New Nation Test Study Guide

By Meredith Comerford and Cynthia Zhou

Vocabulary

• 1. What are bonds, who got bonds, and how did bond holders use them when the government was in debt?

Vocabulary

• 2. What group was selected by the state legislature to represent the popular vote, though the electors could vote for different candidates if they felt the public had chosen poorly?

Vocabulary

• 3. Define a precedent.

Life in the 1790’s

• 4. Who could get an education in the 1790’s and what types of jobs could they get with their education?

Life in the 1790’s

• 5. How would people in the 1790’s get information? How long did it take in general?

Geography of the 1790’s

• 6. What two countries bordered the US?

Geography of the 1790’s

• 7. Which country controlled present-day Florida and the land west of the Mississippi?

Important People

• 8. What was the personal background of Hamilton and what party was he in?

Important People

• 9. Who did George Washington appoint as cabinet members and why did he choose them?

Important People

• 10. Who thought of the Constitution strictly and why?

Money Issues

• 11. Who should the US pay back first? The citizens or the foreign countries? Why?

Money Issues

• 12. What was the tax on that caused a rebellion in 1794? Who had to pay the most taxes?

Loose vs. Strict

• 13. Define loose and strict construction. How was it interrupted by people?

Loose vs. Strict

• 14. Which do you think is better? Loose or strict construction of the Constitution? Why?

National Bank

• 15. What was the national bank made for?

National Bank

• 16. Who was it criticized by and why?

Foreign Policy

• 17. What is foreign policy? Define two actions of foreign policy.

Foreign Policy

• 18. Which action do you think is the best way for our nation to act towards other nations?

Neutrality Proclamation

• 19. What is the basic idea of the Neutrality Proclamation and what were the penalties if not followed?

Slavery during George Washington’s Presidency

• 20. What did Washington do about slavery? Why do you think so?

Slavery during George Washington’s Presidency

• 21. What states had the most slaves? Name at least 3.

Farewell Address

• 22. “The impressions with which I first undertook the arduous trust were explained on the proper occasion. In the discharge of this trust, I will only say that I have, with good intentions, contributed towards the organization and the administration of the government the best exertions of which a very fallible judgment was capable.” – What does this part of George Washington’s

Farwell Address mean?

Answers• 1. Bonds are promises from the government that if the people lends the

government cash, the government will pay back with extra cash in a few years. Mostly farmers had bonds because they helped the US fight for freedom. When the government went in debt after the war speculators bought the bonds for a lower price than the actual amount hoping to get more money in the end.

• 2. The electoral college was selected by the state legislature to represent the popular vote, though the electors could vote for different candidates if they felt the public had chosen poorly.

• 3. Precedent is an action done in the past that people will look back to in the future.

• 4. The people who got an education were the people who had time and were rich. It was also mostly boys who were allowed to go to school who studied reading, writing, math, Latin, Greek, spelling, memorizing and public speaking. Then they would go after school and get an apprenticeship to learn a job. Certain jobs would be ministers or lawyers.

Answers• 5. People in the 1790’s got information by mailing letters, horseback, boat or even

walking. It could take weeks to get the news.• 6. The two countries that bordered the U.S. were Britain and Spain. • 7. The country that bordered present-day Florida and land west of the Mississippi

was Spain.• 8. Hamilton was a college student in New York, left school to enlist in a militia

company during the Revolutionary War, was born in the West Indies, put in law school, opened a law office and was active in politics. He was part of the Federalists party.

• 9. The members of the cabinet were John Adams-vice president, Alexander Hamilton- Secretary of the Treasury, Thomas Jefferson- Secretary of State, Henry Knox- Secretary of War, Samuel Osgood-Postmaster General, Edmund Randolph- Attorney General. He choose them because Hamilton was a gifted economic planner, Jefferson had served as ambassador to France, Knox had helped Washington run the Continental Army and Osgood government experience.

Answers• 10. Thomas Jefferson thought of the constitution strictly because he thought only

specific issues and ideas in the constitution were legal. • 11. We should pay back the countries first because it was important for other

nations and for investors to trust the U.S. If we didn’t pay them back no one would lend us money again.

• 12. The tax was on whiskey and farmers had to pay the most tax.• 13. Strict construction is looking exactly what the constitution said. Loose

construction is looking at the constitution in a more flexible way. They interpreted strict construction as giving most of the power not mentioned in the constitution to the states. They interpreted loose construction as bending the rules to get the powers to the federal government.

• 14. This answer varies but one answer is: Loose construction because sometimes, you need to bend the rules. If the federal government really thinks that some thing is good for us, they should at least have the right to bend the rules to something.

Answers • 15. The national bank was made so that Americans could deposit money and pay

their taxes. • 16. It was criticized by Jefferson and people because taxes had motivated the

colonists to fight in the Revolutionary War and the national bank was promoting taxes. Also the Constitution gave no right for the federal government to make a national bank.

• 17. Foreign policy is a nation’s views and actions towards other nations. Two examples are plan for oil, war, trade, treaties between U.S. and other countries, and money, Humanitarian aid.

• 18. The answer varies. An example is trade with other countries because we don’t have all the resources to supply our country. Also it is a good way to make money.

• 19. The Neutrality Proclamation was a proclamation stating our decision to stay out of the war between France and England. Penalties were if citizens got involved in taking a side or helping any of the countries at war, they would be tried in court by the U.S. Also the U.S. won’t help if they get caught by another country.

Answers• 20. Washington did nothing about slavery because an example is he owned slaves.

The answer varies. He also was afraid that if he caused a big deal about the freedom slaves states might separated.

• 21. Virginia, South Carolina and North Carolina are example of states that owned most slaves. The answers may vary but mostly the southern states had most slaves.

• 22. It meant that as he left office he would like to tell you that he had tried his best to organize and lead the government but he knows that he made mistakes.