Nat Turner Revolt: Political And Social Movement
wID Terms for Final 1. Nat Turner Revolt (1831): Slave revolt in the South led by a Virginian slave, Nat Tuner. Tuner said he was guided by God to free his people. The insurrection lasted 48 hours and 60 whites were killed. South’s bloodiest slave insurrection. Significance: fear among white southerners, increased severity of the slave codes, collapse any movement of emancipation in the South
2. Anti-slavery argument (1830s-1860s): America is God’s Promised Land, except for slavery which is sin and must go. Not only must slaves be free, but they must be incorporated into American society.
3. Abolitionists (1830-1863): Political and social movement that called for the emancipation of all slaves. This movement emerged after the …show more content…
failure of the American Colonization Society of 1816. William Llyod Garrison being the most famous and radical abolitionist called for immediate emancipation through his Boston newspaper, the Liberator. He attacked the slave owner as a robber of souls, a non-Christian. Uncle Tom’s Cabin (1852) became the most famous abolitionist literature.
4. William L. Garrison (1831) on slavery: “I will be as harsh as truth, and as uncompromising as justice. On this subject, I do not wish to think, or speak, or write, with moderation . . . I am in earnest—I will not equivocate—I will not excuse—I will not retreat a single inch—AND I WILL BE HEARD.”
5. Wendell Phillips (1811-1884): An abolitionist from Boston. “The Patrician as Agitator” – Hofstadter. A lawyer of Massachusetts. He joined the Anti-Slavery Society and preached against slavery. His social philosophy was for immediate emancipation and for African Americans to be fully incorporated into American culture. His own family tried to place him in an insane asylum for joining the anti-slavery movement.
6. Pro-slavery argument (1830-1863): a good society is an aristocratic one and slavery as it exists in the South is a desirable and necessary foundation for a good society.
7. John C. Calhoun (1837): “Slavery is, instead of an evil, a good—a positive good.”
8. John C. Calhoun (1782-1850): Politician from South Carolina that deeply favored slavery, he referred to slavery as a “positive good” that belong to a “good society”. “The Marx of the Master Class”- Hofstadter.
9. Manifest Destiny (1840s): Phrase coined at the height of American expansion in the 1840s to explain and justify expansion. According to Americans expansion was obvious and bound to happen. The reasons for expansion were: (1) sense of mission (part of God’s plan and land for all), (2) lebensraum (land for all), (3) Geographical predestination (destined by nature and geography to expand all N. America and parts of S. America, John Quincy Adams: “A Natural Law). Less Notable motives for expansion: (1) Commercial exploitation and (2) Land speculation.
10. Mexican War (1846-1848): “Mr. Polk’s War”. Direct result of manifest destiny and American expansion under Polk’s presidency. War broke out between the two countries over an undisputed territory area in Texas. The War ended in 1848 with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. As a result the U.S. acquires Texas, N.M., and California. Later the acquisition of Texas becomes controversial because of the issue over slavery.
11. Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (1848): Ends the American-Mexican War. The treaty caused the U.S. to acquired Texas, N.M., and California. The US agrees to pay $15 Million to Mexico, and agreed to assure all claims of U.S. citizens against Mexico. “Victory for Manifest Destiny and the Democratic Party”. The Whigs opposed expansion and the Mexican War. Northern Abolitionists (minority group) opposed the War. The Majority of Americans approved of the War and expansion. Slavery became the primary issue of the new acquired territories.
12. Popular sovereignty (1850s): Political solution proposed by Stephen A. Douglas in respect to slavery in the new territories. Under Popular Sovereignty the people of the territory would vote and decide if to allowed slavery. A democratic form of position on slavery. It assumed slavery to be a local issue. This proposition failed because it failed to grasp that slavery was a national issue. Lead to violent and political conflicts between pro-slavery and anti-slavery groups.
13. Compromise of 1850: Compromise between the South and North over slavery. Under the Compromise, California entered as a free state (North’s agenda), outlaw the slave trade (North’s agenda), the rest of the territories acquired from Mexico would be open up for slavery based on popular sovereignty from each territory (South’s agenda), and a stronger fugitive slave law (South’s agenda).
14. Fugitive Slave Act of 1850: Authorized federal commissioners, following a hearing, to issue warrants to arrest fugitive slaves and certificate for returning slaves. The act always favored the slave owner. Under the Act, bystanders would be obligated to aid in apprehending a fugitive slave or else be fine and placed in jail. Made everyone either a slave catcher or a criminal. Northerners were outraged by this. Southerners were later furious because Northerners were not enforcing the Act. This caused sectional tensions to rise between the North and South. This Act and the Compromise of 1850 represent how the US government in the decade of the 1850s tried to do its best to keep the waters calm over the issue of slavery. The price of the Union in the 1850s was of compromise.
15. Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854): Act proposed by Douglas. Under the Act the Nebraska territory was divided into two parts, Kansas and Nebraska. Popular sovereignty would determine would determine the slave status of the state, and the act repealed the Missouri Compromise of 1820. The Act was controversial because it made slavery the central political issue of the day. It additionally turned Kansas into a battleground, “Bleeding Kansas”. Both the abolitionist and the pro-slavery group physically fought to promote their cause. This event foreshadowed the Civil War. The most important significance that came out of this Act was that it proved that popular sovereignty would not work and it led to the creation of the Republican Party. The Republican Party became a sectional party that opposed slavery, and adopted the “Republican” context from Jefferson’s party. In result the Kansas-Nebraska Act poisoned politics.
16. “Freeport Doctrine” (1858): Stephen Douglas once again proposed popular sovereignty in this doctrine in direct result of the ruling of the Dred Scott Case. Once again he stated that it was up to the people of the state to determine the slave status of their territory. Did not support the ruling that slavery could not be ban in the territories. Important Note: Both Douglas and Lincoln were competing for the Illinois Senate seat throughout the 1850s. Douglas won the majority of the time.
17. Dred Scott v. Sanford (1857): Supreme Court case over slavery. In the case, Dred Scott, a slave, filed a suit for his freedom after his master brought him from a slave state to a free state and then back to a slave state. He claimed that under the Missouri Compromise of 1820 he was made a free man when he stepped into the Free State. Under the case, the Supreme Court declared the following: (1) all blacks whether slave or free, were not citizens. (2) Dred Scott was still a slave under Missouri Law, and (3) made the Missouri Compromise of 1820 unconstitutional, indicating that it violated the 5th Amendment. This case is significant because it made slavery the supreme law of the land and it established that no law could ban slavery from the territories. Northerners lost respect of the Supreme Court after this ruling and this case also caused the Democratic (once known as the National Party) to break apart into sectional sections.
18. John Brown’s raid at Harpers Ferry (Sunday 16, 1959): John Brown, a northern abolitionist, raids the federal arsenal in Harpers Ferry, Virginia. The event becomes symbolic for both the South and North. In the North, Brown is seen as a martyr for human liberty. In the South, Brown and this incident were treated as a Northern attack on their way of life. South came to believe that their way of life was now in danger. South justify succession through the principle of extreme state sovereignty, NOT right of revolution. War began on April 12, 1861 after the attack on Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor.
19. Emancipation Proclamation (January 1863): The Emancipation Proclamation called for the immediate emancipation of all slaves in those states engaging war against the Union. However, the Emancipation Proclamation did not free any slaves because it called for the emancipation of slaves in the areas that were not in control of the Union (The Confederate States). It did not free the slaves in the states control by the Union. The proclamation was a compromise document to win support of the abolitionist, win support of European nations, avoid alienating border states, it challenge the institution of slavery, and it set the stage for the 13th Amendment.
20. Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address (November 1863): Lincoln gave this speech after the Battle of Gettysburg, the bloodiest battle of the Civil War. In the discourse, Lincoln made it clear that his mission was to preserve the Union. “War was insured that Government of the people by the people…”
21. 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution (1863): Officially outlaws slavery of any form.
22. Black Codes (1866): Law enacted by the South to replace slavery as labor and social control system. In the South the Black Codes were seen as realistic and essential. However, in the North the codes were seen as intolerable and unacceptable, another form of slavery. Under the Black Codes, ex-slaves could not get legally marry, could not sue, were forced into indentured servitude, in the South could not own land, and their social status would remain inferior. The Black Codes are significant because it represents the rise of white supremacy, and makes racism the law of the land. The Black Codes were President Johnson’s worst legacy.
23. 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution (1866): The most important piece of legislation since the Bill of Rights and the most crucial part of the Radical Republican’s Plan. The Amendment did the following: (1) defines citizenship, gave citizenship to African Americans and it repealed the Dred Scott Case of 1857, it additionally protected citizens from violations by the STATE government (Remember: the 5th Amendment protects all citizens from violations by the FEDERAL government). (2) Establishes Due Process of Law and equal protection of the law. The South blocks the ratification of the 14th Amendment various times, but then is accepted and ratified by all the states.
24. 15th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution (1869-1870): States can’t deny vote to any citizen because of race, color, or previous condition of servitude”. Voting Rights to all citizens.
25. Radical Reconstruction (1866 to 1877): Period of Congressional reconstruction after the resignation of Johnson. The Radical Reconstruction gave the most hope to the freedman; it established the Jeffersonian principle of equality, natural rights, and a responsible government in the South. Some of the major achievements of the Radical Reconstruction were the Freedman’s Bureau of 1866 (First social welfare system that protected ex-slaves and poor whites with housing, schools, and hospitals), 14th Amendment (1866), Reconstruction Act of 1867 (Required Ex-Confederate States to ratify the 14th Amendment, placed the South under Marshall Law and divided the South in five military districts, and it ordered new state constitutions guaranteeing black suffrage and freedom), and the 15th Amendment.
ID Terms from Exam I 1. John Winthrop (1630s): Leader of the Puritans of the New England colonies in Massachusetts during the 1630s; founder of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Winthrop and the Puritans did not leave England because of religious persecution, but instead they came to America because they believed God had predestined them to establish a utopian Christian society for the rest of the world to follow, a “city upon a hill”. Winthrop believed that they couldn’t reform the church in England; they had to do it somewhere else. He emphasized the Protestant Work Ethic of hard work in the colonies. He believed that social discipline and the abstinence of one’s own selfish needs was necessary for the common welfare of the community. Puritans viewed themselves as God’s chosen people.
2. "For we must consider that we shall be as a city upon a hill, the eyes of all people are upon us.": John Winthrop’s quote regarding the Massachusetts Bay Colony of the 1630s. Significance: The quote gives root to the American way of political and social philosophy that America is ought to be an example and a model to the rest of the world. It is America’s destiny to become great and become a beacon of light to the rest of the dark world.
3. Great Awakening (1739-1745): The first NATIONAL cultural event for the American colonies. The first great shared experience that involved almost all of the American colonies. Crucial change in American religion. Evangelical Revivalism exploded in the colonies (emotions became more important than reason). The Great Awakening was a series of religious revivals led by impassioned members. It was not an intellectual experience, but an emotional experience. The Great Awakening was a religious revival that stressed the emotional experience of conversion. Some of the consequences of the Great Awakening were: (1) Gave Calvinist theology a new lease on life, (2) rejuvenated American Protestantism (religion once again became the most important issue in colonial life), (3) encouraged greater strictness in behavior, (4) split the Protestant church (New Lights and Old Lights) and weaken religious institutions, (5) gave birth to American intellectualism, (6) made religion accessible to all, (7) promoted democracy (people challenge the church, but also the state), (8) and it was the first national shared experience in the colonies.
4. George Whitefield (1739-1745): was the greatest preacher of Evangelical Revivalism during the Great Awakening. He had a strong reputation, almost biblical. He perfected the art of filed preaching; which allowed him to preach to more people, and it allowed him to preach outside the control of the church. His sermons were designed to appeal to the emotions of the listener, rather than reason. His sermons were also designed to convert people through fear and to bring them to the point of mass hysteria. He emphasized this “New Birth” through conversion.
5. "All you that never passed under a great change of heart . . . all you that were never born again . . . are in the hands of an angry God.": Quote from Jonathan Edwards (1741). Preaching during the Great Awakening on Protestant Revivalism. The quote emphasizes conversion through fear and emotion. 6. Spirit of localism in Colonial America: The conviction that local concern and local interest and local loyalties are more important significant and command higher loyalty than national concerns, interests, and goals. Localism was an important cultural characteristic of colonial America. Factors contributing to Localism: (1) Colonies were began for different times and purposes, (2) English did not do much to encourage colonies to cooperate among each other (American colonies interpreted localism as freedom) , (3) the geography of North America (stereotypes created), (4) colonists came from many different places and from many different backgrounds, (5) religious differences.
7. 1763: Significant year because the idea of Nationalism emerges. Prior to 1763, there was no will to be American. However, after 1763 the majority mentality of colonists changes and they come to see themselves as unique and demand independence from the Crown. Originally, England passes various Acts to collect money after their Seven Year War with France. Examples: Proclamation of 1763, Sugar Act of 1764, and Stamp Act of 1765.
8. Stamp Act 1765: Required that stamps had to be put in all documents, newspapers, etc. Originally passed by England to fund their war debt from the Seven Year War against France. Colonists saw this Act as “Taxation without representation”. Colonist protested which lead to an increase in nationalism. Mob action and commercial boycotts were taken by the colonies in opposition to the Act.
9. Stamp Act Congress 1765: Direct respond to the Stamp Act by the colonists. Nine representatives from nine colonies came together in New York to commercially boycott imported products from England that were being tax. As a result of this commercial boycott, Parliament reverse the Stamp Act. This lead to the political agreement between colonies that “No Taxation without Representation”
10. Sam Adams: Came to the spotlight after coining the “Boston Massacre” of 1770. He circulated the story around the colonies and agitated colonists against England. Sam Adams and Jock Hancock used this incident to provoke colonists against the Crown. Helped established the Committees of Correspondence (a network of sedition) to spread ideas of revolution among the colonies.
11. Committees of correspondence (1773): Formed by radicals/patriots such as Sam Adams and John Hancock to agitate colonists against England. Spread the story of the Boston Massacre among the colonies. Committee of Correspondence was instrumental in setting up the First Continental Congress, which met in Philadelphia, PA. Also, a vast communication network formed in Massachusetts and other colonies to communicate grievances and provide colonists with evidence of British oppression.
12. Boston Tea Party (1773): Vandalize action by the Sons of Liberty in response to the Tea Act of 1773. The Sons of Liberty dressed as Indians boarded three East India Company ships and dumped tea into the Boston Harbor. This event symbolized that patriots were becoming more barbarian and Parliament came to believe that Massachusetts was the center of colonial revolution. In response the English government responds by issuing the Coercive Acts (Intolerable Acts) of 1774 as punishment for the incident.
