Transcript The Federalist Era 1789-1800

The Federalist Era
1789-1800
Chapter 9
The First President: Washington
Takes Office
 Before Washington took
office, there were other
“Presidents” within the
Continental Congress
under the Articles of
Confederation.
 Their job was to lead
Congress
 When the Constitution was
put into place, it called for
a president for the United
States as well as a Vice
President.
 On April 30, 1789, George
Washington became
President and John
Adams became Vice
President
Washington Takes Office (Cont.)
 Washington was voted in by 69
Congress members
 Adams was runner-up for the position
of President; therefore, he became Vice
President.
 The Senate wanted Washington’s title to
be “His Highness the President of the
United States and Protector of Their
Liberties”
 Washington declined a title that
resembled a title of nobility and opted to
be called Mr. President.
Washington Takes Office (cont.)
 Washington worked with Congress to create
an effective government.
 They created departments in the executive
branch and set up the court system
 During these first few years, Congress would
add the Bill of Rights
 Washington would set the standard for
how long to serve and how to serve.
 *Remember, an actual term limit was not
added until the ratification of the 22nd
amendment.
The Cabinet
 Congress set up three departments
and two offices in the executive
branch.
 Washington chose who would lead
each department
 Thomas Jefferson would lead the
State Department-relations with
other nations
 Alexander Hamilton would lead the
Department of the Treasury-the
nation’s money
 Henry Knox secretary of the
Department of War
 Edmund Randolph attorney
general-to look after government
legal affairs
 Together these departments would be
known as the Cabinet who would
advise the President.
Washington, Knox, Hamilton,
Jefferson, Randolph
Presidential Power over Executive
Branch
 How much power should the President
have over the Cabinet and its members?
 A vote was taken in Congress; there was a
tie.
 John Adams broke the tie that would
allow the president to dismiss Cabinet
members without discussion with the
Senate.
 This would give the President sole
power in the executive Branch.
Court System
 Judiciary Act of 1789, the
decision for what kind of court
system the United States would
use (interprets and applies law in
the name of the state)
 Established a federal court
system rather than just
individual state courts
 States would keep their
courts, Federal court had the
power to reverse state court
decisions
 Supreme Court established
 John Jay was chosen to lead
as Chief Justice by Washington,
Senate would approve.
The Bill of Rights
 Establishing a Bill of Rights would protect the people
from a strong national government
 James Madison would introduce a set of amendments
 Congress passed 12 of them
 The states agreed and ratified 10 of them
 The Bill of Rights would be added to the constitution in
December of 1791
 Limits the power of the government and protects
individual liberties
The New Economy
 Alexander Hamilton,
secretary of the treasury
 Federal and state
governments borrowed
money to pay for the
American Revolution
 Millions are owed to other
countries and the citizens of
America
 Hamilton was asked by
the House to come up
with a plan for future
needs to borrow money.
Hamilton’s Plan
 If money was going to be borrowed in the
future, the U.S. needed to prove it could
pay off debts
 Hamilton proposed that the federal
government pay off the state’s debts.
 Paying off debts as a nation would build
national credit making it easier to borrow
money
 This would also make the states happy
and the states would gain more of an
interest in the government
Problems and Compromise
 Paying off debts of the American citizens
was a problem due to bonds-notes that
promise repayment
 The people sold their bonds for
lesser values
 If paid back, those who bought the
bonds would be rich and the original
bond holder would get nothing. This
would upset many people
 Compromise: If states agreed to his
plan, Hamilton would make the
Nations Capitol in the South.
 Land between Virginia and Maryland
was chosen, George Washington chose
the actual site, which would be named
Washington D.C.
A National Bank
 Hamilton wanted Congress
to approve a nation bank
that would hold government
funds and pay debts
 Would establish ONE type of
currency throughout the
Nation
 With agreement from
Washington, Congress
created the national bank
 This would make
trade/purchases among the
states much easier with one
currency.
Tariffs and Taxes
 Hamilton also proposed high tariffstaxes on imports.
 This would raise money for the
government
 Congress would only pass low tariffs
 Hamilton would then ask for national
taxes to help pay for national debt.
 Congress would approve
Lesson: 2
Trouble in the New Nation
 Britain and France were pushing for
America to get involved in their
wars/conflicts
 Washington wanted to remain neutral
 Native Americans helped the British to
prevent American Westward expansion
 These issues would led to frustrations
among Americans and eventually the war
of 1812. (will be discussed later)
The Whiskey Rebellion
 To have a self-supporting government,
Alexander Hamilton (Treasury
Secretary) would propose a tax on
whiskey.
 Citizens did not like taxation in general;
however, farmers who distilled the
whiskey and made profits were very
hostile to the idea.
 In July of 1794, whiskey rebels
attacked the home of a tax
inspector
 The number of rebels would grow, but
their actions wouldn’t, big numbers
would put fear in the government
 Washington would send roughly
13,000 troops to Pennsylvania
 By the time they got there, the rebels
had fled
Challenges in the West
 British and Spanish would try and make Native
Americans angry with American settlers
 Washington would sign treaties with the
Natives but settlers would ignore treaties and
move onto their land anyways
 Fights would break out between Americans and
Natives due mainly to land disputes
 The worst defeat suffered against the Native
Americans would be the battle between Little
Turtle and General Arthur St. Clair in the
Battle of the Wabash. 600 U.S. troops would
die
Challenges in the West (cont.)
 America would then have hopes for an alliance
with France to help continue expansion in the
West
 The British would learn of this and push for
the Natives to attack any American settler in
the West
 Washington would send troops to the
west which would lead to the battle of
Fallen Timbers (Ohio)
 Americans would win, resulting in the Treaty
of Greenville (1795). The Natives would
give up most of their land in Ohio.
Staying Neutral
 France and Britain would go to war in 1793, many
Americans were divided on who they sided with
 The French wanted American help to help attack
British ships
 Washington would issue the Proclamation of
Neutrality which would state that Americans
could not fight in the war and would not
allow British or French warships in ports
 The British would capture American ships and force
the Americans into their own Navy
(impressment)
 John Jay would be sent to discuss issues with the
British which would lead to Jay’s Treaty
 British would withdraw from American soil
Pinckney’s Treaty with Spain
 October of 1795
 Spanish feared that the U.S. and the
British would work together and target
them after Jay’s Treaty
 Spanish were in the area of the Mississippi
River and had control over the port of New
Orleans.
 Signing Pinckney’s treaty would essentially
state peace between the Spanish and the
Americans
 American ships would gain the right to
travel the Mississippi River and use the
Port
Washington leaves office
 Eight years in office
 Would set the example of how many
terms a president would serve (legally
made two terms with the addition of the
22nd Amendment)
 Would give a Farewell Address he
would state “observe good faith and
justice toward all nations…it is our true
policy to steer clear of permanent
alliances.”