The Newly Formed United States (1787-1824)

Front 1

The ___________ was adopted by Congress on July 4, 1776. This statement was written by Thomas Jefferson, and summarized principles of human freedom and popular government.

Back 1

Declaration of Independence. The Declaration of Independence was written by Thomas Jefferson and stated the common political ideas of the American people.

Front 2

In March 1776, Washington finally forced the British to leave Boston by placing __________ taken from Fort Ticonderoga on a hill outside the city.

Back 2

Cannons. Using oxen and sleds, the colonial army had dragged cannons from Fort Ticonderoga to Boston over the winter. Washington used these cannons to force the British to leave Boston.

Front 3

After forcing the British to leave Boston, Washington experienced a string of defeats. His army was demoralized and falling apart, but a major victory at _________ on Christmas night, 1776, saved his army.

Back 3

Trenton, NJ. Washington launched a surprise attack on the Hessians (Germans fighting for the British) at Trenton, New Jersey while they were still drunk on Christmas night.

Front 4

The _______ joined the colonist in the war against England, sending arms and money, and later troops, to America.

Back 4

French. France openly joined the colonists after the Battle of Saratoga, having decided that the colonists might be able to win the war after all. They did this to get back at their old enemy, England not because they valued freedom. The Spanish and the Dutch also joined the war a few months after the French.

Front 5

The British strategy was to end the war by 1777 by dividing the colonies into two. This effort was led by General ________, until he was defeated at Saratoga and surrendered his entire army.

Back 5

Burgoyne. General Burgoyne led an army down from Canada, retaking Fort Ticonderoga, and heading towards New York City. At Saratoga, he was defeated by Benedict Arnold and General Gates. This was a major victory, because it convinced the French to openly support the American effort.

Front 6

While British General Burgoyne was defeated at Saratoga, General Howe captured the American capital, _________, forcing Congress to move to another city, and resulting in Washington spending the winter at Valley Forge.

Back 6

Philadelphia. General Howe captured Philadelphia and spent the winter there forcing Congress to set up in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

Front 7

After General Howe captured Philadelphia, he was relieved by General Clinton, whose new strategy involved capturing the ____________.

Back 7

South. General Clinton decided to focus on capturing the South, which rumors said contained many people loyal to Britain, known as Loyalists.

Front 8

South. General Clinton decided to focus on capturing the South, which rumors said contained many people loyal to Britain, known as Loyalists.

Back 8

Nathaniel Greene. Washington appointed Nathaniel Greene to command the colonial forces in the South. Greene was victorious in crushing British opposition in South Carolina. Cornwallis then abandoned the South and led his forces into Virginia.

Front 9

After Nathaniel Greene retook South Carolina from the British, Cornwallis moved up into Virginia, where he took up a defensive position at __________, Virginia.

Back 9

Yorktown. Cornwallis, following Clinton's orders, stayed in Yorktown. He ended up surrendering when Washington, with the aid of French fleet and army, surrounded his forces in Yorktown.

Front 10

The Revolutionary War ended after defeating Cornwallis at Yorktown through this treaty. _____________

Back 10

Treaty of Paris of 1783. The Treaty of Paris of 1783 stated that the major European countries recognized the United States as a nation.

Front 11

The initial government of the United States was outlined in the _________, establishing a weak national government which could not levy taxes, raise troops, or regulate commerce.

Back 11

Articles of Confederation. The Articles of Confederation involved a unicameral Congress, and required unanimous approval of all the states to undergo amendment.

Front 12

The ___________________, established the first government of the United States after the Revolutionary War, and gave the federal government very limited powers--basically just the ability to make war and treaties with other countries.

Back 12

The Articles of Confederation provided for a government with no executive or judiciary branch, only a legislature. It did not give the federal government the power to impose taxes, or regulate trade; its power was limited to making war, alliances, and treaties with other countries. It was replaced by the Constitution in 1790.

Front 13

Under the Articles of Confederation, the national government was unable to collect taxes, and the country fell into financial trouble. The ________ was a plan by some to use the army to force the states to give up more power.