13. First Continental Congress (September, 1774): Moderate and Radicals came together to address the issues of the Intolerable Acts of 1774. Radicals were demanding revolution and independence, but the moderates opposed it and ordered the colonies to maintain loyalty to the Crown. The Congress did NOT declare independence from England, but it accused England of “No taxation without Representation” and to repealed the Intolerable Acts of 1774. The Congress created the Continental Association to put economic pressure on England through boycotts and vigilante activities. The Continental Association forced colonist to choose to be patriots or loyalists. The First Continental Congress made colonies come together to create a path towards revolution, but NOT declare independence. The Second Continental Congress passes in July 2, 1176 a resolution for independence.
14. Common Sense (January 1776): Most successful piece of propaganda justifying revolution and independence. Written by Thomas Paine. It argued the following: Fighting had changed political tradition, it was America’s destiny to pursue independence with God and Nature as its allies, America is unique and shouldn’t be subject to England, America was destined for a special purpose in the world (City on top of a hill), and therefore independence is necessary.
15. Declaration of Independence (July 4, 1776): The Declaration of Independence is important because it provides a theory of revolution and philosophical justification for rebellion. The document is divided into two parts. The first part explaining the theory of revolution and the second part giving justification to rebellion. The second part acts as a form of propaganda by listing complaints of how England was not protecting the colonies and gave reason for independence. The Declaration of Independence did not only declare independence, but it also justifies the reasons for independence. The document is significant because it gave a voice to American Nationalism – justifies the creation of a new nation.
16. Articles of Confederation (1776-1787): America’s first government. Unsuccessful because it gives too much power to the states and almost no power to the federal government. It had to executive branch, no judicial branch, and a weak legislative branch. Under the Articles the states had extreme sovereignty. The Articles are evidence that localism was still the prevailing mentality of the time. The only successful piece of legislation accomplished by the Articles was the Northwest Ordinance of 1787. The ordinance establishes western policy for the US by creating schools, religious toleration, provided for eventual statehood, and MOST important it outlawed slavery in those territories.
17. Shays's Rebellion (1786-1787): Farmer revolt in Massachusetts. Farmers were outraged and revolted because they couldn’t pay their debts and their farms were being foreclosed. This event sent waves of fear throughout the country. Revealed that the government under the Articles was weak and it needed to be replaced. This event brought George Washington back into the picture lead to the Constitutional Convention of 1787. 18. "We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union . . . do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America." Preamble to the Constitution (1787). The Preamble includes the following: form a more perfect Union, establish justice, ensure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty.
19. Constitution of the United States (1787): The Constitution originally was described as a bundle of compromises. The Constitution was written by James Madison. The Constitution creates Separation of Powers (The Great Compromise) - Legislative, Executive, and Judicial Branch. The goal of the 3 branches was to protect the central government from too much democracy and still satisfy local and national interests. The Founding fathers believe that too much democracy was dangerous and it could lead to mobocracy. The Constitution was a form of federal government - a unique combination of central and state government. According to Professor Curry the Constitution is a not a blue print for government, but a sketch.
20. Federalist Number 10 (1787): Written by James Madison. In it Madison argues that a large diverse country is good. It would be hard for a tyranny to exist when there are so many diverse factions. Madison fell under the Federalist political party, who favored a strong central government.
21. Bill of Rights (1791): The first ten amendments of the Constitution that guarantee individuals certain rights against excess power of the central government. The Bill of Rights was issued to quiet the fears of the localists. They are significant because it gives people confidence in the new government under the Constitution.
ID Terms from Exam II 1. Hamiltonian Federalism (1789-1801): First Political party created by Alexander Hamilton. Opposite to the Jeffersonian Republicans. Characteristics: Favored a strong central government, always had a political and economic agenda, did not trust democracy of the masses, government ruled by educated elite, security more important than liberty. Presidents under Federalism were George Washington and John Adams. Hamiltonian Federalism interpreted the Constitution under a broad definition. According to Hamilton the government should interpret the Constitution based on finding what government CAN’T do as compare to Jeffersonian that look in it for what government CAN do. The Constitution grants three kinds of power: Granted, resultant, and implied. The Implied power is the most controversial and is the one that the Federalist summons the most, especially when creating the First Bank of the U.S. (proper and necessary). The Hamiltonian Federalists create the following economic program: Fund national debt at par value, assume all state debts, and create a national bank. This political party is significance because it builds a strong federal government and brings back economic confidence to the people. “Ends justify means?” – NO, according to Hamilton. Hamiltonians were elitists and feared democracy. Hamilton was realistic, emphasized security over liberty, built a strong central government and a effective political party.
2. Whiskey Rebellion (1794): Angry farmers in Pennsylvania revolted because of federal government placing taxes on certain goods to raise revenue. One of the new taxes is a tax on whiskey. This is event is significant because it provides Hamilton with the opportunity to show that the government under the new Constitution and that Federalism are working. He wanted to show that government could withstand discontent among the people and that the government could coerce its people of needed. Under Hamilton’s advice, George Washington sends troops to stop the rebellion.
3. Alien and Sedition Acts (1798): Act passed by Federalist to regulate immigrants. The Alien Act gave authority to the federal government to deport aliens during peacetime. And the Alien Enemies Act gave authority to the federal government to deport aliens during war time. Additionally the Act outlawed any false, scandalous, or malicious criticism of the President or Congress. The act was passed under John Adams presidency. These acts are significant because during the 1778 the Federalist were losing political power to the Jeffersonian Republicans. They passed these acts to suppress the Republican Party. Jefferson saw these acts as a Federal Reign of Terror and tried to oppose it through the Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions.
4. Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions (1798): Legislations passed by Jefferson and Madison emphasizing state rights. The resolutions were drafted to oppose the Federalist Alien and Sedition Acts. In the Virginia Resolution, Madison argued that the Constitution was a compact among states and that the federal government had an obligation to carry out this compact. The Resolutions demanded that only the states had the power to determine if a law was unconstitutional. Additionally the Resolution also declared the Alien and Sedation Acts to be unconstitutional. Both resolutions failed to gain enough support from the other states to pass. The resolutions are significant because the Constitution had not made it clear who was sovereign, if the Federal or State government. 5. XYZ Affair (1797): The US and France were having diplomatic problems after the French Revolution. Tensions between the two countries escalated after 3 US delegates were offended and insulted by French officials. France was demanding a bribe, land, and an apology from America. Back home, Americans were outraged. Some even were pushing for war. This event is significant because it caused Jeffersonian Republicans to loose public support overnight. They lost public support because Jefferson was a friend of the French. President’s Adams must important legacy was his opposition to engaging war against the French. 6.
Jeffersonian Republicanism (1801-1809): The Dominant and rival political party after the decline of Hamilton Federalism. They believed in a limited government, accountability of public officials, dispersal of power, and LIBERTY and EDUCATION for the individual (both more important than security). Their political philosophy was one of nature and nurture. The party feared the urban class, they believed cities were corrupted. They praise the yeoman independent farmer and independent citizen. In fact, Jefferson believed that a “good society” was an agrarian society. Moderate nationalism, narrow localism, but a strict constructionist. Jefferson and his Republican party believe that government only had GRANTED (enumerated) powers, NOT implied powers. They imposed a lassie-faire type of government, “Government is best by which governs the least”. Central Political Statement of the Jeffersonian: “The ENDS of government, NOT the means”. Jefferson idealized the independent family farmer as God’s chosen people. Agriculture was the righteous way of life according to Jefferson. The party believed in a populist form of government, where the majority of the people are involved, not just the elite class. They believed that in order to achieve a true democratic state, the people needed to be EDUCATED, “To be free, you must be educated” – T.J. (Disclaimer: Not all, only white man that own land). They passed the Judiciary Act of 1801 to get rid of Federalists in the Judiciary Branch. According to Hofstadter, Jefferson was more a PRACTICAL man, than an ideal who was influenced by the environment. He was raised in an agricultural environment and developed a fear of the urban class and the cities and also feared of slavery. He believed that farmers were moral incorruptible. Jefferson looked at the Constitution for what government COULD do, as opposed to Hamiltonian Federalism who looked at the Constitution to see what government couldn’t do. However, towards the end of his
political career and life, Jefferson came to see the Constitution as a flexible and living document (his political philosophy changed over time). IMPORTANT: Jefferson wanted to be remember for 3 things: (1) Author of the Declaration of Independence, (2) Stature for the religious freedom and state of Virginia, and (3) Father of the University of Virginia. The overall greatest achievement of Jefferson in the long run was a strong central government.
