The Conway Cabal was an intrigue by Gates, Lee, Mifflin, Wilkinson and others of George Washington' officers, in 1777, for the promotion of Brigadier-General Thomas Conway, contrary to George Washington's judgment. Washington was accused of incompetence and partiality, and finally Congress was prevailed upon to promote Conway to major-general and inspector-general. In 1778 Conway was wounded in a duel and apologized to Washington, confessing his wrong. Research Conway Cabal
In America, the Federal Party was the first political party which had control of the Federal Government. When the Constitution of 1787 was before the people for ratification, those who favoured its adoption took the name of Federalists, giving to its opponents that of Anti-Federalists. In the First Congress, definite party divisions were not found. Before the second had ended, there was a definite division between Federalists and those who called themselves Republicans or Democrats. Hamilton was the leader of the former, Jefferson of the latter. Hamilton's financial measures had been acceptable to those who desired strong government, the commercial classes, those who wished to see the Union drawn still more closely together, still further in the direction of centralization and national consolidation. Their opponents stigmatised them as monarchists. Beside Hamilton and Vice-President John Adams, the party's chief leaders were Fisher Ames, Cabot, Sedgwick, Strong, Pickering and Quincy, of Massachusetts; Ellsworth, Tracy, Griswold and Hillhouse, of Connecticut; Rufus King, Jay and Gouverneur Morris, of New York; Dayton, of New Jersey; Bayard, of Delaware; Marshall, Henry Lee, of Virginia, and C. C. Pinckney, of South Carolina. George Washington was more inclined to this party than to the other.
The Federal Party's strength was always greatest in New England. When war broke out between England and France in 1793, the Federalists, conservative and averse to the French Revolution, favoured Great Britain. In 1796 they elected John Adams President, but failed to elect Thomas Pinckney Vice-President. In 1797 they tried to bring the country into war with France, but Adams, never so extreme as the bulk of the party, prevented this; the result was a schism in the party. In 1798 the party passed the Alien and Sedition laws, which forever destroyed their popularity. In the election of 1800 Adams and Pinckney were decisively defeated by Jefferson and Burr; the causes were, the acts mentioned, internal dissensions, and the indifference of intellectual and acute leaders to popular feelings. During the administrations of Jefferson and Madison the party dwindled. As an opposition party, it took strict-constructionist ground. Some of its leaders engaged in projects for a disruption of the Union. Finally, its unpatriotic course in the War of 1812 and the odium excited by the Hartford Convention destroyed it utterly. Holding the Government during the critical years 1789-1801, it had given it strength, but it distrusted the people top much for permanent success in America. Research Federal Party
The Hickey Plot was a conspiracy in 1776 to assassinate General George Washington at New York. Thomas Hickey, one of the general's life guards, was the ringleader. He was hanged in June, 1776, David Matthews, mayor of New York, was implicated, and Governor Tryon was suspected. Matthews was imprisoned. Research Hickey Plot
The Mazzei letter was a private business letter written by Thomas Jefferson to an Italian named Mazzei in 1796. The paragraph therein contained, to the effect that 'an Anglican monarchical aristocratical party' had sprung up in America, whose avowed object was 'to draw over us the substance, as they had already done the forms, of the British Government', did much toward arousing animosity against Thomas Jefferson, when the letter became public property in 1797. It had been translated into Italian, then into French, and finally appeared in an English paper. An allusion in it to men who had been 'Samsons in the field and Solomons in the council' was construed as an attack on George Washington. Research Mazzei Letter
The Newburg Addresses were two anonymous appeals issued in 1783 to the officers of George Washington's army, then encamped at Newburgh, to hold a meeting for the consideration of the question of the money then due them by Congress. The addresses were written by CaptainArmstrong, of Pennsylvania, and were supposed to have been instigated by the Gates faction. George Washington immediately denounced the meeting as subversive of discipline, and called a regular meeting of the officers for March the 16th. Gates was placed in the chair, and George Washington's friends carried motions declaring their unshaken confidence in Congress, and denouncing the 'infamous proposals' of the anonymous addresses. Research Newburg Addresses
The Potomac Company was an American company chartered in 1784, with George Washington as president, for the purpose of connecting the Potomac valley with the West by means of a canal, and for general land improvement. The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Company succeeded it in 1828. Research Potomac Company
Society of the Cincinnati is an organization founded in 1783 at the Verplank house, Fishkill, New York by Revolutionary officers. The organisation was rather romantically named after Lucius Quintus Cincinnatus, a Roman farmer of the Fifth Century B.C, whom the originators of the organisation likened to George Washington, in that he was called from his fields to lead his country's army in battle. Membership was first extended mainly to the officers and their eldest sons, though a number of French officers were included. The principle of hereditary membership aroused popular jealousy. A pamphlet was published against it, the Governor of South Carolina denounced it, and the Legislatures of Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Pennsylvania censured it. George Washington was elected the first President General of the Society in December 1783, a post he held until his death in 1799. During his presidency, in 1784 George Washington persuaded the order to abandon the hereditary feature. He was succeeded as president of the society by Alexander Hamilton.
The society is based upon the following principles:
'An Incessant Attention to preserve inviolate those exalted Rights and Liberties of Human Nature for which they have fought and bled, and without which the high Rank of a Rational Being is a Curse Instead of a Blessing.
An unalterable Determination to promote and cherish between the respective States that Union and national Honour so essentially necessary to their happiness, and the future Dignity of the American Empire
To render permanent the cordial Affection subsisting among the officers; this Spirit will dictate Brotherly Kindness in all things, and particularly extend to the most substantial Acts of Beneficence, according to the Ability of the Society, towards those Officers and their Families who unfortunately may be under the Necessity of receiving it.' Research Society of the Cincinnati
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
Henry Knox was an American patriot. He was nborn in 1750 at Boston and died in 1806. A bookseller before the American Revolution. He exchanged this occupation for that of an artillery officer, fought at Bunker Hill, and obtained much credit for his transfer of ordnance in the winter of 1775 - 1776 from the Canadian frontier and the Lake George region to the army around Boston. He was made a brigadier-general of artillery, fought with distinction at. Trenton, Brandywine, Monmouth and Yorktown, and received the grade of a major-general. He was active in the Cincinnati Society, and became Secretary of War under the old Congress in 1785. George Washington reappointed him to this position, which he filled until 1795. Research Henry Knox
Henry Knox was an American patriot. He was nborn in 1750 at Boston and died in 1806. A bookseller before the American Revolution. He exchanged this occupation for that of an artillery officer, fought at Bunker Hill, and obtained much credit for his transfer of ordnance in the winter of 1775 - 1776 from the Canadian frontier and the Lake George region to the army around Boston. He was made a brigadier-general of artillery, fought with distinction at. Trenton, Brandywine, Monmouth and Yorktown, and received the grade of a major-general. He was active in the Cincinnati Society, and became Secretary of War under the old Congress in 1785. George Washington reappointed him to this position, which he filled until 1795. Research Henry Knox
The Probert Encyclopaedia was designed, edited and programed by
Matt and Leela Probert
Abbreviations
Research Conway Cabal
