Unit 3 Concept Sheet – George Washington & Early
American History
George Washington’s Administration:
As the first president of the United States under the new Constitution, George
Washington tried to unite the new nation. He surrounded himself with some great American
leaders like Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and Alexander Hamilton. Everything George
Washington and his staff did set a precedent for future presidents. Their accomplishments,
customs, and disagreements helped shape our American government system.
George Washington’s Administration - Unwritten Constitution:
1) What is the Unwritten Constitution?
Traditions, customs, or precedents (government rules and ideas that are not stated in the
Constitution but have become important aspects of our government over the years)
2) Explain the following examples of the Unwritten Constitution:
2a) Judicial Review: created in the decision to Marbury v. Madison. Allows the
Supreme Court to review any law, brought to it I the form of a case, to determine if it’s
constitutional. Example of the unwritten constitution and checks and balances.
2b) Lobbying: The ability to speak to a member of the government and to try and
influence to see a problem or idea from your point of view. In other words, an attempt by a nongovernment official to get the government to do what he/she wants. Often times, lobbyists with
MORE money have greater influence over our government. Problem – money corrupts our
political system. Some have suggested reforms on how politicians collect money as an attempt to
limit the power of these “special interest groups.”
2c) Political Parties: People that share similar political ideas that ban together to assist
each other get elected and to run their offices. President is the unofficial head of his own
political party.
2d) Congressional Committees: Specialized groups within Congress that study bills.
Examples: House Ways and Means Committees looks at all bills that deal with spending money,
the Intelligence Committee reviews all information that deals with domestic and foreign
intelligence.
2e) Cabinet: Advisors to the president who are appointed by the president but are
formally approved by the Senate.
2f) President can only serve two terms:
Established by George Washington, all
following presidents continued this tradition and did not get elected for a 3rd term. Teddy
Roosevelt did run for a third term and FDR was elected to 4 terms. They are the only
exceptions.
3) How did President Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR) challenge the Unwritten Constitution?He got
elected to 4 terms as president. After he died, the 22nd Amendment was added, limiting a
president to being elected no more than twice
Unit 3 Concept Sheet, Page 1
George Washington’s Administration - Early Economic Issues:
As Secretary of the Treasury, Alexander Hamilton had the most control over the
economy of the United States during George Washington’s Administration. His financial plan
helped unite the United States and, at the same time, split the government.
1) Hamilton’s financial plan:
a) Create a national bank
a1) Purpose?
- pay off each state’s debt from the American Revolution
- create a national debt (so other nations would have more invested in our
new nation) and a plan to pay it off
- provide loans to American industries (which were mostly in the North)
- provide a sound financial plan for the country
- regulate and stabilize the money supply (money = currency)
a2) How created?
Hamilton convinced Congress to use the implied powers of the elastic
clause to create the National Bank. Hamilton said it was “necessary and
proper.”
a3) The 2nd National Bank was ruled constitutional by Chief Justice John Marshall
in the case of? McCulloch v. Maryland
a4) Today, the United States does not have a National Bank, instead we have the
Federal Reserve System. The Federal Reserve System and the National
Bank are similar in that both:
- both regulate money supply
- sought to provide a sound currency for the nation
a5) What region of the United States supported the creation of the National Bank?
The North
a6) Why? Most of the factories were in the North and they were the ones that
received the loans from the National Bank
b) Create protective tariffs
b1) Define tariffs: A tax on imported goods (not on goods made in the united
States)
b2) purpose?
protect American factories / businesses / industries (By taxing only the
imported goods, the price of the imported goods goes up, while the
price of American goods remains the same as it did before. This
makes American goods look cheaper; therefore, Americans will
buy more American goods, helping American businesses.)
b3) What region of the United States supported the Protective tariffs?
The North
b4) Why? Since the American factories were all located in the North, they
benefited from the protective tariffs)
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c) Who was against Hamilton’s financial plan? Why?
- The South. They were angry that the North received all of the benefits from both
parts of the plan. Also, since the South was exporting its farm goods
(i.e. cotton), the countries that were buying their products were taxing it in
response to our protective tariffs. This hurt Southern sales.
- Thomas Jefferson & James Madison. Both were strict constructionists and did
not believe the national government had the authority to create a national
bank. They thought the national bank was unconstitutional.
George Washington’s Administration –Foreign Policy & other issues:
George Washington set a precedent for all future presidents when he issued the Proclamation
of Neutrality in 1793. Every American president followed this policy of neutrality until the US
was drawn into World War I in 1917. The Senate stated that America must return to a policy
of neutrality after World War I when it rejected the Treaty of Versailles. The Senate believed
that the League of Nations would force the US to get involved in another European conflict.
