America: A Narrative History Chapter 6

Hard-pressed farmers in New Hampshire surrounded the legislative building, demanding that the representatives print paper money to ease their plight

Storming of the Massachusetts federal arsenal in 1787 by 1,200 armed farmers seeking debt relief from the state legislature through issuance of paper currency and lower taxes.

State that three rural counties in the west revolted in 1786

Group of armed angry farmers who banded together to force judges and sheriffs to stop seizing the cattle and farms of those who could not pay their taxes

Refused to participate in the Confederation Congress convention to revise the Articles of Confederation

Served as presiding officer at the Federal Convention

Drafted the framework for the initial discussions at the Constitutional Convention

Called for a national government with a supreme legislative, executive, and judiciary

Submitted the New Jersey Plan

Sought to keep the existing structure of equal representation of the states in a unicameral national legislature

Strict division of the powers of government among three separate branches (executive, legislative, and judicial) which, in turn, check and balance each other

Used elements of both the New Jersey plan and the Virginia Plan

Concept of dividing governmental authority between the national government and the states

The first form of government for the United States, ratified by the original thirteen states in 1781; weak in central authority, it was replaced by the U.S. Constitution in 1789

Land policy for new western territories in the Ohio valley that established the terms and conditions for self-government and statehood while also banning slavery from the region

Opponents to the Constitution as an infringement of individual and states' rights, whose criticism led to the addition of a Bill of Rights to the document; Many later joined Thomas Jefferson's Democratic-Republican party

Collection of eighty-five essays, published widely in newspapers in 1787 and 1788, written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay in support of adopting the proposed U.S. Constitution

Political party founded by Thomas Jefferson in opposition to the Federalist Party led by Alexander Hamilton and John Adams; also known as the Democratic-Republican Party

First ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution, adopted in 1791 to guarantee individual rights and to help secure ratification of the Constitution by the states

National bank responsible for holding and transferring federal government funds, making business loans, and issuing a national currency

Revolutionary movement beginning in 1789 that overthrew the monarchy and transformed France into an unstable republic before Napoleon Bonaparte assumed power in 1799

Agreement between Britain and the United States, negotiated by Chief Justice John Jay, that settled disputes over trade, prewar debts owed to British merchants, British-occupied forts in American territory and the seizure of American ships and cargo

Violent protest by western Pennsylvania farmers against federal excise tax on corn whiskey, put down by a federal army

French foreign minister Tallyrand's three anonymous agents demanded payments to stop French plundering of American ships in 1797; refusal to pay the bribe led to two years of sea war with France (1798-1800)

Four measures passed during the undeclared war with France that limited the freedoms of speech and press and restricted the liberty of non-citizens

Presidential elections between Thomas Jefferson and John Adams; resulted in the first Democratic-Republican victory after the Federalist administrations of George Washington and John Adams

National governments exercise tight controls over economic life

Enabled American manufacturers to charge higher prices for their products sold in the United States; penalized consumers, particularly those in southern states that were dependent upon imported goods

Taxes on particular products, such as carriages, sugar, and salt

Would increase the nation's money supply by issuing currency in amounts greater than their actual reserve-gold and silver coins and government bonds-in their vaults

By Alexander Hamilton; Distributed in 1791, set in place the capstone of design for modern capitalist economy; the active governmental promotion of new manufacturing and industrial enterprises (mills, mines, and factories)

Most radical of the French revolutionaries; executed the king and queen as well as hundreds of aristocrats and priests; promoted democracy, religious toleration, and human rights; supported social, racial, and sexual equality

1793-1794; thousands of "counterrevolutionary" political prisoners and priests were executed along with many revolutionary leaders

French ambassador to the United States

Included three branches of government (legislative, judicial, executive); bicameral legislature

Kept structure of equal representation in a unicameral legislature

Represents voters at large; the elected every two years

Chief diplomat; Commander in Chief of armed forces; responsible for implementing laws

Divided into Congress and the House of Representatives

Supreme Court headed by Chief Justice; interprets laws and ensures citizens receive equal justice

Represents state legislatures; elected every six years; protects the minority

Led troops into the Battle of Fallen Timbers after the British transferred Ohio country to the US without consulting the Indians living there

Signed in August 1795; the United States bought most of the territory that would form the state of Ohio and the cities of Detroit and Chicago

Thomas Pinckney convinced the Spanish to accept a southern boundary in west Florida and allow Americans to ship goods down the Mississippi River to New Orleans

Congress doubled the price of federal land to $2 per acre

Criticized the rising spirit of political partisanship and the emergence of political parties; advised America to avoid permanent alliances with European countries

Lengthened the residency requirement for citizenship from five years to fourteen

Empowered the president to deport dangerous aliens

Authorized the president to expel or imprison enemy aliens during wartime

Outlawed writing, publishing, or speaking anything of a false, scandalous, or malicious nature against the government or its officers

Denounced the Alien and Sedition Acts as infractions of Constitutional Rights

Intended to ensure Federalist control of the Judiciary system by creating sixteen federal circuit courts, with a new judge for each, and reducing the number of Supreme Court Justices

Argued that the size and diversity of the United States would make it impossible for any single faction to dominate the federal government

Written by Adam Smith; Declaration of independence from Great Britain's mercantilist system