Back 13

Newburgh Conspiracy. The Newburgh Conspiracy was a movement by some who wanted a strong national government to use the army to force the states to relinquish some power. It was stopped by Washington, who appealed to his men.

Front 14

An attempt at amending the Articles of Confederations so that the government could levy taxes was blocked by ________.

Back 14

Rhode Island. Rhode Island alone turned down the amendment. Under the Articles of Confederation unanimous approval was required to make an amendment.

Front 15

The __________ of 1785 was how Congress controlled the splitting up of land in the Northwest. It provided for the distribution of land in units called townships.

Back 15

Land Ordinance. The Land Ordinance of 1785 was also how Congress hoped to make some money; they ended up selling huge areas of land for mere pennies per acre to land companies.

Front 16

The __________ of 1787 provided government for the Northwest, stated the requirements for becoming a recognized state, and included a bill of rights. Also, it prohibited slavery north of the Ohio River.

Back 16

Northwest Ordinance. The Northwest Ordinance of 1787 followed the Land Ordinance of 1785 in defining how the Northwest would be settled and governed.

Front 17

The ___________ Negotiations in 1785 was an effort by John Jay to come up with a treaty with Spanish minister Gardoqui that would help the US break out of its economic depression by offering profitable commercial privileges.

Back 17

Jay-Gardoqui. The Jay-Gardoqui Negotiations were turned down by Congress since it showed little concern for the West and South by closing the Mississippi River to the transportation of goods.

Front 18

In 1787, the same year the Constitutional Convention met in Philadelphia, the _________________ was passed to provide government for the territory northwest of the Ohio River.

Back 18

Northwest Ordinance. The Northwest Ordinance was passed in 1787 by the Continental Congress, while the Constitutional Convention was in session in Philadelphia.

Front 19

Thomas Jefferson's definition of human rights in the Declaration of Independence was borrowed from ____________.

Back 19

John Locke. Jefferson took this definition from John Locke--a European philosopher of freedom and natural rights.

Front 20

___________ has been called the "Father of the Constitution."

Back 20

James Madison. James Madison came up with the "Virginia Plan," which called for an executive branch and two houses of Congress based on population. Madison asked Edmund Randolph, governor of Virginia to present his plan.

Front 21

The __________ plan called for a congress with one house, with equal representation from all states.

Back 21

New Jersey. The New Jersey Plan had the small states in mind, demanding equal representation from each state.

Front 22

The _________ compromise was finally agreed upon when forming the Constitution, and provided for two houses of Congress, one with two Senators for each state, and the House of Representatives based on state population.

Back 22

Great. This was known as the Great Compromise, and combined Madison's Virginia Plan with the New Jersey Plan.

Front 23

The ___________ compromise resulted in slaves being counted as three-fifths of a person for calculating Congressional representation and taxing for each state.

Back 23

Three-fifths. This was known as the Three-Fifths Compromise.

Front 24

The ______________ Compromise resulted in slaves being counted as three-fifths of a person for representation and taxation.

Back 24

Three-fifths. The Three-Fifths Compromise was made during the writing of the Constitution.

Front 25

The power of Congress to impeach the President is an example of ____________.

Back 25

Checks and balances. This power is an example of checks and balances. Other examples are the President's veto power, and the Supreme Court's power of judicial review.

Front 26

The new Constitution required _________ states to ratify it to replace the Articles of Amendment.

Back 26

Nine. It required nine states to ratify it.

Front 27

The new Constitution required nine states to ratify it, but two states which refused to ratify resulted in delays in the Constitution taking effect. These two states were New York and _______________.

Back 27

Virginia. New York and Virginia, two of the largest states in the Union, refused to ratify the Constitution. Finally, they were persuaded largely by the promise to ratify a Bill of Rights which would guarantee the rights of citizens.

Front 28

Even after Virginia and New York decided to ratify the Constitution, two states refused to ratify. These states were North Carolina and ___________.

Back 28

Rhode Island. North Carolina and Rhode Island refused to ratify, Rhode Island going as far as to ignore the entire ratification attempt. They eventually gave into pressure after Congress threatened to treat them as foreigners.