7. “Those who labor in the earth are the Chosen people of God . . ." Quote by President Thomas Jefferson during his first presidential term of 1801 to 1805. This quote is significant because it symbolized Jefferson’s political philosophy. He believes that an agrarian society was a “good society” and that the independent farmer was God’s chosen people. Jefferson is oblivious to the rise of the Industrial Revolution and tries to push his ideal agrarian society through the Louisiana Purchase.
8. Louisiana Purchase (1803): Jefferson greatest achievement during his first presidential term. Jefferson purchased the land from the French. The purchase doubled the US in size. It provided enough new land for all, an “Empire of Liberty”, strengthened Jeffersonian nationalism, and stimulated American nationalism. It elevated the US to become a new world super power. However, Jefferson was concerned that the Constitution did not back up the purchase. Jefferson had indirectly used an “implied” power to do this purchase, contradicting his own political philosophy. He would let the people decide what to do with the purchase. His motive behind the purchase was to push the US into becoming an agrarian society by supplying land for all to become farmers. The purchase is significant because it helped changed Jefferson political philosophy. He started seeing the Constitution as a flexible document. Furthermore, it increased nationalism and force Federalist to become sectionalist.
9. John Marshall (1801-1835): Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, he was forever a Federalist, a rival of Jefferson, and an elitist. He pushed aggressive nationalism by his mastery of the Supreme Court. But most IMPORTANT, strengthen the federal government power at the stake of the states. He mistrusted the people in their ability to rule themselves.
10. Marbury v. Madison (1803): The Supreme Court declares that only the Supreme Court has the power to determine the constitutionality of an act, NOT the states (It directly opposed the Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions of 1798). Furthermore, the case established the Supreme Court power of Judicial Review (an implied power).
11. McCulloch v. Maryland (1819): Supreme Court Case that grants Congress implied powers.
12. War of 1812 (1812-1815): War between US and England. President Madison urged Congress to declare war after England had violated America’s neutral rights (Background: In 1805, when France and England were at war, the British Navy was attacking American Merchant ships. Jefferson tried to issue the Trade Embargo of 1807 to disrupt both countries; however, the embargo failed and it almost ruined America’s commerce overseas). The war was supported in the South (by War Hawks) and West, but opposed in the North. The North argued that the government shouldn’t start a war they couldn’t win. The war was not a realistic approach to foreign policy. The war ended with the Treaty of Ghent (1815) which basically returned conditions to before the war, Status Quo ante bellum. IMPORTANT: As a result of the War, the US did NOT acquire any new land or any new territory. However, most Americans came to see the War as an American victory because: (1) Began long period of diplomatic cooperation with England, (2) viewed as the Second War for Independence, (3) and the significant victory of the Battle of New Orleans gave rise to Andrew Jackson. 13. Hartford Convention (1814-1815): Federalist came together at this convention to consider succession and interposition after the growing power of Jeffersonian Republicanism. The radical federalists demanded succession, but the moderate federalists recommended several amendments to weaken the Federal government.
14. Battle of New Orleans (January 8, 1815): Major battle between the US and the English in New Orleans. The result of the battle was a major victory to the US; many English troop casualties and little American casualties. US troops (mostly farmers) were led by Andrew Jackson, “Old Hickory”. This battle is significant because it increases American nationalism and most important it propels Andrew Jackson to the spotlight.
15. Monroe Doctrine (1823): Doctrine passed by President Monroe telling the European nations not interfere with the Americas, and in result the US will not interfere with European Nations. However, the European nations ignored the doctrine because they knew that America wasn’t strong enough to enforce such policy. The Doctrine had little effect at the time, but is significant because later on, it becomes the principle of foreign policy in the Western Hemisphere.
16. “But it was the People’s Day, and the People’s President, and the People would rule.” Quote by Margaret Bayard Smith during Andrew Jackson Inaugural Address (1828). Marked the beginning of the Age of Jackson (1928 to 1840), which celebrated the rise of the common man. Jackson gave way to the new Democratic Party (Previously it was the Democratic - Republican Party, but the Republican was drop). Andrew Jackson was notoriously known for a political philosophy of emphasizing emotions over reason; he shot a man in a duel. Jackson came to power in the Presidential Election of 1828: Jackson (The convicted adulterer and killer) vs. John Quincy Adams (The Pimp of Russia). Jackson’s most symbolic event of his administration was the destruction of the 2nd Bank of The US (The Bank War).
17. The Bank War (1829-1837): Period where President Jackson destroyed the 2nd Bank of The US. Jackson opposed the bank’s excessive economic power and set out to destroy it. He believed the Bank was a “Hydra of Corruption”. He further believed that the Bank was becoming a monopoly, only benefiting the elite. Jackson Veto Message to the Bank represents his opposition for the Bank. The philosophy behind this message was “the rising of the middles class, the expectant capitalist”. The destruction of the Bank actually harmed the people that Jackson was trying to protect. The Age of Jackson is seen as the celebration of the common man, individualism (even though people were actually conformist), and democracy. The Whig Party rose to oppose Jackson’s Democratic Party.
18. The American System (1830s and 1840s): Political philosophy of the Whig Party. Designed by Henry Clay and Daniel Webster. The American System had 3 Essential Factors: (1) Protective tariffs, (2) Federally funded internal projects, and a (3) Strong National Bank. The system was intended to make America self-sufficient and create inter-sectional harmony. Under the system, the North would provide manufacturing and the South and West would provide agriculture. Jackson opposed this system because it meant it had to give privileges to special interest groups.
19. Charles River Bridge v. Warren Bridge (1836): In a 5-to-2 decision, the Court held that the state had not entered a contract that prohibited the construction of another bridge on the river at a later date. The Court held that the legislature neither gave exclusive control over the waters of the river nor invaded corporate privilege by interfering with the company's profit-making ability. In balancing the rights of private property against the need for economic development, the Court found that the community interest in creating new channels of travel and trade had priority.
20. Presidential election of 1840 – “Log Cabin and Hard Cider”: Election where the Whig Party and the Democratic Party clashed. Martin Van Buren “Living in the White House like a Palace” (Democratic) vs. Henry Harrison, “Log Cabin and Hard Cider” (Whig). WINNER: Henry Harrison. This election is significant because it was the final emergence of a fully developed American Party. The Whig party learned how to appealed to the common man.
21. Nat Turner revolt (1831): Slave revolt in the South led by a Virginian slave, Nat Tuner. Tuner said he was guided by God to free his people. The insurrection lasted 48 hours and 60 whites were killed. South’s bloodiest slave insurrection. Significance: fear among white southerners, increased severity of the slave codes, collapse any movement of emancipation in the South
22. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave (1845): Frederick Douglas autobiography of how brutal slavery was during the time.
