Early Nation Quiz

The fight between the Federalists and Anti-Federalists was essentially the fight over whether the Articles of Confederation would remain the core of the American government (the will of the Anti-Federalists) or if the Articles would be scrapped for a new arrangement that involved a much stronger federal government (the will of the Federalists).

The dispute over the two plans would end in compromise. The bicameral legislature laid out in the United States Constitution is a mix of each style of representation: The House of Representatives has representatives in number proportional to each state’s population, and the Senate has two representatives for each state regardless of population.

Although its creation was largely a nod to the American Anti-Federalist movement, the Bill of Rights would go on to become one of the most important aspects of the United States Constitution. By clearly defining the essential rights of citizens rather than simply spelling out the powers of government, the United States government was established with the freedoms of its people at the forefront.

The United States is a republic where citizens elect representatives to make governmental decisions on their behalf.

The Articles of Confederation created a government where states held the majority of the power to govern themselves. The federal government existed primarily as a means to unify the states for military purposes should the need arise. In contrast, the Constitution gave the federal government significantly more power to do things like tax, regulate trade, and settle disputes between states.

The first presidential election was held in January of 1789. George Washington was reluctant to get involved, but Alexander Hamilton and others helped convinced him to run. In 1789 only Pennsylvania and Maryland held elections in order to choose their presidential electors. State legislatures chose the electors in all of the other states. Washington received all 69 of the electoral votes, and John Adams was elected as Vice President.

Washington was impressed with Alexander Hamilton’s business exploits as well as his sound understanding of economics. Without Hamilton’s leadership, America would have had a difficult time navigating the financial hardships associated with starting a new nation.

Washington, D.C. remains America’s capital to this day thanks to this deal struck by Hamilton. By using land from Virginia and Maryland to build the new capital, the Southern states felt they had a true stake in the new nation despite paying for war debts that were mainly accumulated by the Northern states.

Nearly all of the money raised by the early American government was through taxes on goods imported from Europe. Hamilton’s hope was that the tariffs would help America raise money in the short term while motivating Americans to develop their own industry for long term growth.

Hamilton stated that, "The tendency of a national bank is to increase public and private credit. The former gives power to the state for the protection of its rights and interests, and the latter facilitates and extends the operations of commerce amongst individuals."

Pennsylvania farmers had the right to protest the whiskey tax that they felt unfairly targeted them and their largely barter-based economy. However, when farmers refused to pay the tax, they were in violation of the law. When it became clear that the taxes were not being paid and the protests were turning violent, Washington sent in the army to successfully end the rebellion. Washington’s response to the 1794 rebellion was one of the first major tests for the young republic.

Despite the fact that France provided America with military and financial support during the Revolutionary War, Washington issued a formal Proclamation of Neutrality in regards to the French Revolution. America was facing its own challenges with Native Americans and a struggling economy, so Washington did not want to get the nation involved in European affairs.

While he was under no obligation to do so, Washington refused to seek a third term (despite many who urged him to maintain his post). This established the tradition of a maximum of two terms for a president. The only president to serve more than two terms was Franklin D. Roosevelt. Washington's farewell address warned against political parties and foreign entanglements.

The divide between the Federalists and Democratic-Republicans was an extension of the fight that had happened over the Articles of Confederation and Constitution years earlier. The divide would lead to a presidential election in 1796 where the American people would face a choice between candidates of rival parties with vastly different visions for the new nation.

Adams won the presidency with 71 electoral votes. According to the Constitution, the second-place vote-getter in the Electoral College was awarded the vice presidency. Following these rules, Thomas Jefferson became vice president, resulting in an executive branch made up of both parties.

In 1797, France sent three agents to meet with an American delegation to demand a bribe. In exchange for a cash payment and a hefty loan, the French would stop capturing American trade ships bound for Britain. The United States refused the bribe request and launched into a “quasi-war” with France that lasted until 1800.

The Alien Acts were a direct response to the growing tensions with France prior to the turn of the 19th century. American citizens were worried about how immigrants who were not legal citizens would act if war were to break out with France or another European nation.

The Sedition Act made it illegal to speak against the United States government either aloud or in print. The Bill of Rights guaranteed the right to these freedoms, therefore the law was deemed unconstitutional. Some states used their constitutional right to quickly nullify the law prior to its eventual repeal.

This Act increased the residence period necessary for immigrants to become naturalized citizens in the United States from 5 to 14 years. It was promoted as a way to protect national security, but was more likely an effort to decrease the number of voters who disagreed with the Federalist political party.

These laws were clear attempts to make the federal government and the Federalist Party stronger by eliminating the voices of their adversaries and overstepping their constitutional limits of power. The laws proved so unpopular that many point to their passage as the beginning of the end for the Federalist Party.