Transcript The Presidency of George Washington

Vocab. Terms due this Friday – Nov. 21
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Alexander Hamilton
Alien and Sedition Acts
Cabinet
Democratic-Republican Party
Elastic Clause
Exports
Washington’s Farewell Address
Federal Judiciary Act (1789)
Federalist Party
Foreign Policy
French Revolution
George Washington
Hamilton’s Financial Plan
Imports
Inaugurate
Jay’s Treaty
• John Adams
• John Marshall
• Judicial Appointments (Midnight
Appointments)
• Loose Interpretation (Construction)
• Nationalism
• Neutrality
• Pinckney’s Treaty
• Platform
• Political Party
• Precedent
• Protective Tariff
• States’ Rights
• Strict Interpretation (Construction)
• Whiskey Rebellion
• XYZ Affair
George
Washington
Launching the New Ship of State and Foreign & Domestic
Disputes during the first presidential Administration
George Washington: War Hero
& Private Citizen
• He had an imposing presence
– He was 6 feet 2 inches, 175 lbs
– He had sloping shoulders & a strongly
pointed chin
• He was an esteemed war hero (General
of the Continental Army during the
Revolutionary Way)
• He preferred quiet at his home (Mount
Vernon in Virginia) than the turmoil of
politics
• He was balanced rather than brilliant
and commanded followers by strength
of character rather than by the arts of
the politician.
George Washington as President
• He did not “seek” the office of the
presidency like his contemporaries
• He was unanimously elected to the
presidency by the Electoral College in
1789
– No other president has ever been
elected unanimously
• He was inaugurated, or took the oath
of office, on April 30, 1789 in New
York City (the temporary capital of
the U.S.)
President George Washington
Lansdowne portrait by Gilbert Stuart
Launching the Ship of State
• As the FIRST President of the United States, Washington
had to define the role of the presidency.
• He established many important precedents (something done
or said that may serve as an example or rule to authorize or
justify a subsequent act of the same or an analogous kind)
that would define the presidency for generations.
• Washington, as the first president, was able to put his stamp
on the new government
• Oath of Office: “So Help me God”
• Established title: Mr. President (although many people
suggested the president should be referred to as “His
Excellency,” “His High Mightiness,” and “His Majesty”)
Domestic Issue: The Cabinet
• He formed the first cabinet, the group of
presidential advisors and the heads of the
departments.
– Note: the Constitution does not mention a cabinet,
though provides that a president “may require”
written opinions of the heads of the executivebranch departments
•Article II, Section II, Clause 1.
• Written letters to and from the president from
the heads of the departments were awkward,
leading Washington to create the cabinet.
Washington’s Cabinet
Alexander Hamilton
Secretary of the Treasury
Federalist
Thomas Jefferson
Secretary of State
Democratic-Republican
Henry Knox
Secretary of War
Federalist
Edmund Randolph
Attorney General
Federalist
Why do you think Washington chose someone from a different
political party to serve in his cabinet?