2. Anti-slavery argument (1830s-1860s): America is God’s Promised Land, except for slavery which is sin and must go. Not only must slaves be free, but they must be incorporated into American society.
3. Abolitionists (1830-1863): Political and social movement that called for the emancipation of all slaves. This movement emerged after the …show more content…
failure of the American Colonization Society of 1816. William Llyod Garrison being the most famous and radical abolitionist called for immediate emancipation through his Boston newspaper, the Liberator. He attacked the slave owner as a robber of souls, a non-Christian. Uncle Tom’s Cabin (1852) became the most famous abolitionist literature.
4. William L. Garrison (1831) on slavery: “I will be as harsh as truth, and as uncompromising as justice. On this subject, I do not wish to think, or speak, or write, with moderation . . . I am in earnest—I will not equivocate—I will not excuse—I will not retreat a single inch—AND I WILL BE HEARD.”
5. Wendell Phillips (1811-1884): An abolitionist from Boston. “The Patrician as Agitator” – Hofstadter. A lawyer of Massachusetts. He joined the Anti-Slavery Society and preached against slavery. His social philosophy was for immediate emancipation and for African Americans to be fully incorporated into American culture. His own family tried to place him in an insane asylum for joining the anti-slavery movement.
6. Pro-slavery argument (1830-1863): a good society is an aristocratic one and slavery as it exists in the South is a desirable and necessary foundation for a good society.
7. John C. Calhoun (1837): “Slavery is, instead of an evil, a good—a positive good.”
8. John C. Calhoun (1782-1850): Politician from South Carolina that deeply favored slavery, he referred to slavery as a “positive good” that belong to a “good society”. “The Marx of the Master Class”- Hofstadter.
9. Manifest Destiny (1840s): Phrase coined at the height of American expansion in the 1840s to explain and justify expansion. According to Americans expansion was obvious and bound to happen. The reasons for expansion were: (1) sense of mission (part of God’s plan and land for all), (2) lebensraum (land for all), (3) Geographical predestination (destined by nature and geography to expand all N. America and parts of S. America, John Quincy Adams: “A Natural Law). Less Notable motives for expansion: (1) Commercial exploitation and (2) Land speculation.
10. Mexican War (1846-1848): “Mr. Polk’s War”. Direct result of manifest destiny and American expansion under Polk’s presidency. War broke out between the two countries over an undisputed territory area in Texas. The War ended in 1848 with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. As a result the U.S. acquires Texas, N.M., and California. Later the acquisition of Texas becomes controversial because of the issue over slavery.
11. Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo (1848): Ends the American-Mexican War. The treaty caused the U.S. to acquired Texas, N.M., and California. The US agrees to pay $15 Million to Mexico, and agreed to assure all claims of U.S. citizens against Mexico. “Victory for Manifest Destiny and the Democratic Party”. The Whigs opposed expansion and the Mexican War. Northern Abolitionists (minority group) opposed the War. The Majority of Americans approved of the War and expansion. Slavery became the primary issue of the new acquired territories.
12. Popular sovereignty (1850s): Political solution proposed by Stephen A. Douglas in respect to slavery in the new territories. Under Popular Sovereignty the people of the territory would vote and decide if to allowed slavery. A democratic form of position on slavery. It assumed slavery to be a local issue. This proposition failed because it failed to grasp that slavery was a national issue. Lead to violent and political conflicts between pro-slavery and anti-slavery groups.
13. Compromise of 1850: Compromise between the South and North over slavery. Under the Compromise, California entered as a free state (North’s agenda), outlaw the slave trade (North’s agenda), the rest of the territories acquired from Mexico would be open up for slavery based on popular sovereignty from each territory (South’s agenda), and a stronger fugitive slave law (South’s agenda).
14. Fugitive Slave Act of 1850: Authorized federal commissioners, following a hearing, to issue warrants to arrest fugitive slaves and certificate for returning slaves. The act always favored the slave owner. Under the Act, bystanders would be obligated to aid in apprehending a fugitive slave or else be fine and placed in jail. Made everyone either a slave catcher or a criminal. Northerners were outraged by this. Southerners were later furious because Northerners were not enforcing the Act. This caused sectional tensions to rise between the North and South. This Act and the Compromise of 1850 represent how the US government in the decade of the 1850s tried to do its best to keep the waters calm over the issue of slavery. The price of the Union in the 1850s was of compromise.
15. Kansas-Nebraska Act (1854): Act proposed by Douglas. Under the Act the Nebraska territory was divided into two parts, Kansas and Nebraska. Popular sovereignty would determine would determine the slave status of the state, and the act repealed the Missouri Compromise of 1820. The Act was controversial because it made slavery the central political issue of the day. It additionally turned Kansas into a battleground, “Bleeding Kansas”. Both the abolitionist and the pro-slavery group physically fought to promote their cause. This event foreshadowed the Civil War. The most important significance that came out of this Act was that it proved that popular sovereignty would not work and it led to the creation of the Republican Party. The Republican Party became a sectional party that opposed slavery, and adopted the “Republican” context from Jefferson’s party. In result the Kansas-Nebraska Act poisoned politics.
16. “Freeport Doctrine” (1858): Stephen Douglas once again proposed popular sovereignty in this doctrine in direct result of the ruling of the Dred Scott Case. Once again he stated that it was up to the people of the state to determine the slave status of their territory. Did not support the ruling that slavery could not be ban in the territories. Important Note: Both Douglas and Lincoln were competing for the Illinois Senate seat throughout the 1850s. Douglas won the majority of the time.
17. Dred Scott v. Sanford (1857): Supreme Court case over slavery. In the case, Dred Scott, a slave, filed a suit for his freedom after his master brought him from a slave state to a free state and then back to a slave state. He claimed that under the Missouri Compromise of 1820 he was made a free man when he stepped into the Free State. Under the case, the Supreme Court declared the following: (1) all blacks whether slave or free, were not citizens. (2) Dred Scott was still a slave under Missouri Law, and (3) made the Missouri Compromise of 1820 unconstitutional, indicating that it violated the 5th Amendment. This case is significant because it made slavery the supreme law of the land and it established that no law could ban slavery from the territories. Northerners lost respect of the Supreme Court after this ruling and this case also caused the Democratic (once known as the National Party) to break apart into sectional sections.
18. John Brown’s raid at Harpers Ferry (Sunday 16, 1959): John Brown, a northern abolitionist, raids the federal arsenal in Harpers Ferry, Virginia. The event becomes symbolic for both the South and North. In the North, Brown is seen as a martyr for human liberty. In the South, Brown and this incident were treated as a Northern attack on their way of life. South came to believe that their way of life was now in danger. South justify succession through the principle of extreme state sovereignty, NOT right of revolution. War began on April 12, 1861 after the attack on Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor.
19. Emancipation Proclamation (January 1863): The Emancipation Proclamation called for the immediate emancipation of all slaves in those states engaging war against the Union. However, the Emancipation Proclamation did not free any slaves because it called for the emancipation of slaves in the areas that were not in control of the Union (The Confederate States). It did not free the slaves in the states control by the Union. The proclamation was a compromise document to win support of the abolitionist, win support of European nations, avoid alienating border states, it challenge the institution of slavery, and it set the stage for the 13th Amendment.
20. Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address (November 1863): Lincoln gave this speech after the Battle of Gettysburg, the bloodiest battle of the Civil War. In the discourse, Lincoln made it clear that his mission was to preserve the Union. “War was insured that Government of the people by the people…”
21. 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution (1863): Officially outlaws slavery of any form.
22. Black Codes (1866): Law enacted by the South to replace slavery as labor and social control system. In the South the Black Codes were seen as realistic and essential. However, in the North the codes were seen as intolerable and unacceptable, another form of slavery. Under the Black Codes, ex-slaves could not get legally marry, could not sue, were forced into indentured servitude, in the South could not own land, and their social status would remain inferior. The Black Codes are significant because it represents the rise of white supremacy, and makes racism the law of the land. The Black Codes were President Johnson’s worst legacy.
23. 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution (1866): The most important piece of legislation since the Bill of Rights and the most crucial part of the Radical Republican’s Plan. The Amendment did the following: (1) defines citizenship, gave citizenship to African Americans and it repealed the Dred Scott Case of 1857, it additionally protected citizens from violations by the STATE government (Remember: the 5th Amendment protects all citizens from violations by the FEDERAL government). (2) Establishes Due Process of Law and equal protection of the law. The South blocks the ratification of the 14th Amendment various times, but then is accepted and ratified by all the states.
24. 15th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution (1869-1870): States can’t deny vote to any citizen because of race, color, or previous condition of servitude”. Voting Rights to all citizens.
25. Radical Reconstruction (1866 to 1877): Period of Congressional reconstruction after the resignation of Johnson. The Radical Reconstruction gave the most hope to the freedman; it established the Jeffersonian principle of equality, natural rights, and a responsible government in the South. Some of the major achievements of the Radical Reconstruction were the Freedman’s Bureau of 1866 (First social welfare system that protected ex-slaves and poor whites with housing, schools, and hospitals), 14th Amendment (1866), Reconstruction Act of 1867 (Required Ex-Confederate States to ratify the 14th Amendment, placed the South under Marshall Law and divided the South in five military districts, and it ordered new state constitutions guaranteeing black suffrage and freedom), and the 15th Amendment.
ID Terms from Exam I 1. John Winthrop (1630s): Leader of the Puritans of the New England colonies in Massachusetts during the 1630s; founder of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Winthrop and the Puritans did not leave England because of religious persecution, but instead they came to America because they believed God had predestined them to establish a utopian Christian society for the rest of the world to follow, a “city upon a hill”. Winthrop believed that they couldn’t reform the church in England; they had to do it somewhere else. He emphasized the Protestant Work Ethic of hard work in the colonies. He believed that social discipline and the abstinence of one’s own selfish needs was necessary for the common welfare of the community. Puritans viewed themselves as God’s chosen people.
2. "For we must consider that we shall be as a city upon a hill, the eyes of all people are upon us.": John Winthrop’s quote regarding the Massachusetts Bay Colony of the 1630s. Significance: The quote gives root to the American way of political and social philosophy that America is ought to be an example and a model to the rest of the world. It is America’s destiny to become great and become a beacon of light to the rest of the dark world.
3. Great Awakening (1739-1745): The first NATIONAL cultural event for the American colonies. The first great shared experience that involved almost all of the American colonies. Crucial change in American religion. Evangelical Revivalism exploded in the colonies (emotions became more important than reason). The Great Awakening was a series of religious revivals led by impassioned members. It was not an intellectual experience, but an emotional experience. The Great Awakening was a religious revival that stressed the emotional experience of conversion. Some of the consequences of the Great Awakening were: (1) Gave Calvinist theology a new lease on life, (2) rejuvenated American Protestantism (religion once again became the most important issue in colonial life), (3) encouraged greater strictness in behavior, (4) split the Protestant church (New Lights and Old Lights) and weaken religious institutions, (5) gave birth to American intellectualism, (6) made religion accessible to all, (7) promoted democracy (people challenge the church, but also the state), (8) and it was the first national shared experience in the colonies.
4. George Whitefield (1739-1745): was the greatest preacher of Evangelical Revivalism during the Great Awakening. He had a strong reputation, almost biblical. He perfected the art of filed preaching; which allowed him to preach to more people, and it allowed him to preach outside the control of the church. His sermons were designed to appeal to the emotions of the listener, rather than reason. His sermons were also designed to convert people through fear and to bring them to the point of mass hysteria. He emphasized this “New Birth” through conversion.
5. "All you that never passed under a great change of heart . . . all you that were never born again . . . are in the hands of an angry God.": Quote from Jonathan Edwards (1741). Preaching during the Great Awakening on Protestant Revivalism. The quote emphasizes conversion through fear and emotion. 6. Spirit of localism in Colonial America: The conviction that local concern and local interest and local loyalties are more important significant and command higher loyalty than national concerns, interests, and goals. Localism was an important cultural characteristic of colonial America. Factors contributing to Localism: (1) Colonies were began for different times and purposes, (2) English did not do much to encourage colonies to cooperate among each other (American colonies interpreted localism as freedom) , (3) the geography of North America (stereotypes created), (4) colonists came from many different places and from many different backgrounds, (5) religious differences.
7. 1763: Significant year because the idea of Nationalism emerges. Prior to 1763, there was no will to be American. However, after 1763 the majority mentality of colonists changes and they come to see themselves as unique and demand independence from the Crown. Originally, England passes various Acts to collect money after their Seven Year War with France. Examples: Proclamation of 1763, Sugar Act of 1764, and Stamp Act of 1765.
8. Stamp Act 1765: Required that stamps had to be put in all documents, newspapers, etc. Originally passed by England to fund their war debt from the Seven Year War against France. Colonists saw this Act as “Taxation without representation”. Colonist protested which lead to an increase in nationalism. Mob action and commercial boycotts were taken by the colonies in opposition to the Act.
9. Stamp Act Congress 1765: Direct respond to the Stamp Act by the colonists. Nine representatives from nine colonies came together in New York to commercially boycott imported products from England that were being tax. As a result of this commercial boycott, Parliament reverse the Stamp Act. This lead to the political agreement between colonies that “No Taxation without Representation”
10. Sam Adams: Came to the spotlight after coining the “Boston Massacre” of 1770. He circulated the story around the colonies and agitated colonists against England. Sam Adams and Jock Hancock used this incident to provoke colonists against the Crown. Helped established the Committees of Correspondence (a network of sedition) to spread ideas of revolution among the colonies.
11. Committees of correspondence (1773): Formed by radicals/patriots such as Sam Adams and John Hancock to agitate colonists against England. Spread the story of the Boston Massacre among the colonies. Committee of Correspondence was instrumental in setting up the First Continental Congress, which met in Philadelphia, PA. Also, a vast communication network formed in Massachusetts and other colonies to communicate grievances and provide colonists with evidence of British oppression.
12. Boston Tea Party (1773): Vandalize action by the Sons of Liberty in response to the Tea Act of 1773. The Sons of Liberty dressed as Indians boarded three East India Company ships and dumped tea into the Boston Harbor. This event symbolized that patriots were becoming more barbarian and Parliament came to believe that Massachusetts was the center of colonial revolution. In response the English government responds by issuing the Coercive Acts (Intolerable Acts) of 1774 as punishment for the incident.