1) Define foreign policy: the polices and interactions the United States has with other
countries
2) Define neutrality: not showing a preference for any nation over another
3) What is the biggest difference between neutrality and isolationism? Isolationism means that a
nation closes itself off from all other nations (i.e. China before the British arrive).
Isolationism means a nation must even cut off trade with other nations. Neutrality, on the
other hand, allows a nation to trade equally with everyone.
4) Why did George Washington issue his Proclamation of Neutrality in 1793?
- France declared war on England and George Washington did not want to get
dragged into a European war.
- Washington believed that the United States’ number one priority was to protect our
new nation and US interests (i.e. trade). The US wasn’t strong enough and did
not have enough money to fight another war. (The American Revolution had
ended only 10 years before.)
5) Geographically speaking, what allowed the United States to follow a foreign policy of
neutrality? The United States was isolated by both the Atlantic Ocean (which separates the US
from Europe) and the Pacific Ocean (which separates the US from Asia, and the
European colonies over there)
6) What was Jay’s Treaty? This treaty, created by John Jay and Alexander Hamilton and
supported by George Washington, guaranteed that the US would support France in its
war with England. It also increased trade between England and the US.
7) What member of George Washington’s cabinet was so upset over Jay’s Treaty that he
resigned? Thomas Jefferson. As a former ambassador to France, he contended that we should
have helped France since they helped us break away from England during the American
Revolution.
8) George Washington warned all future presidents to “steer clear of permanent alliances” in his
Farewell Address in 1796. What did that mean? That the US should not choose sides in other
countries conflicts and that we shouldn’t support one nation more than any other (i.e. the
US should remain NEUTRAL!!)
Unit 3 Concept Sheet, Page 3
George Washington Administration …
George Washington had asked some of the greatest founding fathers of the US to join his cabinet
and to be his advisors. However, it became apparent very quickly that some of these men had
very different opinions on how much power the National Government had under the
Constitution. The disagreement over political power was most obvious between Alexander
Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson.
1) Alexander Hamilton believed in a loose interpretation (a.k.a. loose construction) of the
Constitution.
a) Define loose interpretation of the Constitution: The Federal Government can
expand its powers beyond what is specifically delegated to it in the Constitution.
b) What allowed Alexander Hamilton and his supporters to strengthen the power of the
Federal Government? The implied powers of the elastic clause. The elastic
clause allowed Congress to create any law that was “necessary and proper.”
c) What did Hamilton and his supporters create using the elastic clause? The National
Bank
2) Thomas Jefferson believed in a strict interpretation (a.k.a. a strict construction) of the
Constitution.
a) Define strict interpretation of the Constitution: The Federal Government only has
the powers specifically delegated to it in the Constitution.
The power of the Federal government is also limited by the system of Federalism
and the Bill of Rights.
3) What else did Thomas Jefferson disagree with Alexander Hamilton about? Why?
- The creation of the protective tariffs.
- Jay’s Treaty because the US didn’t assist France when they needed our help, largely
because the treaty allowed for American factories to trade with some British
colonies. (It also limited the amount of cotton America could sell to English
factories.)
- In almost every situation, Jefferson contended that Hamilton was attempting to help the
North (and its factories) while hurting the South (and its farmers).
4) What did these disagreements between Hamilton and Jefferson lead to? (besides the fact
that Jefferson resigned from Washington’s cabinet)? The creation of the first political parties
(Hamilton’s Federalists – who wanted to strengthen and expand the power of the Federal
Government. Jefferson’s Democratic Republicans – who wanted to maintain limits on
the power of the Federal Government.)
Other George Washington Administration and John Adams Administration Questions:
1) Whiskey Rebellion:
a) What was the Whiskey Rebellion? The new Federal Government placed a tax on
whiskey. Farmers in Pennsylvania rebelled over this tax.
b) Compare what happens as a result of the Whiskey Rebellion compared to Shays
Rebellion: After Shays Rebellion began, the Federal Government was powerless
to do anything since the Articles of Confederation gave very little power to the
National Government. After the Whiskey Rebellion, which occurred under the
new Constitution, the Federal Government used its expanded powers to crush the
rebellion.
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2) Alien & Sedition Acts:
a) Who was president when they were passed? John Adams
b) What did they do? They limit the rights of citizens and foreigners living legally in the
United States. They were meant to limit criticism of the government and to
reduce the likelihood of French radicals causing attacks in the United States
(note: There was a real threat of war between the US and the revolutionary
government of France at this time.)
c) Who criticized the president and his Federalist party for the Alien & Sedition Acts?
Thomas Jefferson and James Madison were very vocal in their criticism of these
laws. They both secretly wrote the Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions, which
claimed that the federal government did not have the power to create these
laws; therefore, the states could rule them unconstitutional. This is one of the
first examples of the fight over “states rights.”
