DOCSLIB.ORG

Federalist Era NOTES

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Federalist Era NOTES THE FEDERALIST ERA A BRAND NEW ERA SECTION 1 VOCABULARY Word Definition Something that is done that Precedent becomes an example for others to follow. A group of people who advise the Cabinet president. A certificate that promises Bond repayment in the future. WASHINGTON TAKES OFFICE "I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States….so help me God” WASHINGTON TAKES OFFICE 1. Who took the oath of office on April 30, 1789. George Washington 2. Who was the first vice president? John Adams 3. Why was Washington aware of his actions? He will help shape the future, “No slip will go unnoticed” 4. What two standards did Washington set for future presidents. How long a president should serve (2 terms) How to relate to other nations. THE CABINET Position Office Holder Job Description Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson Manages relationships with other nations Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton Manages the nation’s finances and money Henry Knox Secretary of War In charge of national defense Is the head law Attorney General Edmund Randolph enforcement official in the country ESTABLISHING THE COURT SYSTEM Cause Effect Established a federal court Congress passed the Judiciary system below the SCOTUS Act of 1789 THE NEW ECONOMY 1. What two things did Washington focus on in his presidency? 1. Foreign Affairs 2. Military Matters What did both the state and federal governments have now that the war was over? Debt HAMILTON’S PLAN Cause Effect 1. Will make it easier to build national credit Hamilton has a plan for the federal 2. The states would be government to take more interested in over the individual seeing the national state’s debt. government succeed. HAMILTON’S DEBT PLAN WHICH PERSON ARE YOU GOING TO GIVE MONEY TOO? Scenario: You’re a banker who has two people applying for loans, who would you give money too? Person A: Has a history of taking out massive loans and currently has $50,000 in debt. He also has a history of paying back his loans in a timely manner. Person B: Has no debt and has never taken a loan in his life. He has a good job but no credit history. WHAT WOULD YOU DO? You hold a bond (basically an IOU) for $1000. The government is unstable and you’re unsure if you will ever get back the money you loaned to them. What would you do? Scenario A: A speculator offers you 50% of the bonds value. You will walk away with $500 guaranteed! But you will never get the full value of the bond. Scenario B: You hold onto the bond with the hope that someday the government will pay off the full value. However, there is a very real chance that may never happen and you could be left with nothing, THE PLAN FACES OPPOSITION 1.Shopkeepers The groups of people who had 2. Farmers sold their bonds. 3. Soldiers People who bought the bonds Speculators Why was Hamilton’s plan to The original bondholders would pay the current bond holders get nothing! very controversial? Who despised Hamilton’s The southern states (they had paid plan? their debts) COMPROMISE AND A CAPITOL What will the What will Southern states Hamilton do? do? He will support They will putting the new vote for nation’s capital Hamilton’s somewhere in the debt plan South. THE FIGHT FOR A NATIONAL BANK 1. What three purposes would the National Bank serve? 1. Hold government money 2.Make debt payments 3. Issue a national currency Why did Madison and Jefferson oppose the National Bank? 1. Would only help the wealthy 2. Not in the Constitution THE FIGHT FOR A NATIONAL BANK 3. Why did Hamilton propose high tariffs on imports? Will raise money and protect US businesses. 4. Who opposed the tariffs? The South 5. What item made in the US was taxed? Whiskey EARLY CHALLENGES Section 2 TROUBLES IN THE NEW NATION 1. What were the three major problems facing Washington as he took over the presidency? 1. Britain and France want us to get involved in their war. 2. Indians were fighting off westward expansion. 3. The American people were getting unrestful on the frontier THE WHISKEY REBELLION “Liberty with no excise!” THE WHISKEY REBELLION 1. What product made in the United States was taxed? Whiskey 2. How did farmers in western Pennsylvania show their displeasure? 1. Attacked tax collectors 2. Burned down buildings. PROBLEMS IN EUROPE What began in France in 1789? Their own revolution (against their king) What nation went to war Great Britain with France in 1793? How did this conflict 1.Some Americans sided with France divide the United States? 