13. First Continental Congress (September, 1774): Moderate and Radicals came together to address the issues of the Intolerable Acts of 1774. Radicals were demanding revolution and independence, but the moderates opposed it and ordered the colonies to maintain loyalty to the Crown. The Congress did NOT declare independence from England, but it accused England of “No taxation without Representation” and to repealed the Intolerable Acts of 1774. The Congress created the Continental Association to put economic pressure on England through boycotts and vigilante activities. The Continental Association forced colonist to choose to be patriots or loyalists. The First Continental Congress made colonies come together to create a path towards revolution, but NOT declare independence. The Second Continental Congress passes in July 2, 1176 a resolution for independence.
14. Common Sense (January 1776): Most successful piece of propaganda justifying revolution and independence. Written by Thomas Paine. It argued the following: Fighting had changed political tradition, it was America’s destiny to pursue independence with God and Nature as its allies, America is unique and shouldn’t be subject to England, America was destined for a special purpose in the world (City on top of a hill), and therefore independence is necessary.
15. Declaration of Independence (July 4, 1776): The Declaration of Independence is important because it provides a theory of revolution and philosophical justification for rebellion. The document is divided into two parts. The first part explaining the theory of revolution and the second part giving justification to rebellion. The second part acts as a form of propaganda by listing complaints of how England was not protecting the colonies and gave reason for independence. The Declaration of Independence did not only declare independence, but it also justifies the reasons for independence. The document is significant because it gave a voice to American Nationalism – justifies the creation of a new nation.
16. Articles of Confederation (1776-1787): America’s first government. Unsuccessful because it gives too much power to the states and almost no power to the federal government. It had to executive branch, no judicial branch, and a weak legislative branch. Under the Articles the states had extreme sovereignty. The Articles are evidence that localism was still the prevailing mentality of the time. The only successful piece of legislation accomplished by the Articles was the Northwest Ordinance of 1787. The ordinance establishes western policy for the US by creating schools, religious toleration, provided for eventual statehood, and MOST important it outlawed slavery in those territories.
17. Shays's Rebellion (1786-1787): Farmer revolt in Massachusetts. Farmers were outraged and revolted because they couldn’t pay their debts and their farms were being foreclosed. This event sent waves of fear throughout the country. Revealed that the government under the Articles was weak and it needed to be replaced. This event brought George Washington back into the picture lead to the Constitutional Convention of 1787. 18. "We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union . . . do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America." Preamble to the Constitution (1787). The Preamble includes the following: form a more perfect Union, establish justice, ensure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty.
19. Constitution of the United States (1787): The Constitution originally was described as a bundle of compromises. The Constitution was written by James Madison. The Constitution creates Separation of Powers (The Great Compromise) - Legislative, Executive, and Judicial Branch. The goal of the 3 branches was to protect the central government from too much democracy and still satisfy local and national interests. The Founding fathers believe that too much democracy was dangerous and it could lead to mobocracy. The Constitution was a form of federal government - a unique combination of central and state government. According to Professor Curry the Constitution is a not a blue print for government, but a sketch.
20. Federalist Number 10 (1787): Written by James Madison. In it Madison argues that a large diverse country is good. It would be hard for a tyranny to exist when there are so many diverse factions. Madison fell under the Federalist political party, who favored a strong central government.
21. Bill of Rights (1791): The first ten amendments of the Constitution that guarantee individuals certain rights against excess power of the central government. The Bill of Rights was issued to quiet the fears of the localists. They are significant because it gives people confidence in the new government under the Constitution.
ID Terms from Exam II 1. Hamiltonian Federalism (1789-1801): First Political party created by Alexander Hamilton. Opposite to the Jeffersonian Republicans. Characteristics: Favored a strong central government, always had a political and economic agenda, did not trust democracy of the masses, government ruled by educated elite, security more important than liberty. Presidents under Federalism were George Washington and John Adams. Hamiltonian Federalism interpreted the Constitution under a broad definition. According to Hamilton the government should interpret the Constitution based on finding what government CAN’T do as compare to Jeffersonian that look in it for what government CAN do. The Constitution grants three kinds of power: Granted, resultant, and implied. The Implied power is the most controversial and is the one that the Federalist summons the most, especially when creating the First Bank of the U.S. (proper and necessary). The Hamiltonian Federalists create the following economic program: Fund national debt at par value, assume all state debts, and create a national bank. This political party is significance because it builds a strong federal government and brings back economic confidence to the people. “Ends justify means?” – NO, according to Hamilton. Hamiltonians were elitists and feared democracy. Hamilton was realistic, emphasized security over liberty, built a strong central government and a effective political party.
2. Whiskey Rebellion (1794): Angry farmers in Pennsylvania revolted because of federal government placing taxes on certain goods to raise revenue. One of the new taxes is a tax on whiskey. This is event is significant because it provides Hamilton with the opportunity to show that the government under the new Constitution and that Federalism are working. He wanted to show that government could withstand discontent among the people and that the government could coerce its people of needed. Under Hamilton’s advice, George Washington sends troops to stop the rebellion.
3. Alien and Sedition Acts (1798): Act passed by Federalist to regulate immigrants. The Alien Act gave authority to the federal government to deport aliens during peacetime. And the Alien Enemies Act gave authority to the federal government to deport aliens during war time. Additionally the Act outlawed any false, scandalous, or malicious criticism of the President or Congress. The act was passed under John Adams presidency. These acts are significant because during the 1778 the Federalist were losing political power to the Jeffersonian Republicans. They passed these acts to suppress the Republican Party. Jefferson saw these acts as a Federal Reign of Terror and tried to oppose it through the Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions.
4. Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions (1798): Legislations passed by Jefferson and Madison emphasizing state rights. The resolutions were drafted to oppose the Federalist Alien and Sedition Acts. In the Virginia Resolution, Madison argued that the Constitution was a compact among states and that the federal government had an obligation to carry out this compact. The Resolutions demanded that only the states had the power to determine if a law was unconstitutional. Additionally the Resolution also declared the Alien and Sedation Acts to be unconstitutional. Both resolutions failed to gain enough support from the other states to pass. The resolutions are significant because the Constitution had not made it clear who was sovereign, if the Federal or State government. 5. XYZ Affair (1797): The US and France were having diplomatic problems after the French Revolution. Tensions between the two countries escalated after 3 US delegates were offended and insulted by French officials. France was demanding a bribe, land, and an apology from America. Back home, Americans were outraged. Some even were pushing for war. This event is significant because it caused Jeffersonian Republicans to loose public support overnight. They lost public support because Jefferson was a friend of the French. President’s Adams must important legacy was his opposition to engaging war against the French. 6.
Jeffersonian Republicanism (1801-1809): The Dominant and rival political party after the decline of Hamilton Federalism. They believed in a limited government, accountability of public officials, dispersal of power, and LIBERTY and EDUCATION for the individual (both more important than security). Their political philosophy was one of nature and nurture. The party feared the urban class, they believed cities were corrupted. They praise the yeoman independent farmer and independent citizen. In fact, Jefferson believed that a “good society” was an agrarian society. Moderate nationalism, narrow localism, but a strict constructionist. Jefferson and his Republican party believe that government only had GRANTED (enumerated) powers, NOT implied powers. They imposed a lassie-faire type of government, “Government is best by which governs the least”. Central Political Statement of the Jeffersonian: “The ENDS of government, NOT the means”. Jefferson idealized the independent family farmer as God’s chosen people. Agriculture was the righteous way of life according to Jefferson. The party believed in a populist form of government, where the majority of the people are involved, not just the elite class. They believed that in order to achieve a true democratic state, the people needed to be EDUCATED, “To be free, you must be educated” – T.J. (Disclaimer: Not all, only white man that own land). They passed the Judiciary Act of 1801 to get rid of Federalists in the Judiciary Branch. According to Hofstadter, Jefferson was more a PRACTICAL man, than an ideal who was influenced by the environment. He was raised in an agricultural environment and developed a fear of the urban class and the cities and also feared of slavery. He believed that farmers were moral incorruptible. Jefferson looked at the Constitution for what government COULD do, as opposed to Hamiltonian Federalism who looked at the Constitution to see what government couldn’t do. However, towards the end of his
political career and life, Jefferson came to see the Constitution as a flexible and living document (his political philosophy changed over time). IMPORTANT: Jefferson wanted to be remember for 3 things: (1) Author of the Declaration of Independence, (2) Stature for the religious freedom and state of Virginia, and (3) Father of the University of Virginia. The overall greatest achievement of Jefferson in the long run was a strong central government.