Domestic Issue: The Federal
Court System
• Congress sets up the Federal Court
System
– The Judiciary Act of 1789
•Organized the Supreme Court with
(1) one Chief Justice and (5) five
associate justices (8 associate judges
today)
– First Supreme Court Justice was John
Jay (Federalist Party)
• Created 13 federal district courts
throughout the country
•Created 3 Federal circuit courts
•Created the office of the Attorney
General
John Jay (Federalist)
First Supreme Court Chief Justice
Domestic Issue: Solving America’s
Financial Crisis & Economic Problems
• Financial Program for the country
– Foreign & Domestic Debt
– Protective Tariffs and Excise Taxes
– National Bank Controversey
•Controversy over “necessary and proper” clause that
Federalists use to justify creation of the bank
Hamilton vs. Jefferson
• Alexander Hamilton (Federalist) and Thomas
Jefferson (Democratic-Republican) both cabinet
members in Washington Administration
• Both have different political views that caused bitter
disagreements between the two men, mainly over
Hamilton’s economic plan for the country
• Jefferson later resigned from Washington’s cabinet
over disagreements with Hamilton & over policy
matters
Hamilton vs. Jefferson
Contrasting Views on the Federal Government
Hamilton
Jefferson
• Concentrating power in federal
government
• Republic led by a well-educated
elite
• Sharing power with state and
local governments: limited national
government
• Democracy of virtuous farmers
and tradespeople
• Loose interpretation of the
Constitution
• Strict interpretation of the
Constitution
• National Bank constitutional
(loose interpretation)
• National bank unconstitutional
(strict interpretation)
Hamilton vs. Jefferson
Contrasting Views on the Federal Government
Hamilton
Jefferson
• Fear of mob rule
• Economy based on shipping &
manufacturing
• Fear of absolute power or ruler
• Economy based on farming &
agriculture
• Payment of national and state
debts (favoring creditors)
• Supporters: merchants,
manufacturers, landowners,
investors, lawyers, clergy
• Payment of only the national debt
(favoring debtors)
• Supporters: the “plain people”
(farmers & tradespeople)
Development of Political Parties
• The split in Washington’s cabinet gave rise to the nation’s
first two political parties
• Political parties formed around one of key issues in
American history—the power and size of the federal
government in relation to state and local governments
– Democratic-Republicans — those who supported Jefferson’s vision
of strong state governments (ancestors of today’s Democratic Party)
– Federalists—those who supported Hamilton’s vision of a strong
central government (ancestors of today’s Republican Party)
• Existence of political parties worried many political leaders,
including Washington—argued that political parties were a
danger to national unity
Hamilton’s Economic Plan
• As Secretary of the Treasury,
Hamilton’s job was to:
– set the nation’s finances in order
– put the nation’s economy on firm
footing
• Hamilton’s Plan:
– Manage the country’s debts
– Establish a national banking system
Alexander Hamilton
Secretary of the Treasury
Federalist
Hamilton’s Economic Plan
• Hamilton calculated the U.S. public debt
in 1790 was in the millions of dollars:
– most of which was incurred during the
Revolutionary War
– the government was responsible for paying
2/3 of the debt and the States were
responsible for paying the rest
• The U.S. owed debt to:
– Foreign governments
– Private citizens
– soldiers who were promised payment plus
interest for their service in the Revolutionary
War
Alexander Hamilton
Secretary of the Treasury
Federalist
Hamilton’s Economic Plan
• Hamilton’s Proposal:
– Pay off foreign debt
– Issue new bonds to pay off the old ones
– Proposed that the federal government assume the
debts of the states
• This plan favored creditors—those who made the
loans
• Hamilton argued this would be an incentive for
creditors to support the new government
• NOTE: if the new government failed, these creditors
would never be paid back
• Opposition:
– People in the South furious
– Many Southern states already paid off most of their
debts
– Resented plan because they would be taxed to pay
off other state debts
Alexander Hamilton
Secretary of the Treasury
Federalist
Bank of the United States
• Hamilton proposed the creation of a national bank:
– Would be funded by the federal government and wealthy
private investors
– Hamilton hoped the bank would tie investors to the
country’s economic well-being
– The bank would:
•Issue paper money & currency (coins)
•Handle tax receipts and other government funds
Opposition to the National Bank
• Opponents to the bank argued:
– The bank would forge an unhealthy relationship between
the government and wealthy business interests
– Congress did not have the power to authorize the creation
of a national bank (not mentioned in the Constitution)
– Debate sparked between the belief of a “loose
interpretation” vs. “strict interpretation” of the
Constitution
Hamilton Wins: Creation of the
Bank of the United States
•Hamilton asserted that creating a national bank
was necessary because he argued:
– that while power not given to Congress to create a
national bank, he argued it Congress had the
power to do whatever is “necessary & proper” to
carry out its specific enumerated powers, such as
regulating commerce.
Hamilton Convinced Washington & a majority of Congress to
accept his economic views, thus establishing the Bank of the
United States
Building a National Capital
• The first temporary capital of the United States was in New
York City, NY.
