Transcript The Federalist Era

Unit 6
Setting the Standard:
Early Federal Issues
Unit 6, Notes 1
The First President
• The people of the states and/or
state legislatures chose
delegates to attend the electoral
college
• On February 4, 1789, the
electoral college unanimously
elected George Washington as
the 1st President of the United
States under the Constitution
• John Adams received the second
most votes securing his position
as America’s first Vice-President
The First Inauguration
• Washington was sworn in on April 30, 1789
at Federal Hall (Wall Street) in downtown
New York City
• Congress created 4 executive offices to help
the President carry out his responsibilities
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▫
▫
▫
Department of State
Department of Treasury
Department of War
Office of Attorney General
• Washington chose the members of his
cabinet (group of presidential advisors) to
head the new agencies
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Secretary of State: Thomas Jefferson
Secretary of Treasury: Alexander Hamilton
Secretary of War: General Henry Knox
Attorney General: Edmund Randolph
The First Government
Acts
• Judiciary Act of 1789
▫ Act of Congress that created 13 district courts, 3 courts of
appeal, and the Supreme Court
▫ Washington chose the federal judges, including John Jay as
the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court
• Passage of the Bill of Rights
▫ Congress proposed 12 Amendments but only 10 ratified by
states
▫ Became official in 1791
• Tariff of 1789
▫ Government method of generating revenue
▫ Required importers to pay a percentage of the value of their
cargo and all shippers (Americans included) had to pay
tonnage (tax based on how much their ships carried)
▫ Southern planters oppose the tonnage rates aimed at their
rice and tobacco shipments and the high prices of European
goods thanks to the tariffs
Alexander Hamilton and the Economy
• Financial Problem: Government Debt
▫ Confederation Congress issued govt. bonds (paper notes promising to
repay money after a certain length of time with interest) to fund the war
effort during the American Revolution
▫ Government owed over $50 million
• Hamilton’s Financial Solution: Pay bonds at full value
▫ Promote confidence in govt.
▫ Encourage future loans to the federal govt.
• Opposition: Madison, Vets, and Southerners
▫ War veterans sold bonds to speculators (people willing to take a financial
risk in hopes of making a future profit) at discounted prices because they
didn’t believe the government would pay them back
 Some speculators paid $10 for $100 bonds
▫ Northerners owned most bonds but tax money from the South would be
used to pay them off
▫ James Madison feared that creditors would eventually dominate govt. and
society
• Compromise of 1790
▫ South supports Hamilton’s plan and in return a southern site along the
Potomac River is chosen for the new capital…District of Columbia (later
Washington, D.C.)
Hamilton and the Economy, Contd.
• Hamilton’s National Bank
▫ Govt. needed its own bank to manage its
financial affairs and issue paper money
▫ Southerners complained that northern
merchants would own most of bank’s stock
▫ Madison argued against the bank because it
was not one of Congress’ enumerated powers
under the Constitution
▫ Hamilton’s response: “Elastic Clause”
 Article I, Section 8… Federal govt. has the power to
“make all laws which shall be necessary and proper”
 The elastic clause or “necessary and proper” clause
gave the federal govt. additional implied powers
(powers not explicitly listed in the Constitution but
necessary for govt. to perform its duties)
 Washington signed the bill and the first Bank of the
United States was created in 1791 for a 20 year
period
Hamilton and the Economy, Concluded
• Whiskey Rebellion
▫ Hamilton believed the federal
govt. had to establish its right to
impose direct taxes on the people
▫ Congress imposed a tax on the
manufacture of whiskey
▫ Angry western farmers used
whiskey as a medium of
exchange
▫ Rebellion erupted in western
Pennsylvania
 Tax collectors terrorized
 Mail was robbed
 Stills of whiskey tax payers destroyed
▫ President Washington sent
15,000 troops to crush the
Whiskey Rebellion in 1794
▫ Rebels dispersed without a fight
The Washington Presidency
Unit 6, Notes 2
Washington’s Foreign Policy
• The French Revolution began in 1789
and most Americans, such as Thomas
Jefferson, initially supported their
fight against authoritative leadership
• Many Americans abandoned their
support of the French Revolution
when…
▫ “The Reign of Terror” led to
excessive violence and bloody
executions
▫ War broke out between France and
American trading partner Britain
• President Washington chose to
remain “friendly and impartial”
toward both France and Britain
Avoiding War With Britain
• British began seizing all neutral ships carrying goods to French
ports
• British enticed Native Americans to attack American western
settlements
• Congress on the brink of war by 1794
• Washington was aware that the young American nation need to
avoid another war at all costs so he sent John Jay to negotiate a
peace with Britain
• Jay’s Treaty (British upper hand…trade!)
