Apush Guidebook Essay Answers Chapter 10

1. What were the most important steps that George Washington took to establish the authority and prestige of the new federal government under the Constitution?

In order to establish authority of the new central government, Washington created the cabinet which was a body of advisers to the president, as well as the treasury and secretary of state.

2. Explain the purpose and significance of the Bill of Rights. Did these Ten Amendments significantly weaken the authority of the federal government, or actually enhance it?

The purpose of the Bill of Rights was to appease the anti federalists in order to ratify the Constitution by protecting individual rights. They are rights guaranteed to the people so that federal authority does not gain too much power over them, and thus reducing the Republic to an oppressive police state.

3. What were Hamilton’s basic economic and political goals, and how did he attempt to achieve them?

Hamilton wanted to create a stable economy in the US through foreign trade, tariffs, funding and assumption. Through funding and assumption he wanted to pay off federal bonds in order to strengthen the national credit. He made it an obligation for the federal government to pay all debts. He also funded the Bank of the United States so that the government could control the currency and investments.

4. What were the philosophical and political disagreements between Hamilton and Jefferson that led to the creation of the first American political parties?

Hamilton supported business, had loose interpretation of the Constitution, supported the National Bank and tariffs, and opposed the French Revolution. Jefferson on the other hand, supported agriculture, had strict interpretation of the Constitution, opposed the National Bank and tariffs, and supported the French Revolution.

5. What were the basic goals of Washington’s and Adams’s foreign policies, and how successful were they in achieving them?

Washington’s and...