• To win support from the South for his economic plans,
Hamilton proposed the U.S. capital to be moved from
NYC to a new city built in the South on the banks of the
Potomac River.
– Southern States pleased (especially Virginians) & many, like
Jefferson & Madison believed that by moving the capital to the
South, it would be more responsive to their interests.
• 1790—Hamilton’s debt plan passed through Congress
along with the authorization of a new capital in the District
of Columbia (between Maryland & Virginia)
The District of Columbia
• French engineer Pierre L’Enfant drew
up pland for the new capital
• He was later fired by Washington for
being too obstinate
• Replaced by Andrew Ellicott who
redrew L’Enfant’s plan, who kept
much of his vision
– Assisted by Benjamin Banneker (an
African-American surveyor)
• The capital was officially moved to the
District of Columbia in 1800 and
renamed Washington, D.C. following
the death of George Washington.
L’Enfant’s architectural design
of the national capital
The Bill of Rights
• Anti-Federalists clamored for the passage of a bill of rights
once the Constitution was ratified
• The first 10 Amendments, known as the Bill of Rights, were
added to the Constitution in 1791
– Provided safeguard of most precious American principles
• Freedom of speech, press, religion, assembly, petition, right to bear arms,
right to trial by jury, privacy, etc.
– Ninth Amendment provided that Americans were entitled to rights
and freedoms not mentioned in Amendments 1-8
– Tenth Amendment provided that rights not expressly delegated or
prohibited by the Federal government or to the States were retained
by the people.
The Whiskey Rebellion: Background
• In 1789, Congress passed a protective tariff, an
import tax on goods produced in Europe.
– Tax encouraged American production & brought in a
great deal of revenue for the country.
• Hamilton was not satisfied and wanted to pull in
more revenue
– He pushed Congress to approve an excise tax, a tax on a
product’s manufacture, sale, or distribution
– This tax was directed towards the manufacture of whiskey
The Whiskey Rebellion
• Farmers in western
Pennsylvania refuse to pay
the federal excise tax on
whiskey
– couldn’t afford to pay the
tax on whiskey they made
from their excess corn
The Whiskey Rebellion: A HUGE
test for Washington
• Defended their “liberties”,
defied the federal
government by attacking
revenue collectors
Was the new federal government strong enough to deal with a rebellion
against its own laws?
The Whiskey Rebellion
• Washington responds to the crisis by federalizing
15,000 state militia
– Placed under the command of Alexander
Hamilton, with George Washington at his side
• Significance: Show of force is successful: Rebellion
collapses without any bloodshed on either side
Many Americans applaud Washington, say its better than the helpless
government during Shays’ Rebellion
Westerners resent Washington, say action was unwarranted force against
common people
Thomas Jefferson emerges as the champion of the western farmer
Domestic Concerns: Native
Americans Resist White Settlers
• American settlers moving
farther west, encroaching on
Indian lands
• British maintained forts in the
Northwest Territory (present
day Ohio, Indiana, Illinois,
Wisconsin, and Michigan)
– This was a direct violation
of Treaty of Paris (1783)
• British had been supplying
some of the tribes with arms to
attack new settlers
•British had been supplying
some of the tribes with arms to
attack new settlers
Domestic Concerns: Native
Americans Resist White Settlers
• British encouraged Native American
tribes to resist against white settlements
into their lands.
– Native Americans often attacked
white settlers as they settled westward
• Native Americans, led by Chief Little
Turtle, successfully defeated American
millitay campaigns led by General Josiah
Harmar (1790) and General Arthur St.
Clair (1791)
Chief Little Turtle
Domestic Concerns: Native
Americans Resist White Settlers
• 1792—President Washington appointed
General Anthony Wayne to lead federal
troops against the Native Americans.
– Little Turtle wanted to negotiate peace with
the U.S. in which he argued:
• “We have beaten the enemy twice under different
commanders…The Americans are not led by a chief
who never sleeps…We have never been able to surprise
him…It would be prudent to listen to his offers of
peace.”