2. What side did Washington want He wanted to stay neutral Americans to take? WASHINGTON STRUGGLES TO STAY NEUTRAL What did French diplomat, Edmund Genet ask the Americans to do? Outfit privateers and attack British shipping 1.America getting involved in the war Washington’s Proclamation of Neutrality prohibited these two things 2. No French or British warships in American ports. KEY TERM: IMPRESSMENT (define it) Seizing sailors against their will to serve on enemy ships What did Britain give up in the Jay British troops would withdraw from Treaty? the forts that were on American soil How did Americans react when they heard word of They were outraged and hated it. the Jay Treaty? WASHINGTON STRUGGLES TO STAY NEUTRAL WASHINGTON STRUGGLES TO STAY NEUTRAL “Damn John Jay! Damn everyone who won’t damn John Jay!! Damn everyone that won’t put lights in his windows and sit up all night damning John Jay!!!” PINCKNEY’S TREATY WITH SPAIN 1. What did Thomas Pinckney’s 1795 treaty with Spain give the United States? Access to the Mississippi River and trade in New Orleans WASHINGTON LEAVES OFFICE 1. What did Washington tell Americans to steer clear of in his farewell address? No permanent foreign alliances 2. What else did he see as a threat? People joining political parties. THE FIRST POLITICAL PARTIES Section 3 THE POLITICAL PARTIES Democratic-Republicans vs The Federalists OPPOSINGThe Federalists PARTIES The Democratic-Republicans Leaders of the Party Alexander Hamilton Thomas Jefferson View of the Constitution Strong Central Government Weak Central Government Merchants, Wealthy, City Folk, Farmers and Most Popular in the Supporters Most popular in the North South and West Foreign Policy Pro British Pro French No National Bank Supports National Bank Domestic Policy No Excise Tax Excise Taxes No Debt National Debt is Good Low or no Tariffs High Tariffs The people should have the largest The elite, educated, and wealthy should View of the People lead the nation. voice Distrusted the common man (Excludes women, free blacks, slaves) PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION OF 1796 1. Federalist Presidential Candidates: John Adams and Charles Pinckney 2. Republican Candidates Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr 3. 1796 Election Winner: John Adams 4. 1796 Election Runner-up (VP) Thomas Jefferson THE XYZ AFFAIR How did France punish They started to seize American America for the Jay shipping that were transporting Treaty? cargo to Britain. Instead of meeting with Three French agents demanded a bribe in exchange for not attacking American officials what did US ships. the French officials demand from the Americans? Adams kept the names of the three Why was this situation named, French agents a secret, only “The XYZ Affair”? referring to them as XYZ XYZ AFFAIR “Millions for defense, but not one cent for tribute!” THE ALIEN AND SEDITION ACTS Someone who lives in a country KEY TERM: ALIEN but is not a citizen Speech that incites people rebel KEY TERM: SEDITION against authority, criticism. What nation did most aliens France support in the 1790’s? THE ALIEN AND SEDITION ACTS Act Results The President may deport or imprison aliens of other nations. The Alien Acts No trial, evidence, or hearing required. People must live in the United States 14 years before becoming a The Naturalization Act citizen. (It was 5 years prior to the act) THE ALIEN AND SEDITION ACTS Act Results It is now illegal to write The Sedition Act anything that criticizes the government. 1. Cutdown on immigration and led to reverse immigration. The results of the Alien and 2. 10 newspaper writers were jailed Sedition Acts 3. The Federalist Party becomes very unpopular 4. Leads to a movement for the states to overturn federal laws. THE ALIEN AND SEDITION ACTS ALIEN AND SEDITION ACTS.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Creating a French Enemy in the United States During the 1790S Quasi-War and the 2003 Iraq War Diplomatic Crisis
    Angles New Perspectives on the Anglophone World 10 | 2020 Creating the Enemy Cannibals, Monsters and Weasels: Creating a French Enemy in the United States during the 1790s Quasi-War and the 2003 Iraq War Diplomatic Crisis Hervé-Thomas Campangne Electronic version URL: http://journals.openedition.org/angles/408 DOI: 10.4000/angles.408 ISSN: 2274-2042 Publisher Société des Anglicistes de l'Enseignement Supérieur Electronic reference Hervé-Thomas Campangne, « Cannibals, Monsters and Weasels: Creating a French Enemy in the United States during the 1790s Quasi-War and the 2003 Iraq War Diplomatic Crisis », Angles [Online], 10 | 2020, Online since 01 April 2020, connection on 28 July 2020. URL : http:// journals.openedition.org/angles/408 ; DOI : https://doi.org/10.4000/angles.408 This text was automatically generated on 28 July 2020. Angles. New Perspectives on the Anglophone World is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution- NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. Cannibals, Monsters and Weasels: Creating a French Enemy in the United States... 1 Cannibals, Monsters and Weasels: Creating a French Enemy in the United States during the 1790s Quasi-War and the 2003 Iraq War Diplomatic Crisis Hervé-Thomas Campangne 1 Countless U.S. presidents and leaders, including Ronald Reagan, Barack Obama and Donald Trump, have reminded Americans that France is their country’s “oldest ally” (Riché 2013; Seelow 2013; Obama 2015; Serhan 2017). Likewise, many a French official has underscored the unwavering and “natural” quality of the commitment between France and the United States (De Gaulle 1965; Mitterrand 1984; Macron 2018). Yet political scientists and historians often point to the cyclical nature of French-American relations (Duroselle 1978; Bozo and Parmentier 2007: 545).
