Transcript Chapter 9: Launching a New Republic

Chapter 9: Launching a
New Republic
This powerpoint covers the people, issues,
and events that are important to know as we
look at the new government formed by the
Constitution of the United States.
*****Please write everything in PURPLE*****
George Washington 

Nation’s first president.
 Elected
and Inaugurated in 1789 after the
Constitution was ratified and went into effect.
 The
only president to ever get 100% of the
electoral vote (and he did it twice!!!!)
 Refused,
at first, to let Congress pay him
because he was wealthy and saw himself as
a servant of the people so he shouldn’t be
paid!
George Washington Cont.

Set many precedents as president
 A precedent
is a decision someone makes on
how to handle an issue that then becomes a
“rule” on how others will follow later in dealing
with similar situations.
 Appointed a cabinet of officials to give him
advice on how to deal with issues while he
was president.
 He only ran for president twice, this was
followed by each president until Franklin D.
Roosevelt ran 4 times during the 1930s and
40s.
Washington’s Cabinet

Thomas Jefferson = 1st Secretary of State
 Wanted
the expansion of state’s rights (fought for the
Bill of Rights to be added to the Constitution)
 Liked
the idea that the federal government would be
weak compared to the states.
 Wanted
 Would
Party.
the US to be more rural and full of farmers.
become part of the Democratic Republican
Washington’s Cabinet…

Alexander Hamilton = 1st Secretary of the
Treasury
 A member
of the Continental Congress &
Constitutional Convention.
 Co-Authored the Federalist papers, wanted a strong
federal government.
 Thought the way to pay for our Revolutionary War
debts was to raise money through Tariffs (taxes on
imported goods).

Tariffs would raise money for the government, encourage
American industry, & encourage Americans to buy more
American-made goods!
 Thought
the US should be urban (full of cities and
manufacturing).
Alexander Hamilton & The Bank of
the United States

Hamilton wanted to create an official bank of the United
States.


Other people, including Thomas Jefferson and James
Madison, opposed the bank because they feared the
national government would gain too much power.


He believed that having a bank to issue currency and make
loans to businesses would strengthen the United States.
They didn’t believe that the government had the power to create
a bank at all.
Washington heard both sides but eventually decided to
go with Hamilton and allow the creation on the bank.
Alexander Hamilton & The Bank of
the United States

Hamilton’s financial plan for the United
States had 3 parts:

1) create the national bank
 2) paying off war debts (by using revenue
from tariffs)
 3) raising money for the government!
Domestic Issues Facing Washington
(Domestic = Inside the US)

Debate on the National Bank

Whiskey Rebellion 1794
 1791
Congress applied a tax on whiskey.
 Farmers refused to pay the tax
 They needed whiskey to trade for goods
 Grain was MUCH harder to transport than whiskey was
 Washington
called out the state militia to put down the
rebellion which they did with no problem.
 Rebellion
was important b/c it confirmed the authority
of the federal government over the people of the
US!!!!!
Foreign Issues Facing Washington
(Foreign = Outside the US)

War between Britain and France
 Each nation wanted us to take sides
 Caused tensions to grow with Britain

The Jay Treaty helped ease tensions w/ Britain.
 Britain agreed to leave forts near the Great Lakes.
 Revolutionary debts were forgiven.
 Britain’s colonies in the West Indies were opened to
trade with America.

Ended up avoiding war with Britain and instead
allowed the US to have a decade of Prosperity.
Washington & The Judiciary
Branch
Was able to appoint 10 Supreme Court
Justices, more than any other president.
 Judiciary Act of 1789

 Signed
into law by Washington
 Act set up the Supreme Court to have 6
members, 5 Justices and 1 Chief Justice (this
would later be changed to 9 total).
 Also gave the Supreme Court the right to
issue certain rulings outside of their
jurisdiction which will later be declared
unconstitutional.
Washington’s Farewell Address

“The great rule of conduct for us in regard to
foreign nations is…to have with them as little
political connection as possible. So far as we
have already formed engagements let them be
fulfilled with perfect good faith. Here let us stop.”

Washington wanted the US to follow a foreign
policy based on the principle of non-involvement
in European affairs.

Trade was fine, but he wanted us to not get
involved with anything happening across the
ocean or we might get pulled into their problems.
Other points of Washington’s
Farewell Address

Warned against creating political parties.
 He
felt that political parties would do nothing but split
the people into factions (groups) against each other
instead of everyone working for the good of the
United States.

Warned against taxing the American people too
heavily.
 He
felt the people would not soon forget what Britain
had done to the colonies with taxes and that we
should be careful not to repeat the same mistakes.
Development of Political Parties

Disagreements over Alexander Hamilton’s
financial program and wanting to create a
national bank split Congress into factions.
Development of Political Parties

Alexander Hamilton & the Federalists Believed
in a strong national government
 Believed in LOOSE CONSTRUCTION (interpretation)
of the Constitution.


Thought the Constitution was just a base-line of powers
given to the government. The government, according to
federalists, could do more if it was necessary to run the
government effectively.
Believed that the “elastic clause” (also called the “necessary
and proper clause”) written in Article I of the Constitution
gave the government broader powers than just those listed in
the Constitution.
 Early
Leaders included Alexander Hamilton and John
Adams.
Development of Political Parties
Cont.

The ‘Elastic’ Clause




Also called the ‘Necessary & Proper’ Clause.
Listed in Article I section 18 of the Constitution (where the
powers of Congress are specifically listed)
This is what gave Federalists the idea that government had more
powers than just those listed in the Constitution.
“To make all laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying
into execution the forgoing powers, and all other powers vested by
this Constitution in the government of the United States, or in any
department or officer thereof.”
….. What is this saying? Does it give Hamilton and the Federalists the
power to do things NOT listed in the Constitution or must they still
follow it to the letter?????
Development of Political Parties
Cont.

Thomas Jefferson & the DemocraticRepublicans Believed
in a LIMITED national government
 Believed
in a STRICT CONSTRUCTION
(interpretation) of the Constitution.

Thought the Constitution stated THE ONLY THINGS the
government could do. According to the Democratic
Republicans, the Constitution could not be “added to” on an
as needed basis. If it was listed in the Constitution, the
government had the power to do it but if it wasn’t, too bad.
 Early
leaders included Thomas Jefferson and James
Madison