Presidents Review From Early Federalists to the Jacksonian Era

Here's just a quick review on what some of the earlier presidents did since they are probably some of the ones we have forgotten about.  Briefly mentioned are the acts they passed, any important events during their time, or their thoughts.

• George Washington (First President)
• Neutrality Proclamation - declared that US's intentions were the remain friendly and impartial toward belligerent powers
• Jay's Treaty - discussed terms for British troop evacuation from the Northwest Territory and British violations of free trade --> was unpopular because people believed that Jay made too many concessions toward the British
• Pinckney's Treaty - negotiated with Spain on use of the Mississippi River, duty-free access to world markets, and the removal of Spanish forts on American soil
• Farewell Address - told to steer clear of permanent alliances
• John Adams (Second President)
• Federalist (Supported Hamilton and disliked Democratic-Republicans)
• Avoided a possible war with the French after the XYZ affair, where some of the French demanded a bribe to even allow negotiations
• Alien and Sedition Acts - allowed government to expel foreigners and to jail newspaper editors for "scandalous and malicious writing" (purely political and violated 1st Amendment)
• Jefferson, then vice-president, drafter the Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions, which argued that the states had the right to judge the constitutionality of federal laws
• Thomas Jefferson (Third President)
• Democratic-Republican, Pro-French, Strict Constructionalist
• Won with the "Revolution of 1800" (peaceful transfer of power)
• Marbury vs. Madison - decided under chief justice John Marshall; established judicial review, which gave the Court the power to review the constitutionality of Congressional acts
• Louisiana Purchase - seemed to go against Jefferson's view of strict construction, but he resolved the issue by claiming his presidential power to negotiate treaties with foreign nations
• Embargo of 1807 - shut down America's import and export business --> led to disastrous economic results
• Non-Intercourse Act - reopened trade with most nations, except for Britain and Franc
• James Madison (Fourth President)
• Macon's Bill No. 2 - reopened trade with both France and England (but French and British still interfered with American trade)
• War of 1812 - stalemate that ended with Treaty of Ghent; spurred American manufacturing
• The American System - protective tariffs, interstate road improvements, recharter of National Bank
• James Monroe (Fifth President)
• Era of Good Feelings - period of unity since Federalists were basically no more after the Hartford Convention; period of economic growth, inflation, and land speculation with led to the Panic of 1819
• Adams-Onis Treaty- acquired Florida from the Spanish
• Monroe Doctrine - said that America would stay out of European affairs if European countries stay out of America's' right to intervene anywhere in America's own hemisphere if it felt its security was threatened
• Henry Clay's Missouri Compromise - admitted Missouri as slave state and Maine as free state; states above 36-30 line, other than Missouri, were to be free and vice versa
• John Quincy Adams (Sixth President)
• Corrupt Bargain - alleged accusation that Adams and Clay had a bargain that won Adams the presidency and got Clay the position as Secretary of the State (Opponent Andrew Jackson actually got the greatest number of popular votes)
• Presidency was impeded by a contrary countrymen (Adams was a Federalist, but more congressmen had supported Jackson
• Andrew Jackson (Seventh President)
• use of "spoils system" - trading jobs for political favors (Jackson replaced numerous government officials with his own supporters)
• Similar ideas to Jeffersonian republicanism
• believed in universal white man-hood suffrage - extension of voting rights to all white males
• Indian Removal Act - demanded that the Indians living in the Southern area east of the Mississippi resettle in Oklahoma; even though John Marshall sided with Cherokees, Jackson refused to comply with the Court's decision
• Nullification Crisis - John Calhoun anonymously published "The South Carolina Exposition and Protest" which argued that states could nullify the Tariff of 1828 (Tariff of Abominations); by 1830 southern states were openly discussing nullification; then when the Tariff of 1832 failed to lower the rates to an acceptable level, South Caroline nullified the tariff and in response Jackson had Congress authorize a Force Bill threatening to call in troops to enforce the tariff; even though Jackson was a supporter of states' rights, he thought nullification endangered the Union
• Vetoed charter of the Second Bank of the United States and called for Specie Circular (gold or silver); this caused a money shortage and sharp decrease in the treasury, and helped trigger the Panic of 1837 (eventually Congress overturned the circular in the final days of Jackson's term)
• Martin van Buren (Eighth President)
• had misfortune to take over the presidency as the Panic of 1837 was starting
• made the situation worse by continuing Jackson's policy of favoring hard currency
• William Henry Harrison (Ninth President)
• first Whig president
• died a about a month after taking office