    [Show full text]
  • The Federalist Era 1787-1800
    THE FEDERALIST ERA 1787-1800 Articles of Confederation: the first form of government. *NATIONAL GOVERNMENT TOO WEAK! Too much state power “friendship of states” examples of being too weak: • No President/No executive • Congress can’t tax or raise an army • States are coining their own money • Foreign troubles (British on the frontier, French in New Orleans) Shays’ Rebellion: Daniel Shays is a farmer in Massachusetts protesting tax collectors. The rebellion is a wake up call - recognize we need a new government Constitutional Convention of 1787: Delegates meet to revise the Articles, instead draft a new Constitution • Major issue discussed = REPRESENTATION IN CONGRESS (more representatives in Congress, more influence you have in passing laws/policies in your favor) NJ Plan (equal per state) vs. Virginia Plan (based on population) House of Representatives: GREAT COMPROMISE Based on population Creates a bicameral Senate: (two-house) legislature Equal, two per state THREE-FIFTHS • 3 out of every 5 slaves will count for representation and taxation COMPROMISE • increases representation in Congress for South Other Compromises: • Congress regulates interstate and foreign trade COMMERCIAL • Can tax imports (tariffs) but not exports COMPROMISE • Slave trade continued until 1808 How did the Constitution fix the problems of the Articles of Confederation? ARTICLES OF CONFEDERATION CONSTITUTION • States have the most power, national • states have some power, national government government has little has most • No President or executive to carry out
    [Show full text]
  • John Adams, Alexander Hamilton, and the Quasi-War with France
    John Adams, Alexander Hamilton, and the Quasi-War with France David Loudon General University Honors Professor Robert Griffith, Faculty Advisor American University, Spring 2010 1 John Adams, Alexander Hamilton, and the Quasi-War with France Abstract This paper examines the split of the Federalist Party and subsequent election defeat in 1800 through the views of John Adams and Alexander Hamilton on the Quasi-War with France. More specifically, I will be focusing on what caused their split on the French issue. I argue that the main source of conflict between the two men was ideological differences on parties in contemporary American politics. While Adams believed that there were two parties in America and his job was to remain independent of both, Hamilton saw only one party (the Republicans), and believed that it was the goal of all “real” Americans to do whatever was needed to defeat that faction. This ideological difference between the two men resulted in their personal disdain for one another and eventually their split on the French issue. Introduction National politics in the early American republic was a very uncertain venture. The founding fathers had no historical precedents to rely upon. The kind of government created in the American constitution had never been attempted in the Western World; it was a piecemeal system designed in many ways more to gain individual state approval than for practical implementation. Furthermore, while the fathers knew they wanted opposition within their political system, they rejected political parties as evil and dangerous to the public good. This tension between the belief in opposition and the rejection of party sentiment led to confusion and high tensions during the early American republic.
    [Show full text]
  • Not a Sixpence! the XYZ Affair and Integrity
    No! No! Not a Sixpence! The XYZ Affair and Integrity Handout A: Narrative BACKGROUND In 1789, the United States government, designed by the Constitution, began operating as President George Washington was inaugurated into office and the First Congress and Supreme Court met. The Revolutionary War consensus around principles of liberty and self- government broke down in debate over specific political policies in the new republic. Foreign policy was one such area of contention, as Great Britain and other European nations went to war with France during the French Revolution and the rise of Napoleon Bonaparte. President George Washington issued a Proclamation of Neutrality in 1793, and the controversial French minister to the U.S., Citizen Genet, was recalled after he tried to inflame passions and persuade the American people and government to join the French side. During the wars, the British initially perpetrated attacks against American shipping and free trade when they seized American vessels and sailors. American diplomat John Jay attempted to resolve the dispute with the British with the 1795 Jay Treaty, but it failed to address the fundamental issue. As the European wars dragged on in the mid-1790s, John Adams was elected president. Weeks after assuming office, Adams had to deal with French violations of American neutral rights. Adams called a special session of Congress that met in May, 1797. He urged a build- up of the American military, especially the navy. Congress authorized the president to call up 80,000 militiamen, funded harbor fortifications, and approved the completion of three frigates. Adams stated, “We are not a degraded people, humiliated under a colonial spirit of fear and sense of inferiority, fitted to be the miserable instruments of foreign influence.” He subsequently dispatched envoys John Marshall, Charles Cotesworth Pinckney, and Elbridge Gerry to go to France to secure an agreement protecting American neutral rights and to end the French destruction of American shipping.
