Question 1

How did Washington respond to Hamilton's idea for the Bank of the United States?

Accepted Answer

Washington ultimately accepted Hamilton's idea for the Bank of the United States and gave it a twenty-year charter, not a permanent one. This decision was part of his broader financial strategy to stabilize the American economy.

Question 2

Why did Alexander Hamilton advocate for rolling old certificates of debt into new government bonds?

Accepted Answer

Hamilton believed that issuing new government bonds in exchange for old certificates of debt would help to stimulate the economy by providing a reliable investment and increasing liquidity.

Question 3

According to Benjamin Rush and other republican writers,how could women contribute to a better society?

Accepted Answer

According to Benjamin Rush and other republican writers, women were seen as crucial in the upbringing of virtuous and moral sons who would become responsible citizens in society. While some writers did suggest that women could also contribute through volunteering and advising their husbands, teaching good morals was seen as their primary role in promoting a better society.

Question 4

Why was George Washington quickly and unanimously elected president in February 1789?

Accepted Answer

George Washington was unanimously elected president in February 1789 because he personified the republican ideal of leadership. He was viewed as disinterested, noble, and virtuous, and his leadership during the American Revolution had made him a national hero. Americans trusted him to lead the fledgling nation in its early years.

Question 5

Who did Washington choose to be his secretary of the treasury?

Accepted Answer

George Washington chose Alexander Hamilton to be his secretary of the treasury. Hamilton had previously served as Washington's aide-de-camp during the Revolutionary War and had a strong vision for the economic future of the United States. As secretary of the treasury, Hamilton implemented policies such as the establishment of a national bank and a system of federal taxation, which helped to shape the country's economic foundations.

Question 6

In response to promises that had been made in order to obtain ratification of the Constitution,James Madison drew up the

Accepted Answer

James Madison drew up the Bill of Rights in response to promises made to Anti-Federalists who had agreed to ratify the Constitution on the condition that a bill of rights was added. The Bill of Rights, which consists of the first ten amendments to the Constitution, protects individual liberties such as freedom of speech, religion, and the press, and the right to bear arms.

Question 7

How did Washington conduct himself once in office?

Accepted Answer

Washington encouraged pomp and ceremony to create a sense of respect and dignity around the presidency, which was a new office at the time. He believed that this would help establish the authority of the executive branch.

Question 8

Why did James Madison eventually restrain his opposition to Hamilton's debt package?

Accepted Answer

Hamilton promised to back the building of a new capital city on the Potomac River. This was important to Madison, as he was a Virginian and wanted the capital to be located in the South. Hamilton's promise led Madison to support his debt package despite his initial opposition.

Question 9

Thomas Jefferson advised Washington that the Constitution prohibited which of Hamilton's economic programs?

Accepted Answer

Thomas Jefferson believed in a strict interpretation of the Constitution and believed that the power to charter banks was not expressly granted to Congress in the Constitution, therefore it was prohibited.

Question 10

The Ninth and Tenth amendments to the Constitution dealt with which of the following?

Accepted Answer

The Ninth and Tenth amendments both deal with the issue of federal and state authority. The Ninth amendment states that the enumeration of certain rights in the Constitution shall not be construed to deny or disparage other rights retained by the people. The Tenth amendment states that any powers not delegated to the federal government by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states or to the people. Together, these amendments establish the principle of federalism and the division of powers between the federal government and the states.

Question 11

What effect did the founding of the new nation have on traditional gender relations?

Accepted Answer

The founding of the new nation did not significantly alter traditional gender relations; societal norms and roles for men and women remained largely consistent with pre-existing patterns.

Question 12

Why did American cotton production experience a boom in the late 1790s?

Accepted Answer

The invention of the cotton gin by Eli Whitney in the late 1790s allowed for much more efficient processing of cotton fibers, making it more profitable for farmers to grow cotton. This led to a significant increase in American cotton production.

Question 13

Why did critics oppose the federal government's assuming the states' old Revolutionary War debt?

Accepted Answer

Critics opposed the federal government's assuming the states' old Revolutionary War debt because they feared that it could subordinate the states to federal power. This would give the federal government too much control over the states and undermine their autonomy.

Question 14

Significantly,no one complained about the Bill of Rights failing to protect

Accepted Answer

The original Bill of Rights did not address the right to vote, as voting rights were primarily determined by individual states at the time.

Question 15

Which factor contributed to a rift between Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson during the 1790s?

Accepted Answer

Alexander Hamilton believed that government was safest when in the hands of the commercial elite, while Thomas Jefferson favored the power being in the hands of the people. This fundamental difference in political philosophy contributed to a rift between the two men.

Question 16

What 1792 event stimulated road building?

Accepted Answer

The establishment of the U.S. Post Office in 1792 stimulated road building to facilitate mail delivery across the country.

Question 17

To restore faith in the credit of the federal government,Alexander Hamilton proposed

Accepted Answer

Alexander Hamilton proposed the assumption of the states' unpaid war debts by the federal government as a way to restore faith in the credit of the federal government. By assuming the debts of the states, the federal government would demonstrate its ability to repay its own debts and gain the trust of creditors. This would also create a stronger union by binding the states closer to the federal government.

Question 18

What happened to the U.S.population from 1790 to 1800?

Accepted Answer

The U.S. population increased by more than a third from 1790 to 1800 owing to good food and land resources, as well as natural reproduction.

Question 19

What was the purpose of the moderate tariff that Hamilton proposed in his Report on Manufactures?

Accepted Answer

The purpose of the moderate tariff in Hamilton's Report on Manufactures was to encourage the production of American-made goods. Hamilton believed that a tariff would protect domestic industries from foreign competition and promote economic growth in the United States. The moderate tariff was intended to be a balance between protecting American industry and not causing harm to foreign trade relations.

Question 20

Before the federal government settled into its permanent home in Washington,D.C. ,the nation's capital had most recently been located in

Accepted Answer

Before the federal government settled in Washington, D.C., the nation's capital had most recently been located in Philadelphia. The city served as the capital of the United States from 1790 to 1800, when it was then moved to its current location in Washington, D.C.

Quiz 9: The New Nation Takes Form 1789-1800