Chapter 8: A New Nation 1789-1800. Section 1: The First President President Washington On April...

Chapter 8: A New Nation

1789-1800

Section 1: The First President

[ President Washington[On April 30, 1789, Washington took the oath of office as the first president of the United States under the federal Constitution. [ John Adams became vice president


President Washington[ Many Americans feared that a president would try to become king, but they trusted Washington- why?

[ Washington was aware of the difficulties & decisions he faced.

[ He would establish precedents that would shape the future of the U.S.


[ The First Congress[ Congress set up a cabinet with three departments:

* the State Department to handle relations with other nations, headed by Thomas

Jefferson * the

Treasury Department to deal with financial matters, headed by Alexand

er Hamilton

* the War Department to provide for the national defense, headed by Henry Knox


[ The First Cabinet* Congress

also created the office of Attorney General to hand the government’s legal affairs- the 1st Attorney General was Edmund Randolph

* Congress also established the office of Postmaster General – Benjamin Franklin.

* Washington met regularly with these departments which together became known as the cabinet.


Congressional Divide[ Congress was divided as to

how much power the president should hold over the executive departments. * The President appointed the

department heads with the Senates approval & Congress gave the president the power to hire & fire cabinet members without Senate approval.

[ This created a major separation between the legislature and executive branch.


[ The Judiciary Act of 1789 was actually a compromise. * One group in Congress favored a

national legal system and the other favored a state court system.

* This act established a federal court system with 13 district courts & 3 circuit courts. ` State laws would remain the same, but

federal courts have the power to reverse state decisions.

[ The Supreme Court was to be the highest court with the final authority. * John Jay was appointed as the 1st

Chief Justice.


[ The Bill of Rights- * James Madison presented a list

of amendments to Congress *Congress passed 12

amendments but the states only ratified 10 of them.

*These 10 amendments became known as the Bill of Rights and were added to the Constitution in December 1791.


[ Financial Problems- * As Secretary of the Treasury

Hamilton tried to find a way to strengthen the country’s financial problems.

* He proposed the Hamilton Plan-` It stated that the government should pay off the debts owed by the Confederation government to other countries and to individual citizens. *By the federal government assume the states’ debts, this would give the states a strong interest in the success of the new government.


[ Financial Problems- * There was opposition to Hamilton’s

plan. * Hamilton proposed a compromise

plan- `He agreed to a proposal by southern leaders to move the nation’s capital from New York City to a special district in the South between Virginia and Maryland- later known as Washington, D.C.* The southerners then agreed to

support his plan to pay off the state debts.

* Hamilton also proposed the creation of a national bank, a tariff (tax on imported goods), and national taxes to help fix the economy.


[ Building the Economy* Before the bill to create

a national bank was proposed, only state banks existed.

* James Madison & Thomas Jefferson opposed this idea of a national bank, claiming it would benefit only the wealthy and was unconstitutional.

* Hamilton said that Congress had the power to create the bank even though the Constitution had no provision for doing so. ` Washington signed

the bill, creating the Bank of the United States.


[ Building the Economy*Hamilton proposed a protective tariff on imports. *He hoped this would protect American industry from foreign competition & encourage people to buy American goods. *The South opposed this tariff because it had little industry to protect

*Hamilton won support in Congress for some low tariffs to raise money.


[ Building the Economy* Hamilton’s economic program also

called for creating national taxes. `The government could have additional funds to operate and to make interest payments on the national debt.

`Congress approved a variety of taxes, including one on American whiskey.

* Hamilton's economic plan gave the country new financial powers, but it split Congress & the nation. `His opponents (including Madison & Jefferson) feared a national government with strong economic powers would only protect the wealthy.