– Other Indian chiefs didn’t agree with
Little Turtle and replace him with a
less able leader and brought them into
war against the U.S.
Chief Little Turtle
Battle of Fallen Timbers (1794)
• Mad Anthony” Anthony Wayne
defeated the Miami Confederacy
(The Shawnee, Wyandot,
Delaware and others Indian
tribes in Ohio)
• Anthony and his troops built a
fort two miles away from the
British Fort Miami
General “Mad Anthony” Wayne
Treaty of Greenville (1795)
• Miami Confederacy agrees
to give up most of land in
Ohio for $20,000 worth of
goods & annual pay of
nearly $10,000
• Significance:
– Started a pattern by which U.S.
government gave Indians less for
their land for what it was worth
– New sources of conflict developed
between the U.S. and British (who
continued to have forts in the
American Northwest
This depiction of the Treaty of Greenville
negotiations may have been painted by one of
General Anthony Wayne's officers.
Treaty of Greenville
Western Lands
• The 13 states surrendered their western land
claims to the federal government
• Congress encourages the rapid settlement of
land by passing the Public Land Act in 1796
– Orderly sale at reasonable prices
• During Washington administration, three new
states added:
– Vermont (1791)
– Kentucky (1792)
– Tennessee (1796)
Foreign Affairs
The French Revolution
• U.S. alliance with France still in
place, but had been with the
French monarchy
• Most Americans supported the
idea of a French republic, but
many dismayed by the mob
violence of the Reign of Terror
• Thomas Jefferson argues for U.S.
support of the revolutionaries
– Especially since Britain had been
seizing American ships bound for
France
• What’s a president to do?
Neutrality Proclamation
Proclamation of Neutrality (1793)
• Britain and France were at war
• Washington doesn’t believe the country is strong
enough to get involved in European conflicts
• Thomas Jefferson resigns as Secretary of State
• French Ambassador “Citizen” Edmund Genet
appeals directly to American people
– Washington outraged, requests French gov’t remove him,
even Jefferson agrees
• Genet stays and eventually becomes U.S. citizen
Jay’s Treaty with Britain (1794)
• Chief Justice John Jay goes to Britain to try and stop seizing
of U.S. ships, impressing sailors
• Jay gone for a year, comes back with treaty
– British agree to evacuate western frontier ports
– No agreement on seizure of ships
• Extremely unpopular, angers France supporters, only
narrowly approved by Senate
• But, NEUTRALITY preserved
According to the Constitution, who has the power to make a
treaty? Why do you think that many Democratic-Republican’s
were upset with how Jay’s Treaty was negotiated?
Pinckney Treaty (1795)
(Treaty of San Lorenzo)
• Spain sees Jay Treaty as sign that U.S. might be
getting closer to its foe, Britain
• Ambassador Pinckney negotiates treaty opening
lower Mississippi and New Orleans to U.S. trade
– U.S. no longer has to pay duties to Spain for transferring
cargo in New Orleans
• Boundary of Florida set at the 31st parallel
Why was it in the best interest of the United States to negotiate
a treaty with Spain? What was significant about setting the
boundary between the U.S. & Florida the opening of the port
of New Orleans to Americans?
Pinckney Treaty (1795)
(Treaty of San Lorenzo)
Washington’s Farewell
In his farewell
address,
Washington
warns Americans
NOT to:
• get involved in
Europe
• make “permanent
alliances” (STAY
NEUTRAL)
• form political
parties
• put their section
before the good
of the country
• But, parties had
already been forming,
and sectional interests
continue to be a key
feature of American
politics
• Washington sets
precedent of only
serving two terms,
even though there is
no constitutional limit
Washington’s Legacies
• Established precedents for future
presidents to follow:
– Established a cabinet
– Established prestige of the
Presidency
– Established relationship between
executive and legislative branch
– Retired after serving two terms in
office
•FDR broke this precedent after
successfully being elected to 4
terms as president
•22nd Amendment (1951):
Established Term Limit for the
president (2 terms or 10 years)