    [Show full text]
  • John Adams Contemporaries
    17 150-163 Found2 AK 9/13/07 11:27 AM Page 150 Answer Key John Adams contemporaries. These students may point out that Adams penned defenses Handout A—John Adams of American rights in the 1770s and was (1735–1826) one of the earliest advocates of colonial 1. Adams played a leading role in the First independence from Great Britain. They Continental Congress, serving on ninety may also mention that his authorship committees and chairing twenty-five of of the Massachusetts Constitution and these.An early advocate of independence Declaration of Rights of 1780 makes from Great Britain, in 1776 he penned him a champion of individual liberty. his Thoughts on Government, describing 5. Some students may suggest that gov- how government should be arranged. ernment may limit speech when the He headed the committee charged public safety requires it. Others may with writing the Declaration of Inde- suggest that offensive or obscene pendence. He served on the commis- speech may be restricted. Still other sion that negotiated the Treaty of Paris, students will argue against any limita- which ended the Revolutionary War. tions on freedom of speech. 2. Adams was not present at the Consti- tutional Convention. However, while serving as an American diplomat in Handout B—Vocabulary and London, he followed the proceedings. Context Questions Adams and Jefferson urged Congress 1. Vocabulary to yield to the Anti-Federalist demand a. disagreed for the Bill of Rights as a condition for b. caused ratifying the proposed Constitution. c. until now 3. The Alien and Sedition Acts gave the d.
    [Show full text]
  • Alien and Sedition Acts • Explain Significance of the Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions Do Now “The Vietnam War Was Lost in America
    Adams SWBAT • Explain significance of the Alien and Sedition Acts • Explain significance of the Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions Do Now “The Vietnam War was lost in America. Public opinion killed any prospect of victory.” • What is the meaning of this statement? • What is more important, liberty (ie. free speech) or order (ie. security)? John Adams President John Adams • John Adams (Federalist) becomes President in 1797 *Due to an awkward feature of the Constitution, Jefferson becomes VP John Adams • During his presidency Adams passed the Alien and Sedition Acts • How does the cartoonist portray Adam’s actions? Alien and Sedition Acts, 1798 • Required immigrants to live in the Naturalization Act U.S. for l4 years before becoming a citizen • Allowed President to expel foreigners from the U.S. if he Alien Act believes they are dangerous to the nation's peace & safety • Allowed President to imprison or Alien Enemies Act expel foreigners considered dangerous in time of war • Barred American citizens from saying, writing, or publishing any Sedition Act false, scandalous, or malicious statements about the U.S. Gov, Congress, or the President Alien and Sedition Acts • The 4 acts together became known as the Alien and Sedition Acts • Response to the Alien and Sedition Acts: - Kentucky & Virginia Resolutions - (written by T. Jefferson & J. Madison) declared the Acts unconstitutional Virginia & Kentucky Resolutions 1. Called for the states to declare the Alien and Sedition Act null & void (invalid) 2. Introduced concept of nullification (ignoring
    [Show full text]
  • Unit 3 the FEDERALIST ERA
    Unit 3 THE FEDERALIST ERA CHAPTER 1 THE NEW NATION ..........................................................................................................................1 CHAPTER 2 HAMILTON AND JEFFERSON— THE MEN AND THEIR PHILOSOPHIES .....................6 CHAPTER 3 PAYING THE NATIONAL DEBT ................................................................................................12 CHAPTER 4 ..............................................................................................................................................................16 HAMILTON, JEFFERSON, AND THE FIRST NATIONAL BANK OF THE UNITED STATES.............16 CHAPTER 5 THE WHISKEY REBELLION ........................................................................................................20 CHAPTER 6 NEUTRALITY AND THE JAY TREATY .....................................................................................24 CHAPTER 7 THE SEDITION ACT AND THE VIRGINIA AND KENTUCKY RESOLUTIONS ...........28 CHAPTER 8 THE ELECTION OF 1800................................................................................................................34 CHAPTER 9 JEFFERSONIANS IN OFFICE.......................................................................................................38 by Thomas Ladenburg, copyright, 1974, 1998, 2001, 2007 100 Brantwood Road, Arlington, MA 02476 781-646-4577 [email protected] Page 1 Chapter 1 The New Nation A Search for Answers hile the Founding Fathers at the Constitutional Convention debated what powers should be