Section 2: Early Challenges

[ The Whiskey Rebellion* In 1794 farmers in

Western PA raise a major challenge to the federal government when they refused to pay the whiskey tax and began terrorizing tax collectors. (Very similar to what the colonists had done at the time of the Stamp Act)` This upheaval led to a

mobocracy (rule or domination by the masses or domestic rebellion)


* At Hamilton’s urging Washington called out the militias of three states, raising an army of nearly 15,000 (a larger force than he had commanded in against the British during most of the Revolution) and personally led the troops into PA.

* As the militiamen approached Pittsburgh, the center of the resistance, the rebellion quickly collapsed.

[ The Whiskey Rebellion

* Washington’s actions won the allegiance of the whiskey rebels by intimidating them and showing the people that the government would use force to maintain social order.


[ Native Americans & the New Nation*The new government faced a

greater challenge, inherited from the Confederation, in the more distant areas of the Northwest & the Southwest, where Indians continued to challenge the republic’s claim to tribal lands. `They felt the land belonged to them and looked to Britain & Spain for help to prevent American settlers from moving onto these lands. `Washington hoped that treaties signed with the Native Americans would keep the British and Spanish out.


[ Native Americans & the New Nation* American settlers

ignored the treaties and moved onto the lands promised to the Native Americans. *When fighting broke out Washington sent General Arthur St. Clair to restore order. * St. Clair and his

troops were beaten badly in November 1791


[ Native Americans & the New Nation*The Native Americans demanded

that all settlers north of the Ohio River leave. * Washington sent another army led by

Anthony Wayne. * At the Battle of Fallen Timbers in August

1794, Wayne’s army defeated over 1,000 Native Americans.


[ Native Americans & the New Nation*The Treaty of

Greenville was signed in 1795 to settle the issue.

*Native Americans agreed to surrender most of the land in present-day Ohio.


[ Maintaining Neutrality[ The French

Revolution began in 1789, just after Washington took office and in 1793 Britain and France went to war.

[ Washington hoped that America could stay neutral.

[ The French tried to involve the U.S. by sending Diplomat Edmond Genet in April 1793.[ Genet came to

recruit volunteers to attack British ships since the British maintained trading posts on U.S. soil (this made maintaining neutrality hard)

[ Genet’s plan failed, but he did sign up a few hundred Americans to serve on French ships that took British ships and stole their cargoes.


[ Maintaining Neutrality[ Washington

announced a Proclamation of Neutrality on April 22nd that prohibited Americans in the war and barred French & British warships from American ports.

[ The British began capturing American ships that traded with the French. [ They also

stopped American merchant ships, took their crews, and forced them into the British navy - the practice is called impressment.


[ Jay’s Treaty & Pinckney’s Treaty[ To avoid war with Britain, Hamilton

persuaded Washington to send a special official to England - John Jay, Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court. [ Jay was instructed to negotiate a

peaceful solution. [ The British listened to Jay’s proposal

that stated the British shall: [ Withdraw from American soil[ Pay damages for ships it had seized[ Allow some American ships to trade

with British colonies in the Caribbean. [ Also provided for settlements of debts

from before 1776.


[ Jay’s Treaty & Pinckney’s Treaty

[ Jay’s Treaty was controversial. [ Many Americans considered it

dishonorable because it did not deal with British impressment or the British interference with American trade.

[ Washington sent it to the Senate, even though he did not favor it either.

[ It was narrowly approved.


[ Jay’s Treaty & Pinckney’s Treaty[ To settle their

differences with the United States, Spain also signed a treaty.

[ Thomas Pinckney went to Spain in 1795.

[ The Pinckney Treaty gave Americans the right to freely navigate the MS River and also the right to trade at the port of New Orleans.


[ Washington’s Farewell[ Washington served two

terms as President and choose not to serve more. * This set a precedent for

later presidents to follow. [ He was greatly troubled by

the division in American politics & political parties.

[ In his farewell address, he spoke about the evils of political parties and the problems of foreign affairs. * His parting words warned

that political parties would divide the nation and influenced the nation’s foreign policy for more than 100 years.