Thomas Jefferson - Louisiana Purchase and the beginning of Manifest Destiny:
Thomas Jefferson’s most important accomplishment when he was president was the purchase
of the Louisiana territory in 1803. Before the Louisiana Purchase, the western border of the
US was the Mississippi River. After the Louisiana Purchase, the United States doubled in
size.
1) The Louisiana Purchase:
a) Thomas Jefferson sent representatives to France to buy the port of New Orleans.
Why?
- American farmers used the Mississippi River to move their agricultural products
- France was taxing the American farmers as they passed through their city of
New Orleans.
b) Why did France offer to sell Jefferson all of the land in the Louisiana Territory
instead of just selling us the port of New Orleans? Napoleon was the
leader of France at this time and he needed the money to pay for his wars in
Europe. (He also realized that after losing his colony of Haiti in 1801, that he
was no longer going to be able to have a large empire in the Americas.)
Napoleon sold the Louisiana Territory to Jefferson for $15 million.
c) What geographic advantages did the US get after the Louisiana Purchase?
- The US gain full control over the Mississippi River
- Farmers from Ohio could now move their agricultural crops down the Ohio
and Mississippi and into the Gulf of Mexico without having to pay a tax.
d) Why was the Louisiana Purchase controversial?
Jefferson believed in a strict construction of the Constitution and there was
nothing in the Constitution that said the federal government could buy land.
Jefferson eventually used a loose interpretation of the Constitution when he
asked Congress to use the elastic clause to purchase the Louisiana Territory.
e) The Louisiana Purchase focused US expansion in what direction? Westward
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2) Manifest Destiny:
a) Define Manifest Destiny: The belief that the United States should expand westward
to contain all the land on the continent from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific
Ocean
b) How did the United States come to include all of the land that we now know as the 50
states?
1803 – Louisiana Purchase
1818 & 1819 –
18 c) In what manner did the United States come to possess these areas of land?
Buying them (Louisiana, Florida, Gadsen)
War (i.e. the Mexican Cession was a result of the Mexican War)
Treaty (Oregon)
Annexation (Texas)
Monroe Doctrine:
In 1823, President James Monroe endorsed a bold, new foreign policy. Largely based
upon the traditional foreign policy of neutrality that was started by President George Washington
and continued by later presidents like Thomas Jefferson, the Monroe Doctrine expanded the
United States’ influence over its southern neighbors, many of whom had just gained their own
independence from European powers.
1) Key components of the Monroe Doctrine:
- The US will stay out of European affairs (remain neutral in European struggles)
- European must not interfere in the affairs of any Latin American country
- If any European country does attempt to become involved in the internal workings of
any country in the Western Hemisphere, the US will consider it an act of war
upon itself.
Important terminology:
a) neutrality: don’t favor any nation over another (especially in regard to Europe)
b) Latin America: all nations south of the United States (or Rio Grande River)
c) Western Hemisphere: all of the nations contained within North & South America,
which also includes the Caribbean
2) Why did the United States issue the Monroe Doctrine?
- clearly restates that the US will avoid involvement in European political struggles
- attempt to limit European influence in the Western Hemisphere, especially in their
former colonies
- attempt by the United States to gain greater influence over the newly independent
countries of Latin America, while looking like their protector
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3) How did geography play a large factor in the success of the Monroe Doctrine?
The Americas were thousands of miles from the European powers, while Latin America
was the United States’ southern neighbors. Proximity by the US and distance for the US played
a huge factor, especially considering the technology of the time period.
4) What president expanded upon the Monroe Doctrine during his presidency?
Teddy Roosevelt did with his Roosevelt Corollary in 1904. He believed the United States
should take an even more active role in the economic & political stability of the Latin American
countries. He endorsed using American power as part of his “Big Stick Policy” to attain US
goals and to protect US business interests.
John Marshall Court:
As the longest serving Chief Justice on the United States Supreme Court (1801 – 1835),
John Marshall was famous for expanding the power of the federal government, at the
expense of the power of the states.
Three of the most famous Supreme Court cases when John Marshall was Chief Justice:
1) Marbury v. Madison (1803):
- established the power of judicial review (The power of judicial review expanded the
power of the judicial branch by allowing the Supreme Court to determine the
constitutionality of a law that was brought to it in the form of a case)
2) McCulluch v. Maryland (1819):
Marshall states that the supremacy clause provides greater power to the National
Government than the states under the system of Federalism.
Marshall also declares that the Federal Government can expand its power by utilizing the
elastic clause. In other words, Marshall declared that Congress’ use of the
implied power of the elastic clause to create the National Bank was constitutional.
3) Gibbons v. Ogden (1824):
Again, Marshall uses the supremacy clause to state that the power of the National
Government supersedes the authority of the state governments. Specifically, the Federal
Government has the power to regulate interstate commerce.
(Note: commerce means trade.)
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