    [Show full text]
  • Inventory of Cemeteries and Burial Grounds
    HAMILTON’S HERITAGE Volume 6 December 2005 Inventory of Cemeteries and Burial Grounds Hamilton Planning and Economic Development Department Development and Real Estate Division Community Planning and Design Section HAMILTON’S HERITAGE Eastlawn, Hamilton Volume 6 December 2005 Inventory of Cemeteries St. Andrew’s Presbyterian, and Burial Grounds Ancaster Grove, Dundas St. Paul’s Anglican, Glanford Smith’s Knoll, Stoney Creek West Flamborough Presbyterian, West Flamborough Contents Acknowledgements Introduction 1 History of Hamilton Cemeteries and Burial Grounds 6 Markers Monuments and Mausoleums 11 Inscriptions and Funerary Art 16 Inventory of Cemeteries and Burial Grounds Ancaster 21 Beverly 46 Binbrook 59 Dundas 69 East Flamborough 74 Glanford 83 Hamilton Downtown 88 Hamilton Mountain 99 Stoney Creek 111 West Flamborough 124 Lost/Abandoned 135 Appendix Cemetery Types 153 Cemetery Chronology 156 Glossary 158 Index 159 Contact: Joseph Muller Cultural Heritage Planner Heritage and Urban Design 905-546-2424 x1214 [email protected] Additional text, post-production, and covers: Meghan House Joseph Muller Acknowledgements This inventory was compiled and arranged under the direction of Sylvia Wray, Archivist at the Flamborough Archives, member of the Hamilton LACAC (Municipal Heritage Committee), and Chair of that Committee’s Inventory Subcommittee. During the summers of 2004 and 2005, Zachary Horn and Aaron Pingree (M.A. students at the University of Waterloo) were employed by the Flamborough Archives to undertake the field work and research necessary for this volume. Staff of the Planning and Economic Development Department thanks Sylvia, Zachary and Aaron for their hard work and dedication in the production of this volume. Hamilton’s Heritage Volume 6: Inventory of Cemeteries and Burial Grounds Page 1 INTRODUCTION This inventory of Euro-Canadian cemeteries and burial sites contains a listing of all licensed cemeteries and burial grounds that are located within the City of Hamilton.
    [Show full text]
  • The Meaning of the Federalist Papers
    English-Language Arts: Operational Lesson Title: The Meaning of the Federalist Papers Enduring Understanding: Equality is necessary for democracy to thrive. Essential Question: How did the constitutional system described in The Federalist Papers contribute to our national ideas about equality? Lesson Overview This two-part lesson explores the Federalist Papers. First, students engage in a discussion about how they get information about current issues. Next, they read a short history of the Federalist Papers and work in small groups to closely examine the text. Then, student pairs analyze primary source manuscripts concerning the Federalist Papers and relate these documents to what they have already learned. In an optional interactive activity, students now work in small groups to research a Federalist or Anti-Federalist and role-play this person in a classroom debate on the adoption of the Constitution. Extended writing and primary source activities follow that allow students to use their understanding of the history and significance of the Federalist Papers. Lesson Objectives Students will be able to: • Explain arguments for the necessity of a Constitution and a bill of rights. • Define democracy and republic and explain James Madison’s use of these terms. • Describe the political philosophy underpinning the Constitution as specified in the Federalist Papers using primary source examples. • Discuss and defend the ideas of the leading Federalists and Anti-Federalists on several issues in a classroom role-play debate. (Optional Activity) • Develop critical thinking, writing skills, and facility with textual evidence by examining the strengths of either Federalism or Anti-Federalism. (Optional/Extended Activities) • Use both research skills and creative writing techniques to draft a dialogue between two contemporary figures that reflects differences in Federalist and Anti-Federalist philosophies.
