The Treaty of Ghent was a treaty of peace concluded between British and American commissioners, assembled at Ghent in 1814. Clay, Adams, Gallatin, Bayard and Russell represented the United States. The treaty was concluded on December the 24th, 1814, and was ratified early in 1815. It provided for universal peace between the belligerents; the mutual restoration of territory, property and archives; a cessation of hostilities immediately upon ratification; a restoration of prisoners of war; an establishment of the disputed north-eastern boundary by construction of the treaty of 1783, with possible final reference to some friendly power; other boundary questions to be disposed of in a similar manner; and a mutual promotion of the abolition of the slave trade. Nothing was said of the impressment of seamen, the search of American vessels, and the oppressive decrees respecting neutral commerce the three grievances which mainly caused the War of 1812. Research Treaty Of Ghent
The Whisky Insurrection was a revolt in America against the execution of a Federal excise law, which came to a head in western Pennsylvania in August, 1794, and was suppressed the same year. Scarcity of cash in the wild districts of North Carolina, Virginia and Pennsylvania, had made distillation the chief means of support among the mountaineers, whisky being used as a medium of exchange. The excise law was passed on March the 3rd, 1791. During the next three years there were constant protests and insurrectionary mass meetings headed by one Bradford. William Findley, John Smilie and Albert Gallatin were the quieter leaders. Revenue officers were tarred and feathered by Bradford and his followers, and there was a general state of lawless opposition despite the efforts of Findley and Gallatin. In October, 1794, 15,000 militia were ordered out by President George Washington, and under General Henry Lee marched into western Pennsylvania, and the revolt was promptly suppressed. Bradford fled the country, but a number of tlie ringleaders were arrested and imprisoned. The affair was important in the United States as exihibiting the power of the then new Federal Government. Research Whisky Insurrection
The American state of Georgia began her existence as a State with doubtful claims to the territory west of her present area, but she did not hesitate to pass laws regulating their disposal. In 1795 four land companies were formed and combined, in their operations in bribing the Georgia Legislature, under the name of the Yazoo Companies. By successfully bribing every member of the Legislature, except one, Robert Watkins, they induced that body to grant the companies, for a nominal consideration of $500,000, a tract of land containing 35,000,000 acres. These frauds aroused great indignation through the State. The act was declared unconstitutional and void by the grand jury of every county except two. On February the 13th, 1796, the Anti-Yazoo party, having the majority in the Legislature, revoked the sale as a violation of the State Constitution. Immediately numerous claims sprang up, which had to be decided by Congress. Madison, Gallatin and Lincoln were appointed commissioners to investigate the claims. In 1803 Georgia ceded her western claims to the United States. The claims arising from the Yazoo Frauds were not decided until 1814. Research Yazoo Frauds
Albert Gallatin was an American statesman. He was born in 1761 at Geneva, Switzerland and died in 1849. Educated at the university of Geneva, he emigrated to America in 1780. After varied experiences he settled as a manufacturer in Pennsylvania in 1784. By 1790 he was in the legislature. His rise to State and national prominence as a leader in the Democratic-Republican party was rapid. He was elected US Senator in 1793, but was not admitted to his seat. The following year he helped by his influence to suppress the Whiskey Insurrection. From 1795 to 1801 he was a member from Pennsylvania of the National House of Representatives, and took a leading part almost from the start, especially on financial topics. When his party came into power with Jefferson, Gallatin was invited to take the Treasury portfolio. He filled this position from 1801 to 1813, and has passed into history as one of the ablest of American financiers. In 1813 to 1814 he was peace commissioner in Europe, where his services in negotiating the Treaty of Ghent were conspicuous. He was US Minister to France from 1816 until 1823, and in 1826 he was sent as Envoy Extraordinary to Great Britain. He was later a bank president in New York City, and died at Astoria on Long Island. Research Albert Gallatin
Meriwether Lewis was an American explorer. He was born in 1774 and died in 1809. He was secretary to President Jefferson from 1801 to 1803. He commanded an expedition with William Clark across the continent of America from 1803 to 1806. They ascended the Missouri River, named three of its tributaries the Jefferson, Madison and Gallatin Rivers, and descended the Columbia River to its mouth. From 1807 to 1809 he was Governor of Missouri Territory. Research Meriwether Lewis
Thomas Jefferson was the third president of the USA. He was born in 1743 at Shadwell, Virginia and died in 1826. He was graduated at William and Mary College, studied law, and entered upon its practice and the care of his estate.
In 1769 he entered the House of Burgesses, and became active in the Revolutionary agitation; but his activity then and later was as a writer rather than as a speaker. He drafted the instructions to the Virginia delegates to the first Continental Congress, and was in consequence proscribed in Great Britain. As a delegate to the second Continental Congress he is of course chiefly remembered for his draft of the American Declaration of Independence. Soon after signing that document he left Congress to re-enter the Virginia Legislature, where he laboured strenuously for democratic reforms in the laws respecting the church and the descent of landed property.
While Governor of Virginia, 1779-1781, he was called upon to resist the British invasion of the State. He was again in the Legislature, and for a short time in Congress. In 1784 he went to France as Plenipotentiary, and there wrote his 'Notes on Virginia', and observed the outbreak of the French Revolution. At the end of 1789 Jefferson returned to America, and entered upon his duties as Secretary of State in George Washington's first Cabinet.
In the ensuing years he became the central figure in the Democratic-Republican party which was forming in opposition to the Federalists. Hamilton, ablest of the Federalist leaders, was also in the Cabinet, and between the two divergence of views developed into continual disputes. Jefferson finally resigned in 1794. The great party of which he was the head gave him, in 1796, almost as many electoral votes as were given to Adams. He became accordingly Vice-President. At this epoch he prepared a 'Manual of Parliamentary Practice', was president of the Philosophical Society, and drafted the Kentucky Resolutions of 1798.
In the election of 1800-1801 Jefferson's party defeated Adams and the Federalists, but the defective provisions of the Constitution gave to Jefferson and Burr seventy-three electoral votes each, and there was no election; the House of Representatives accordingly took up the matter, and a bitter struggle ended in the choice of Jefferson for first place. In his Cabinet Madison was Secretary of State, Gallatin of the Treasury, Dearborn of War, Robert Smith of the Navy, and LincolnAttorney-General.
His administration was marked by the abolition of some usages of an aristocratic nature, by the Tripolitan War, the Louisiana Purchase, the Lewis and Clark expedition, the Chesapeake incident, and the Embargo. President Jefferson was re-elected in 1804, and retired from office in 1809, but continued to be regarded as the adviser of the party. He was interested in later life in plans for education in Virginia, and superintended the planting of the University of Virginia. He died at Monticello in his native State. His political theories had great influence upon the public life of America. Research Thomas Jefferson
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