Jefferson's Presidency

Hello there people... over the next few days, post three comments regarding your impressions of Jefferson's presidency. Was he a hypocrite? What consequences resulted from some of his decisions? Your first response will be about your reaction to the prompt, and the remaining two in response to your classmates. Spread out your comments so that you are able to adequately discuss this prompt as a class. We will discuss this on Tuesday and possibly Wednesday.

Adam's Presidency

Answer the following discussion questions from pages 274-280:

1. How did the Election of 1796 evoke the political climate of the United States?

2. In what ways did the election affect the relationship between John Adams and Thomas Jefferson?

3. Create your own response to the XYZ Affair, namely diplomatically, militarily, etc. Defend your stance.

4. How did the Alien and Sedition Acts contribute to the undermining of Federalist power in the United States?

5. Agree/disagree: the Sedition Acts were constitutional.

6. Agree/disagree: the Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions created the possibility for further action by state governments to selectively enforce federal law.

7. Argue for or against: John Adams would have been re-elected in 1800 had he not gone against the militant stance of his Federalist party.


8. How were the Jeffersonians able to overcome such an overwhelming Federalist majority and seize the presidency in 1800?

Blog assignment

Post two comments regarding how you would deal with the French Revolution if you were in George Washington's position. The first comment should be your idea, and the second comment should be a reaction to your classmates. I apologize for the late posting...

Washington's Presidency

After reading pages 258-274, answer the following questions regarding the reading. These questions will be discussed in class on Thursday. In addition to answering the questions, feel free to post any observations that you made while reading this section.

1. How did Hamilton's economic plans (not including the national bank) reflect his assertion that the Constitution was not 'high toned enough.'?

2. Create a chart that summarizes the strengths and criticisms of Hamilton's plan

3. Despite its passage in Congress, why did the debate over assumption and funding not cease?

4. How did the Whiskey Rebellion relate to the growth of the national government?

5. Why did the French Revolution present a serious test for the United States?

6. How did the French Revolution affect ordinary people in the United States?

7. Overall, evaluate the political climate that formed during Washington's presidency.