were also enraged with the British. They were angry that the British were supplying weapons and support to
Indian armies such as Tecumseh’s alliance. Many Americans also had their eye on expansion, viewing war as an
opportunity to defeat Tecumseh and other Indian leaders and add more land to the United States. Democratic-Republican
politicians called "War Hawks" were eager to prove America’s manhood in a "second war of independence" against Britain.
Although many Americans supported war against Britain, New England Federalists who traded with Europe through
shipping were most likely to oppose the war. A group of Federalists met at the Hartford Convention to discuss their
opposition to the war. They wondered if they could try to change the constitution to make it more difficult for Congress to
declare war.
17) Identify the four major reasons to declare war against Britain in the War of 1812:
18) If you were alive in 1812 would you have supported the war or would you have joined the Hartford Convention? Why?
The War of 1812: Battles
In 1812, President James Madison supported Congress’ decision to declare war on Britain. The United States was totally
unprepared for war. The army consisted of fewer than 7,000 soldiers, few trained officers, and a navy with just 6
warships. Britain, in contrast, had nearly 400 warships. The war began when the US army invaded British controlled
Canada. The attack on Canada was a disaster. In Detroit, 2,000 American troops surrendered to a much smaller British
and Tecumseh alliance force. A US-led attack near Buffalo resulted in 900 American prisoners of war. Another US army
retreated back across the border. Only a series of unexpected victories at the end of the year raised American spirits. In
1813, America won a major naval victory at the Battle of Lake Erie. General William Henry Harrison led his soldiers to
defeat the British and recapture Detroit. They overtook the retreating
British army and the Tecumseh alliance at the Thames River, killing
Tecumseh and ending his alliance. The Americans then burned the
Canadian capital of York (present-day Toronto) to the ground.
But the War of 1812 was not over yet. The British landed 4,000
soldiers on the Virginia coast and marched on Washington, D.C.
President Madison narrowly escaped capture by British forces. In
retaliation for the Americans destroying York, the British humiliated
the nation by capturing Washington, D.C. and burning down the
White House. Britain's army moved north and British warships had
to pass through Fort McHenry to reach Baltimore. British warships
fired on Fort McHenry for 25 straight hours. During the night, an
imprisoned American stared out the window of his jail cell and
watched the bright lights of the bombs explode over the fort. He
awoke the next morning and saw the US flag was still standing.
Francis Scott Key wrote the song that would later become the US
national anthem, “The Star Spangled Banner.” The Americans
defeated the British in Baltimore, with only 4 soldiers killed and 24
wounded.
The country still faced grave threats in the South. Creek Indians joined the British to avenge Tecumseh’s death. Andrew
Jackson assembled a ragtag army, including French pirates, Choctaw Indians, and freed slaves to defeat the Creek nation
at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend. The British fleet and a 10,000-man army attacked New Orleans. Although British forces
outnumbered Americans by more than 2 to 1, American artillery and snipers defeated the British in the Battle of New
Orleans. Strangely, this battle was actually fought after the war ended, but since the peace treaty was created in Europe, it
took weeks for the news to reach the United States.
The War of 1812: Treaty of Ghent
American and British negotiators signed the Treaty of Ghent (in Belgium) ending the War of 1812. Britain, convinced that
the American war was so difficult and costly that nothing would be gained from further fighting, agreed to return to the
conditions that existed before the war. Left unresolved in the peace treaty were issues over which Americans had fought
the war—impressment and British interference in American trade. As wars in Europe came to an end, however, the
British had little interest in impressing US sailors. The war had several important consequences for the US. The War of
1812 destroyed the Tecumseh’s Alliance and paved the way for the US military to take more Indian lands. Second, the war
affirmed the independence of the US. Third, the Federalist Party ended after the Hartford Convention because they
seemed unpatriotic to many Americans for opposing the war. Lastly, since the Democratic Republicans had no
opposition, they called this era after the war the “Era of Good Feelings.”
19) Which famous American Indian leader did the US military defeat in the War?
20) What were the battles where Andrew Jackson defeated the Creeks and later the British in Louisiana?
21) What did the Treaty of Ghent fail to resolve?
22) Imagine that you are President Madison on Christmas Eve, 1814. Before you can join your wife and the children in
singing Christmas carols and roasting chestnuts on an open fire, you must finish the heartbreaking ritual of writing a letter
of condolence to the family of a soldier who died. Over 2,000 Americans have died in the war, and you have written one to
each soldier’s family. Create a name for the soldier. In your letter you must explain each of the following:
___ Explain if you believe the war was necessary (see ‘causes’)
___ Explain which battle this soldier died in (choose any battle) and explain details of his death (see ‘battles’)
___ Explain if the soldier died for a good reason or if the soldier died in vain (for no good reason)? (see ‘Treaty of Ghent’)
Sincerely,
Pr. James Madison