▫ Britain maintained the right to seize cargoes bound for French ports and
no compensation was given to Americans merchants
▫ British gave the U.S. “most-favored nation” status… trade between U.S.
and Britain would continue without discrimination
▫ Many Americans rejected the pro-British treaty and the weakness of the
American government
▫ Washington signed the treaty to prevent war with Britain and to protect
the weak American economy
Western Issues
• Spain joined France in war against Britain and wanted to
negotiate with the U.S. to prevent a war with America
• Pinckney’s Treaty
▫ Thomas Pinckney of South Carolina sent to negotiate
▫ Treaty granted the U.S. the right to navigate the Mississippi River and
deposit goods at the port of New Orleans
▫ Western farmers were pleased with the treaty
• As Americans settled west of the Appalachians, Native
American tribes (Miami, Shawnee, Delaware) attacked
settlements and American troops
• President Washington sent General “Mad” Anthony Wayne to
defeat the Indians
• Wayne won the Battle of Fallen Timbers in 1795 and forced
Native Americans to sign the Treaty of Greenville
▫ Gave up parts of modern Ohio, Indiana, and Michigan
▫ Flow of Americans increase in the region and new states established
The Legacy of George Washington
• By 1796, President Washington made a personal decision that
serving 2 terms was long enough for any 1 person to be
President (all other presidents follow example until FDR…4
terms)
• Washington’s Farewell Address:
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Avoid sectionalism (North vs. South, East vs. West)
Avoid partisan politics (political parties)
Maintain neutrality with other nations
Keep morality and ethics at the heart of government
• Significance of George Washington…
▫ Symbol of the American Revolution
▫ His popularity and leadership held the young nation together through the
growing pains
▫ Wisdom…Avoided what could have been a disastrous war with Britain
and left the nation with enduring “fatherly” advice
▫ Humility…
 Popular enough to declare himself emperor and rule the nation indefinitely but
humble enough to surrender his power (after Revolutionary War and 2nd
Presidential term) and return to his Virginia plantation
 Republic/Constitution greater than the Leader/Person
CW/HW – Pg. 214 (#’s 3-6) and 220 (#’s 4-5)
1. Describe the intended purpose of the national bank (pg.
214 #3).
2. What precedent did Washington set as the president of
the United States (pg. 214 #4)?
3. Why did Hamilton think it was important to pay the
national debt, the domestic debt, and the state debts (pg.
214 #5)?
4. Use a graphic organizer similar to the one below to list
the first political parties, who their supporters were, and
what issues they supported (pg. 214 #6).
5. How did France and Britain test American neutrality (pg.
220 #4)?
6. Use a graphic organizer similar to the one below to list
the foreign policy challenges that Washington and
Adams faced during their presidencies (pg. 220 #5).
CW/HW – Pg. 214 (#’s 3-6) and 220 (#’s 4-5)
1. Describe the intended purpose of the national bank (pg.
214 #3).
- It managed the government’s debts and interest
payments, made loans to the government and private
individuals, and issued currency.
2. What precedent did Washington set as the president of
the United States (pg. 214 #4)?