Front 29

In 1787, representatives met in Philadelphia to discuss the plans for a Constitution to replace the Articles of Confederation. This meeting was known as the ___________.

Back 29

Constitutional Convention. This was known as the Constitutional Convention.

Front 30

Those who supported the ratification of the Constitution called themselves _______.

Back 30

Federalists. They called themselves Federalists.

Front 31

Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay wrote a series of newspaper articles known as the ___________ in an effort to convince people to support the Constitution.

Back 31

Federalist Papers. They wrote the Federalist Papers, which explained the Constitution and how it prevented abuse of power.

Front 32

Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton had two very opposing ideologies. ______________ believed in government by the wealthy and powerful.

Back 32

Alexander Hamilton. Alexander Hamilton believed in tying the wealthy and powerful to the government; he supported the growth of manufacturing, tariffs, and establishing a national bank. On the other hand, Thomas Jefferson was basically southern and rural, and was on the side of the small farmer.

Front 33

In March 1789, ___________ became our first president.

Back 33

George Washington. George Washington became president by an almost unanimous vote by the presidential electors. John Adams received the next highest number of votes, and became the vice president. The 12th amendment changed the process so that we vote for the president and vice president separately.

Front 34

Which side of Congress has the power to impeach the president?

Back 34

House of Representatives. The House of Representatives has the power to impeach.

Front 35

Which side of Congress must bills concerning money originate in? ___________

Back 35

House of Representatives. Bills concerning money must originate in the house of Representatives.

Front 36

An elected term for a representative in the House of Representatives is _________ years.

Back 36

Two. A representative is elected in 2 year terms.

Front 37

Which side of Congress serves as the court and jury in the impeachment process? ___________

Back 37

Senate. The Senate acts as the court and jury, the House has the power to bring impeachment charges.

Front 38

An elected term for a Senator is ____ years.

Back 38

Six. The elected term is 6 years, and there is no limit to the number of times a senator can be re-elected. In the House of Representatives, a term is 2 years, and they also do not have a limit on the number of terms served.

Front 39

The ___________ of the US is the presiding officer for the Senate.

Back 39

Vice President. The vice president is the presiding officer for the senate, although it is normally the president pro tempore who presides. The vice president may vote to break a tie in the senate.

Front 40

Originally, there was no limit on the number of terms the President could serve, but the limit was set to two terms by the ____________ Amendment.

Back 40

22nd. The 22nd Amendment limits the president to two terms in office.

Front 41

The construction of America's court system was done through the ____________ of 1789.

Back 41

Judiciary Act. The Judiciary Act of 1789 accomplished the construction of the court system.

Front 42

Amendments to the Constitution require the approval of __________ of the state legislatures to be ratified.

Back 42

Three-fourths. Three-fourths of the state-legislatures must ratify an Amendment for it to take effect.

Front 43

The first ten amendments to the Constitution are known as the _____________.

Back 43

Bill of Rights. The first ten amendments are called the Bill of Rights. There are currently 26 amendments.

Front 44

The _________ Amendment abolished slavery.

Back 44

13th. The 13th Amendment abolished slavery in the United States.

Front 45

The _________ Amendment reserved all power not granted to the federal government for the state government.

Back 45

Tenth. The 10th Amendment stated that all power not specifically granted to the government belonged to the states. The first nine amendment had to do with personal freedoms.

Front 46

The ______ Amendment prohibits the states from interfering with citizen's rights guaranteed by the Bill of Rights.

Back 46

Fourteenth. The 14th Amendment defines citizenship in a way that includes Blacks. It then goes on to say that no state can make a law that interferes with any citizen's equal protection under the law. The 14th Amendment was designed to keep the states from trying to take away rights guaranteed to all citizens, especially blacks.

Front 47

The _______________ was significant because George Washington's response showed the power of the new government formed under the Constitution.

Back 47

Whiskey. The Whiskey Rebellion was an incident where farmers in western Pennsylvania refused to pay a tax on liquor. When U.S. marshals tried to enforce the law, they were chased away by armed farmers. George Washington ended up leading an army to end the rebellion, showing that the new government had the power to enforce its laws.