7. “Those who labor in the earth are the Chosen people of God . . ." Quote by President Thomas Jefferson during his first presidential term of 1801 to 1805. This quote is significant because it symbolized Jefferson’s political philosophy. He believes that an agrarian society was a “good society” and that the independent farmer was God’s chosen people. Jefferson is oblivious to the rise of the Industrial Revolution and tries to push his ideal agrarian society through the Louisiana Purchase.
8. Louisiana Purchase (1803): Jefferson greatest achievement during his first presidential term. Jefferson purchased the land from the French. The purchase doubled the US in size. It provided enough new land for all, an “Empire of Liberty”, strengthened Jeffersonian nationalism, and stimulated American nationalism. It elevated the US to become a new world super power. However, Jefferson was concerned that the Constitution did not back up the purchase. Jefferson had indirectly used an “implied” power to do this purchase, contradicting his own political philosophy. He would let the people decide what to do with the purchase. His motive behind the purchase was to push the US into becoming an agrarian society by supplying land for all to become farmers. The purchase is significant because it helped changed Jefferson political philosophy. He started seeing the Constitution as a flexible document. Furthermore, it increased nationalism and force Federalist to become sectionalist.
9. John Marshall (1801-1835): Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, he was forever a Federalist, a rival of Jefferson, and an elitist. He pushed aggressive nationalism by his mastery of the Supreme Court. But most IMPORTANT, strengthen the federal government power at the stake of the states. He mistrusted the people in their ability to rule themselves.
10. Marbury v. Madison (1803): The Supreme Court declares that only the Supreme Court has the power to determine the constitutionality of an act, NOT the states (It directly opposed the Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions of 1798). Furthermore, the case established the Supreme Court power of Judicial Review (an implied power).
11. McCulloch v. Maryland (1819): Supreme Court Case that grants Congress implied powers.
12. War of 1812 (1812-1815): War between US and England. President Madison urged Congress to declare war after England had violated America’s neutral rights (Background: In 1805, when France and England were at war, the British Navy was attacking American Merchant ships. Jefferson tried to issue the Trade Embargo of 1807 to disrupt both countries; however, the embargo failed and it almost ruined America’s commerce overseas). The war was supported in the South (by War Hawks) and West, but opposed in the North. The North argued that the government shouldn’t start a war they couldn’t win. The war was not a realistic approach to foreign policy. The war ended with the Treaty of Ghent (1815) which basically returned conditions to before the war, Status Quo ante bellum. IMPORTANT: As a result of the War, the US did NOT acquire any new land or any new territory. However, most Americans came to see the War as an American victory because: (1) Began long period of diplomatic cooperation with England, (2) viewed as the Second War for Independence, (3) and the significant victory of the Battle of New Orleans gave rise to Andrew Jackson. 13. Hartford Convention (1814-1815): Federalist came together at this convention to consider succession and interposition after the growing power of Jeffersonian Republicanism. The radical federalists demanded succession, but the moderate federalists recommended several amendments to weaken the Federal government.
14. Battle of New Orleans (January 8, 1815): Major battle between the US and the English in New Orleans. The result of the battle was a major victory to the US; many English troop casualties and little American casualties. US troops (mostly farmers) were led by Andrew Jackson, “Old Hickory”. This battle is significant because it increases American nationalism and most important it propels Andrew Jackson to the spotlight.
15. Monroe Doctrine (1823): Doctrine passed by President Monroe telling the European nations not interfere with the Americas, and in result the US will not interfere with European Nations. However, the European nations ignored the doctrine because they knew that America wasn’t strong enough to enforce such policy. The Doctrine had little effect at the time, but is significant because later on, it becomes the principle of foreign policy in the Western Hemisphere.
16. “But it was the People’s Day, and the People’s President, and the People would rule.” Quote by Margaret Bayard Smith during Andrew Jackson Inaugural Address (1828). Marked the beginning of the Age of Jackson (1928 to 1840), which celebrated the rise of the common man. Jackson gave way to the new Democratic Party (Previously it was the Democratic - Republican Party, but the Republican was drop). Andrew Jackson was notoriously known for a political philosophy of emphasizing emotions over reason; he shot a man in a duel. Jackson came to power in the Presidential Election of 1828: Jackson (The convicted adulterer and killer) vs. John Quincy Adams (The Pimp of Russia). Jackson’s most symbolic event of his administration was the destruction of the 2nd Bank of The US (The Bank War).
17. The Bank War (1829-1837): Period where President Jackson destroyed the 2nd Bank of The US. Jackson opposed the bank’s excessive economic power and set out to destroy it. He believed the Bank was a “Hydra of Corruption”. He further believed that the Bank was becoming a monopoly, only benefiting the elite. Jackson Veto Message to the Bank represents his opposition for the Bank. The philosophy behind this message was “the rising of the middles class, the expectant capitalist”. The destruction of the Bank actually harmed the people that Jackson was trying to protect. The Age of Jackson is seen as the celebration of the common man, individualism (even though people were actually conformist), and democracy. The Whig Party rose to oppose Jackson’s Democratic Party.
18. The American System (1830s and 1840s): Political philosophy of the Whig Party. Designed by Henry Clay and Daniel Webster. The American System had 3 Essential Factors: (1) Protective tariffs, (2) Federally funded internal projects, and a (3) Strong National Bank. The system was intended to make America self-sufficient and create inter-sectional harmony. Under the system, the North would provide manufacturing and the South and West would provide agriculture. Jackson opposed this system because it meant it had to give privileges to special interest groups.
19. Charles River Bridge v. Warren Bridge (1836): In a 5-to-2 decision, the Court held that the state had not entered a contract that prohibited the construction of another bridge on the river at a later date. The Court held that the legislature neither gave exclusive control over the waters of the river nor invaded corporate privilege by interfering with the company's profit-making ability. In balancing the rights of private property against the need for economic development, the Court found that the community interest in creating new channels of travel and trade had priority.
20. Presidential election of 1840 – “Log Cabin and Hard Cider”: Election where the Whig Party and the Democratic Party clashed. Martin Van Buren “Living in the White House like a Palace” (Democratic) vs. Henry Harrison, “Log Cabin and Hard Cider” (Whig). WINNER: Henry Harrison. This election is significant because it was the final emergence of a fully developed American Party. The Whig party learned how to appealed to the common man.
21. Nat Turner revolt (1831): Slave revolt in the South led by a Virginian slave, Nat Tuner. Tuner said he was guided by God to free his people. The insurrection lasted 48 hours and 60 whites were killed. South’s bloodiest slave insurrection. Significance: fear among white southerners, increased severity of the slave codes, collapse any movement of emancipation in the South
22. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave (1845): Frederick Douglas autobiography of how brutal slavery was during the time.