- Washington met regularly with his cabinet
3. Why did Hamilton think it was important to pay the
national debt, the domestic debt, and the state debts (pg.
214 #5)?
- Doing so would give creditors who owned bonds a stake
in the federal government’s success.
CW/HW – Pg. 214 (#’s 3-6) and 220 (#’s 4-5)
4. Use a graphic organizer similar to the one below to
list the first political parties, who their supporters
were, and what issues they supported (pg. 214 #6)
Political Party
Supporters
Federalists
Artisans, merchants,
manufacturers,
and bankers
DemocraticRepublicans
Issues Supported
Strong national
government,
manufacturing, and
trade
Agricultural and
Independent farmers states’ rights
CW/HW – Pg. 214 (#’s 3-6) and 220 (#’s 4-5)
5. How did France and Britain test American
neutrality (pg. 220 #4)?
- Both interfered with shipping; the British enticed
Native Americans to attack settlers; the French
asked for bribes before negotiating
CW/HW – Pg. 214 (#’s 3-6) and 220 (#’s 4-5)
6. Use a graphic organizer similar to the one below to
list the foreign policy challenges that Washington and
Adams faced during their presidencies (gg. 220 #5).
British
interference
with shipping
French
Revolution
Spain’s control
of the
Mississippi R
XYZ Affair
Challenges
Facing
Washington
Challenges
Facing
Adams
Quasi-War
French
interference
with shipping
Political Rivalries:
America vs. France
Federalists vs. Republicans
Adams vs. Jefferson
Hamilton vs. Burr
Unit 6, Notes 3
The First Political Parties
With Washington stepping down, the presidential vacancy led to a
political struggle between two rival factions:
Federalists
▫ Led by Alexander
Hamilton
▫ Strong national
government
▫ Power should be in the
hands of the wealthy and
educated
▫ Government should
promote manufacturing
▫ Loose interpretation of the
Constitution
▫ Protective tariffs protect
domestic industries
▫ Pro-British international
policies
Democratic-Republicans
▫ Led by Thomas Jefferson
▫ State governments
supreme
▫ Ruling power should be
given to all landowners
▫ Government should
promote agriculture
▫ Strict interpretation of the
Constitution
▫ Protective tariffs burden
farmers
▫ Pro-French international
policies
Election of 1796
-The Federalists chose John
Adams (Massachusetts) as
their presidential candidate
-The DemocraticRepublicans chose Thomas
Jefferson (Virginia) as their
presidential candidate
-Adams and Jefferson had a
long history of friendship
but contrasting political
views
-Adams defeated Jefferson
71 to 68 electoral votes to
become the 2nd President of
the United States
Trouble with France
• Angered over Jay’s Treaty, France began stopping
American ships bound for Britain and seizing their
goods
• Adams, like Washington, attempted to keep the
U.S. out of a major war
• XYZ Affair
▫ President Adams sent Charles Pinckney, Elbridge Gerry,
and John Marshall to negotiate with France
▫ After weeks of waiting, the French minister of foreign
affairs asked for a bribe of $250,000 just to initiate talks
and an additional $12 million loan from America
▫ The American diplomats denied the offer and returned
home
▫ The French agents were called X, Y, and Z
Political Rivalries
• Congress suspended trade with France and directed the U.S. Navy to capture
armed French ships
• No official war was declared with France but a Quasi-War existed at sea
• Federalists pushed Alien and Sedition Acts through Congress in retaliation to
Republican criticisms
▫ Required aliens (people living in the country that are not citizens) to wait 14
years before becoming citizens
▫ Gave the President power to deport any alien without trial that was deemed
dangerous
▫ Prevented sedition (incitement to rebellion) by making it illegal to print or
utter anything “false, scandalous, or malicious” against the federal
