history

• George Washington


  1st President (1789-1792);no party affiliation; notable events include the Whiskey rebellion, Jay's Treaty; warned against foreign entanglements.

  
• Judiciary Act of 1789


  A law passed by the first Congress to establish the federal court system.

  
• Alexander Hamilton


  First Secretary of the Treasury. He advocated the creation of a national bank, assumption of state debts by the federal government, and a tariff system to pay off the national debt.

  
• Cabinet


  A group of advisers to the president.

  
• Bank of the United States


  Proposed by Alexander Hamilton. A powerful institution, in which the government was a major stockholder. This would be a way to collect the various taxes collected.

  
• Democratic-Republicans


  An early political party headed by Thomas Jefferson; stood for less centralized government

  
• two-party system


  An electoral system with two dominant parties that compete in national elections.

  
• protective tariff


  A tax on imported goods that raises the price of imports so people will buy domestic goods

  
• excise tax


  Consumer tax on a specific kind of merchandise, such as tobacco or whiskey.

  
• neutrality


  A position of not taking sides in a conflict

  
• Thomas Pinckney


  Negotiated a treaty with Spain over Spanish lands east of the Mississippi River, including the Mississippi River and the Port of New Orleans

  
• Little Turtle


  Native American leader who led Native American confederacy against Americans in the Battle of Fallen Timbers

  
• John Jay


  Negotiated a treaty with Britain over territory

  
• John Adams


  Federalist- 2nd President of the United States; notable events include the XYZ Affair, the passing of the Alien and Sedition Acts, and his appointment of John Marshall (Federalist) as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and numerous federalist "midnight judges"

  
• XYZ Affair


  A 1797 incident in which French officials demanded a bribe from U.S. diplomats

  
• Sectionalism


  Practice of placing the interests of one region over those of the nation as a whole.

  
• Alien and Sedition Acts


  meant to keep government unquestioned by critics, particularly of the Federalists;

  1798 laws that allowed the government to imprison or deport aliens, and to prosecute its critics

  
• nullification


  A state's refusal to recognize an act of Congress that it considers unconstitutional

  
• Aaron Burr


  Democratic-Republican and running mate of Thomas Jefferson in the 1800 election.

  
• Whiskey Rebellion


  1794 protest against the government's tax on whiskey by back country farmers

  
• Judiciary Act of 1801


  passed by Federalist congress; created 16 new federal judgeships and other judicial positions
• John Marshall


  Chief Justice of the Supreme Court appointed by John Adams

  
• Midnight judges


  Federal justices appointed by John Adams during the last days of his presidency

  
• Marbury v Madison


  This case establishes the Supreme Court's power of Judicial Review

  
• judicial review


  the power of the courts to declare laws unconstitutional

  
• Louisiana Purchase


  1803

  Purchased by President Jefferson from France

  Doubled the size of the US

  
• Lewis and Clark


  Leaders of an expedition to explore the Louisiana Purchase

  
• Sacajewea


  Native American woman who served as a guide and interpreter for the Lewis and Clark expedition

  
• blockade


  Great Britain sealed up Ports using this, and the French suffered.
• Impressment


  Angered Americans because the British seized Americans at sea and made them serve in the British navy.
• embargo


  an official ban on trade or other commercial activity with a particular country.
• William Henry Harrison


  Persuaded Native Americans to sign away 3 million acres of tribal land to the U.S. government.
• Tecumseh


  Shawnee leader who organized a major Indian confederation against U.S. expansion
• Star Spangled Banner


  national anthem written by Francis Scott Key during the war of 1812
• War Hawks


  Republicans during Madison's presidency who pressed for war with Britain
• Treaty of Ghent


  (1814) a treaty signed by the United States and Britain ending the War of 1812
• Andrew Jackson


  Known as a war hero after the Battle of New Orleans.
• Treaty of Ghent


  treaty that ended the war of 1812

  
• Armistice


  An agreement to stop fighting

  
• Eli Whitney


  invented the cotton gin