Front 48

The first three departments of the executive branch which Congress established were the state, treasury, and __________ departments.

Back 48

War. The Department of War was one of the first three departments of the executive branch.

Front 49

In his Report on the ____________, Alexander Hamilton proposed the establishment of a national bank

Back 49

Public Credit. Alexander Hamilton wrote "Report on the Public Credit" in which he proposed a national bank. The Republicans opposed this idea, believing the constitution did not grant the power to establish one.

Front 50

In Alexander Hamilton's Report on __________, he came up with a program for federal stimulation of industrial development.

Back 50

Manufactures. In his Report on Manufactures, Hamilton proposed subsidies and tax incentives to help industrial growth.

Front 51

Thomas Jefferson opposed Alexander Hamilton's plan for a national bank because he believed in a _________ interpretation of the Constitution.

Back 51

Strict. Thomas Jefferson believed in a strict interpretation of the Constitution, as opposed to the "implied powers" stance which Alexander Hamilton favored. He also felt that a national bank would treat the poor farmers unfairly and it would favor the northeastern manufacturing industry.

Front 52

The first two political parties were Federalists and ____________.

Back 52

Republicans. The two political parties were the Federalists and the Republicans. The Federalists favored a strong central government with extensive powers, while the Republicans believed in a strict interpretation of the Constitution.

Front 53

Out of the original two political parties, most of the big businesses supported the ___________ party.

Back 53

Federalist. They supported the Federalist party, with its programs for helping industrial growth and other business-oriented ideas. This meant the Federalists had their strongest support from the Northeast and the South.

Front 54

In 1792, France, which had just declared itself a republic, went to war with a coalition of European monarchies led by England. Washington responded with a Proclamation of ____________.

Back 54

Neutrality. Washington's Proclamation of Neutrality was his attempt at keeping the US out of the European War. Unfortunately, the British and French stated seizing American ships which entered the European waters for trade.

Front 55

In 1794, _______ was sent to negotiate with the British, who were seizing American crews and forcing them to work for the British navy.

Back 55

John Jay. John Jay was sent to negotiate, but the Treaty he came back with did not solve many of the problems he had been sent to resolve.

Front 56

After John Jay's Treaty with Britain in 1794, the US ratified the __________ Treaty with Spain, granting Americans the right to use the Mississippi River.

Back 56

Pinckney. The Pinckney Treaty, negotiated by Thomas Pinckney, did three things--it allowed Americans to transport goods along the Mississippi and deposit cargo in New Orleans, and it established the 31st parallel as being Florida's northern boundary.

Front 57

The Battle of ____________ resulted in the Treaty of Greenville and cleared the Indians from the Ohio Territory.

Back 57

Fallen Timbers. The Battle of Fallen Timbers, won by General Wayne, was the victory which led to the Treaty of Greenville.

Front 58

The ____________ in 1794 was where farmers refused to pay a tax on whiskey, and intimidated tax collectors. Washington responded with an army of 15,000 men.

Back 58

Whiskey Rebellion. The Whiskey Rebellion showed that some people did not take the new government seriously. That's why Washington responded with such a large force, giving the government some credibility.

Front 59

The saying "millions for defense, but not one cent for tribute" became popular in response to the _________ affair.

Back 59

XYZ. This saying was trumpeted by the press after the XYZ affair--Delegates went to France in 1798 to convince them to stop harassing American ships, but the french foreign minister refused to meet the Americans. Instead, they had to speak with three unnamed officials who wanted a bribe. These three unnamed officials became X, Y, and Z.

Front 60

After the XYZ Affair, America and France were close to war. President John Adams sent one more delegation in 1799; __________ was now in power, and signed a treaty.

Back 60

Napoleon. Napoleon was now in power, and being bent on European conquest, he did not want to make an enemy of the US. He agreed on a treaty which restored commercial relations and stopped French harassment of American ships.

Front 61

The ___________ Act allowed the president to deport foreign immigrants he considered suspect, and made it more difficult to become an American citizen.

Back 61

Alien. This was known as the Alien Act.

Front 62

Jefferson referred to his election into the presidential office of the ____________ of 1800.