government
• Virginia legislature introduced the theory of interposition (states had the right
to interpose between the people and the federal govt. if federal laws/policies
prove unconstitutional
• Kentucky legislature introduced the theory of nullification (states had the
right to nullify or declare invalid any federal law that was unconstitutional)
• Convention of 1800: U.S. and France end Quasi-War when the U.S. agreed to
give up all claims against France for damages to American shipping and
France agreed to release the U.S. from the Treaty of 1778
Election of 1800
• President Adams’ longtime friend, Vice-President, and
political rival Thomas Jefferson began a mudsmearing campaign from within
• Adams’ Alien and Sedition Acts and new tax policies
created resentment
• Thomas Jefferson (President) and Aaron Burr (VicePresident) ran as the Republican nominees
• Jefferson and Burr tied (73) in the Electoral College
while Adams came in third (65)
▫ A flaw in the system was revealed because each member
supporting the Republicans cast one vote for Jefferson and
one for Burr
▫ The Electoral College did not vote for a Jefferson-Burr ticket
but rather the 2nd place finisher was made Vice President
▫ The Federalist-controlled House of Representatives had to
then choose the president from the two
Turning Point in Government
• Alexander Hamilton despised
Aaron Burr and rallied the
Federalists behind Thomas
Jefferson
• Jefferson won the election and
became the third president
• Significance of the Election of
1800
▫ Represented a peaceful transfer of
power… Federalists had controlled
the army, the presidency, and the
Congress
▫ Longtime friends/rivals Jefferson
and Adams refused to speak for
years…Adams felt betrayed
▫ A political feud began between
Aaron Burr and Alexander
Hamilton that would ultimately
result in one of their deaths
CW/HW Pg. 220 #3, Pg. 234 #’s 19, 20, 25
1. How did the Alien and Sedition Acts interfere with
the lives of people living in the United States? Pg. 220
#3
2. Why did James Madison oppose the establishment of
a national bank? Pg. 234 #19
3. Why did tensions between western settlers and Native
Americans increase during Washington’s presidency?
Pg. 234 #20
4. Do you think the Alien and Sedition Acts were
unconstitutional? Why or why not? Pg. 234 #25
CW/HW Pg. 220 #3, Pg. 234 #’s 19, 20, 25
1. How did the Alien and Sedition Acts interfere
with the lives of people living in the United
States? Pg. 220 #3
- required immigrants to wait 14 years before
becoming citizens, allowed the president to
deport aliens without trial, deprived citizens of
the right to criticize the government
CW/HW Pg. 220 #3, Pg. 234 #’s 19, 20, 25
2. Why did James Madison oppose the
establishment of a national bank? Pg. 234 #19
- Madison argued that the government could not
establish a bank because it was not an
enumerated power
3. Why did tensions between western settlers and
Native Americans increase during Washington’s
presidency? Pg. 234 #20
- Tensions rose due to the increase in the number
of settlers continuing to move west
CW/HW - Pg. 220 #3, Pg. 234 #’s 19, 20, 25
4. Do you think the Alien and Sedition Acts were
unconstitutional? Why or why not? Pg. 234 #25
Notebook Check
1) CW/HW – Unit 6, Notes 2 – Pg. 214…#4 Answer
2) CW/HW – Unit 6, Notes 2 – Pg. 214…#5 Answer
3) CW/HW – Unit 6, Notes 2 – Pg. 214…#6 Answer
4) CW/HW – Unit 6, Notes 2 – Pg. 220…#4 Question
5) CW/HW – Unit 6, Notes 3 – Pg. 220…#3 Answer
6) CW/HW – Unit 6, Notes 3 – Pg. 234…#19 Answer
7) CW/HW – Unit 6, Notes 3 – Pg. 234…#20 Answer
8) BR #44 (11/9) – Answer
9) BR #46 (11/12) – Answer
10) BR #48 (11/16) – Question
11) BR #51 (11/20) – Answer
12) BR #54 (12/3) – Answer
13) BR #55 (12/4) – Answer
14) BR #56 (12/7) – Answer
15) BR #57 (12/8) – Question