Exam+2+Student+Questions

Please post your exam questions here. I will answer them as soon as I can!


 * 1) Why is it said that the Constitution was largely a conservative victory? - Mr. Wood's Response: If you look at just the Constitution (not the subsequent Bill of Rights), you see a government that has more power than one would expect in a true democratic society. There are no protections for individual rights and liberties and it appears that there will be very little room for individual states to legislate. Traditionally, liberals put a strong emphasis on individual liberties and since those were not present in the initial Constitution, it can be said that it was a "conservative victory." Keep in mind, however, that certain concessions had to be made in order to ensure its passage (i.e. adopting a Bill of Rights) later on.
 * 2) Which state was seen to provide the most fierce opposition to the new Constitution? Why? Mr. Wood's Response: That's a great question. There were some pretty strong battles in both New York and Virginia. In terms of why, for one, that's where a number of the most staunch antifederalists lived (especially in the case of Virginia - home to people such as Patrick Henry and James Madison). Furthermore, these two large states lacked the "aristocracy" to some extent that was present in New England, where the Constitution passed with relative ease. After the Constitution is signed, Virginia, in passing the Virginia resolutions, directly challenged the federal government's ability to legislate.
 * 3) How did John Marshall's Supreme Court promote the spirit of nationalism (how did rulings in favor of federal power promote nationalism)? Mr. Wood's Response: If one were to look at almost all of Marshall's rulings, they, in some way, tend to favor in siding with giving the government more power. (For example, in Marbury v. Madison, the principle of judicial review is established saying that the Supreme Court has the power to review federal government actions.) By giving more power to the federal government, it subsequently, takes away power from the state government, meaning people will now look more to the federal government to solve issues, thus promoting nationalism.
 * 4) What was the significance of utopian societies? Mr. Wood's Response: Utopian societies are an example how those following in the spirit of the Second Great Awakening attempted to "perfect society," in this case, by creating their own, "perfect" little worlds. In the end, they did not last very long.
 * 5) Why was the War of 1812 politically divisive (what were the main arguments made by the War Hawks and the Anti War Hawks)? Mr. Wood's Response: Remember that Federalists tended to be pro-British while the Republicans were pro-French. Thus, when the Madison Administration and Congress declare war on the British (remember, they are both Republican), the Federalists are outraged that they would declare war on whom they believe to be their closest trading ally. After all, the Federalists chose not to declare war on the French following the XYZ Affair.
 * 6) How did nationalism resulting from the War of 1812 affect America? Mr. Wood's Response: Following the War of 1812, the Federalist Party dies out and with it, a lot of the political divisiveness that went along with that. There was only one party and the so-called "Era of Good Feelings" was ushered in. Furthermore, the nation really had to come together as one to fight this war against the British, thus, encouraging nationalism.
 * 7) In terms of the __economy__, why is it said that Jefferson exercised “restraint”? Mr. Wood's Response: Thomas Jefferson's policies, in many ways, were very hands-off. He downsized the military and in doing so, did not need to collect a lot more money in taxes. When a business does not need to pay as much in taxes, it has more freedom to flourish. Furthermore, Jefferson could have enacted certain tariffs or taxes that would have encouraged some businesses over another. (For example, when the Federalists imposed an import tariff on outside manufactured goods, that move favored the US manufacturing industry whereas it hurt the farmers who were subject to tariffs in other nations now.) By not doing this, it's said he showed "restraint"
 * 8) What went on between Britain and the Oregon Territory during the Treaty of 1818. Mr. Wood's Response: There are numerous components to this treaty, but the major thing to note is that this gave BOTH the US and Britain the right to make land claims to this territory - the US would get to settle land south of the 49th parallel while the British would get to settle land north of the 49th parallel. It was to remain this way for 10 years and then the issue would be revisited, however, this didn't actually take place until 1846 when a final treaty was signed permanently recognizing this border.
 * 9) What was the significance of the military victory at the battle of New Orleans? Mr. Wood's Response: There are a few things that I find significant. 1 - This was a massive victory on land for the Americans and served to foster nationalism. (When the nation achieves something great, as this victory was seen by Americans at time, it gives them something to rally around.) 2 - It gets Andrew Jackson's name out there. He led the battle and would later go on to become President in part due to the fame he gained from this battle. 3 - Even though the war was over when the battle was fought, it secured New Orleans for US usage.
 * 10) Why did some New Englanders propose secession in 1814? Mr. Wood's Response: They propose secession for the same reason that South Carolina proposed secession in the late 1820s and the South did in the early 1860s - they felt that the federal government was no longer representing their views and in some cases, actively trying to limit their influence. (This was mostly in response to the War of 1812 as much of New England - made up of primarily Hamiltonian Federalists - were anti-war.)
 * 11) How did revolutions in Chile, Venezuela, and Argentina lead to the acquisition of Florida and other lands in the Adams-Onis Treaty? Mr. Wood's Response: The revolutions cited here show that maintaining land in the Americas, for Spain at least, can be very costly and that those costs are now starting to outweigh the benefits. If Spain can't control those lands, they might as well give up Florida and other lands as well while they can still do so peacefully.
 * 12) Even though Marbury lost, how did this case greatly strengthen the Supreme Court's power? Mr. Wood's Response: This case established the right of the Supreme Court to review federal actions. Basically, if this principle is never established, then the Supreme Court would not have the ability to rule on the constitutionality of actions taken by the legislative and executive branches and only deal with cases involving state disputes. Thus, they gained a lot more power from this case.
 * 13) How did Washington's neutrality policies anger the Jeffersonians? Mr. Wood's Response: Recall that Jeffersonians were, primarily, pro-French. Part of this was due to the fact that Jeffersonians felt a debt of loyalty to the French for their help in the American Revolution and felt that the alliance formed with the French should continue to be honored after the war. Washington, however, maintained a policy of neutrality. Some Jeffersonians were fearful that there could be repercussions from the French if the US did not continue to ally with them.