Back 62

Revolution. He called it the Revolution of 1800. After seeing some of the laws passed by the Federalists under John Adams, he came to see his victory as a victory for the future of the American republic.

Front 63

Washington DC was designed by ___________.

Back 63

Pierre L'Enfant. Pierre L'Enfant was the man who designed Washington DC. John Adams was the first to occupy this new city near the end of his term.

Front 64

By refusing to rule on Marbury vs ___________, Supreme Court Justice John Marshall established the court's power of judicial review.

Back 64

Madison. Marbury vs Madison was an important case, because the Supreme Court established its power of judicial review over the other two branches.

Front 65

The _________ Act made it a crime to criticize the President or Congress.

Back 65

Sedition. The Sedition Act was passed by the Federalists, aimed at keeping the Republicans quiet.

Front 66

Napoleon sold the land between the Mississippi and the Rocky Mountains to the US for $15 million, in what is known as the _________ purchase.

Back 66

Louisiana. The Louisiana Purchase effectively doubled the size of the United States.

Front 67

The ______________ opposed ratification of the Constitution and had the support of many small farmers and small landowners.

Back 67

The Anti-Federalists opposed ratification of the Constitution. Many small farmers and small landowners were Anti-Federalists, and later ended up supporting the Republican Party established by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison.

Front 68

Jefferson sent the ________ group, consisting of 48 men, to explore the Louisiana Purchase.

Back 68

Lewis and Clark. The Lewis and Clark group was sent out to explore the land west of the Mississippi before the US even made the Louisiana purchase.

Front 69

In addition to the Lewis and Clark expedition, ____________ was sent to explore the Louisiana Purchase. Pike's peak was named after this group.

Back 69

Zebulon Pike. Zebulon Pike, a lieutenant, led a group to find the source of the Mississippi River. He was also sent to explore the Southwest portion of the newly purchased Louisiana Territory.

Front 70

In 1804, Alexander Hamilton was killed in a duel with ____________.

Back 70

Aaron Burr. Hamilton was killed in a duel with Aaron Burr. Dueling was illegal in the north, so at that point, Burr was wanted for murder.

Front 71

__________ became involved in a plot to start a new nation in the West; he was betrayed, arrested, and tried for treason.

Back 71

Aaron Burr. After killing Alexander Hamilton in a duel, Aaron Burr came up with a scheme to establish a new nation in the West. He was arrested and tried for treason, but was acquitted by John Marshall, who narrowed the legal definition of treason.

Front 72

The _________ War was an undeclared war that lasted from 1801 to 1805, in which American ships were sent to stop the North Africans from harassing American merchant ships.

Back 72

Barbary. The Barbary War resulted in nothing clearly being settled.

Front 73

The two major countries immigrants came from in the early 1800s were Ireland and ___________.

Back 73

Germany. In the early 1800s, Ireland and Germany were the biggest sources of immigrants.

Front 74

British ships were boarding American ships and forcing sailors into the British Navy. When the HMS Leopard stopped the USS __________, off the coast of Virginia, Americans wanted war.

Back 74

Chesapeake. The HMS Leopard fired on the USS Chesapeake, and then boarded it and took four sailor and hung them, calling them British deserters. It did this right off the coast of Virginia.

Front 75

Jefferson's response to the Chesapeake-Leopard Affair was the ___________, a total cut off of American trade.

Back 75

Embargo of 1807. The Embargo of 1807 was Jefferson's response to the Chesapeake--Leopard Affair, in which the HMS Leopard boarded the USS Chesapeake. This embargo was repealed two years later, after it had caused an economic depression.

Front 76

An Indian Chief named __________ succeeded in uniting the northwestern tribes until General William Harrison defeated his brother, the Prophet, at Tippecanoe.

Back 76

Tecumseh. He was Tecumseh, a Shawnee Indian Chief.

Front 77

The __________ were a group of young politicians, eager for war, in the Congress of 1811. They resulted in President Madison asking for a declaration of war in 1812.

Back 77

War Hawks. The War Hawks were led by Henry Clay and John Calhoun.