    [Show full text]
  • Massachusetts Historical Society, Adams Papers Editorial Project
    Narrative Section of a Successful Application The attached document contains the grant narrative of a previously funded grant application, which conforms to a past set of grant guidelines. It is not intended to serve as a model, but to give you a sense of how a successful application may be crafted. Every successful application is different, and each applicant is urged to prepare a proposal that reflects its unique project and aspirations. Prospective applicants should consult the application guidelines for instructions. Applicants are also strongly encouraged to consult with the NEH Division of Research Programs staff well before a grant deadline. Note: The attachment only contains the grant narrative, not the entire funded application. In addition, certain portions may have been redacted to protect the privacy interests of an individual and/or to protect confidential commercial and financial information and/or to protect copyrighted materials. Project Title: Adams Papers Editorial Project Institution: Massachusetts Historical Society Project Director: Sara Martin Grant Program: Scholarly Editions and Translations Program Statement of Significance and Impact The Adams Papers Editorial Project is sponsored by and located at the Massachusetts Historical Society (MHS). The Society’s 300,000-page Adams Family Papers manuscript collection, which spans more than a century of American history from the Revolutionary era to the last quarter of the nineteenth century, is consulted during the entire editing process, making the project unique among large-scale documentary editions. The Adams Papers has published 52 volumes to date and will continue to produce one volume per year. Free online access is provided by the MHS and the National Archives.
    [Show full text]
  • Alien and Sedition Acts
    • On your own, SILENTLY look at the three pictures and notate them as follows: • ! “reminds me of…” • ? “a question I have …” • * “an Ah-ha moment, or something interesting about the image is…” • With your partner, discuss your annotations. • Then, together write a summary statement of how this cartoon relates to the Alien and Sedition Acts. http://b1969d.medialib.glogster.com/media/8f36eeb83766a5f6047b82cfdb0e2b0c377d000ec198aab5deecb96deec3e660/sedition.jpg John Adams wins the election of 1796. • Thomas Jefferson becomes the Vice President. • The United States now has a Federalist President and a Republican Vice President. • The U.S. was in the middle of a dispute with France when Adams takes office. • President Adams would send diplomats to Paris to try to resolve the dispute. France was attacking U.S. shipping in route to England. Charles Pinkney, John Marshall, and Eldridge Gerry were U.S. Diplomats to France. 3 French envoys known as (X,Y, and Z) demanded a bribe of $250,000 to enter negotiations. The U.S. refused. The French government was corrupt and attacking U.S. merchants. The U.S. wanted war. 1797 - The XYZ Affair • In 1798 the United States stood on the brink of war with Alien and France. The Federalists believed that Democratic- Sedition Republican criticism of Federalist policies was disloyal Acts (1798) and feared that aliens (immigrants from France) living in the United States would sympathize with the French during a war. As a result, a Federalist-controlled Congress passed four laws, known collectively as the Alien and Sedition Acts. These laws raised the residency requirements for citizenship from 5 to 14 years, authorized the President to deport aliens, and permitted their arrest, imprisonment, and deportation during wartime.
    [Show full text]
  • THE CORRESPONDENCE of ISAAC CRAIG DURING the WHISKEY REBELLION Edited by Kenneth A
    "SUCH DISORDERS CAN ONLY BE CURED BY COPIOUS BLEEDINGS": THE CORRESPONDENCE OF ISAAC CRAIG DURING THE WHISKEY REBELLION Edited by Kenneth A. White of the surprisingly underutilized sources on the early history Oneof Pittsburgh is the Craig Papers. Acase inpoint is Isaac Craig's correspondence during the Whiskey Rebellion. Although some of his letters from that period have been published, 1 most have not. This omission is particularly curious, because only a few eyewitness ac- counts of the insurrection exist and most ofthose were written from an Antifederalist viewpoint. These letters have a value beyond the narration of events, how- ever. One of the questions debated by historians is why the federal government resorted to force to put down the insurrection. Many have blamed Alexander Hamilton for the action, attributing it to his per- sonal approach to problems or to his desire to strengthen the central government. 2 These critics tend to overlook one fact : government officials make decisions based not only on their personal philosophy but also on the facts available to them. As a federal officer on the scene, Craig provided Washington and his cabinet with their informa- Kenneth White received his B.A. and M.A.degrees from Duquesne Uni- versity. While working on his master's degree he completed internships with the Adams Papers and the Institute of Early American History and Culture. Mr. White is presently working as a fieldarchivist for the Pennsylvania His- torical and Museum Commission's County Records Survey and Planning Study.— Editor 1 Portions of this correspondence have been published. For example, all or parts of six of these letters appeared in Harold C.
    [Show full text]