Sec. 3: The First Political Parties[ Opposing Views

[ Most Americans in the late 1700s considered political parties harmful & felt they should be avoided.

[ By 1796 however, Americans were beginning to divide into opposing groups and form political parties.* In Washington’s cabinet, Hamilton

& Jefferson often took opposing sides.

* Although, Washington criticized political parties he too, was a partisan, favoring one side of the issue.

Sec. 3: The First Political Parties[Opposing Views

[By the late 1790s two distinct political parties emerged. [ The Federalists who supported the policies of Alexander Hamilton

[ And the Republicans or the Democratic-Republicans led by Thomas Jefferson & James Madison.

Sec. 3: The First Political Parties[ The Federalists

[ Favored: [ A strong federal

government[ Banking and

shipping interests[ Rule by the

wealthy[ A national bank[ Representative

government [ A loose

interpretation of the Constitution or implied powers

[ A British alliance[ Protective tariffs

Sec. 3: The First Political Parties[ The Republicans or

Democratic-Republicans[ Favored: [ Strong state

governments & limited federal government power

[ Emphasized agricultural products

[ Rule by the people[ State banks[ Government in which

the people rule[ Strict interpretation

of the Constitution. [ A French alliance[ Free trade

In 1793 Jefferson resigned as Secretary of State & in 1795 Hamilton resigned as

Secretary of the Treasury because of their differences.

Sec. 3: The First Political Parties

[ The Election of 1796[ In the 1796 Presidential

election, candidates were members of a political party. *At caucuses, or political-party

meetings, members of Congress & other leaders chose their party’s candidates. `The Federalists nominated John Adams for president & Charles Pinckney for vice president.

`The Republicans nominated Thomas Jefferson for president and Aaron Burr for vice president.


[ The Election of 1796[ Adams won the election with 71

electoral votes. * Jefferson received 68 electoral votes

* At the time the person with the second-highest number of electoral votes became vice president. * Jefferson became vice president.

* Jefferson and Adams were of different political parties.

Sec. 3: The First Political Parties[The XYZ Affair

Sec. 3: The First Political Parties[ The XYZ Affair

[ American relations with Great Britain and Spain improved thanks to Jay’s and Pinckney’s Treaties. But the relations with France were quickly deteriorating.

[ The disputes with France over the terms of Jay’s Treaty led to an incident known as the XYZ Affair.[ The French saw the treaty as

evidence that the U.S. was helping the British in the war with France, so they seized American ships carrying cargo to Great Britain.


[ To avoid war with France, Adams sent a delegation to Parish to resolve the issue.

[ Charles Talleyrand, the French foreign minister, refused to meet with the Americans and sent three agents who demanded a bribe and a United States loan for France.

[ The American delegation refused the terms, and when Adams heard about the incident he referred to the agents as X, Y, and Z.


[ Congress strengthened the armed forces, established the Navy Department in April 1798, and allotted money to build warships.* George

Washington was appointed commanding general.

[ This undeclared war with French naval forces between 1798-1800 saw more than 90 French armed ships seized. * France now

became an enemy for many Americans.


[ The Alien & Sedition Acts[ In 1798 Congress passed a group

of measures called the Alien & Sedition Acts.

[ These laws were passed to protect the nation’s security. * Americans became more suspicious

of aliens, or people living in the United States who were not citizens, especially Europeans who came in the 1790s and who supported the ideals of the French Revolution.

* People worried that if the U.S. & France went to war, these aliens might not remain loyal to the U.S.


[ The Alien & Sedition Acts

[ The Alien Act placed new obstacles in the way of foreigners who wanted to become American citizens & strengthened the president’s hand in dealing with aliens.

[ The Sedition Act allowed the government to prosecute those who engaged in “sedition” against the government. * Sedition refers to

the activities aimed at weakening established government.

* The Sedition Act made it illegal to criticize the government.

* Americans were concerned that aliens might engage in unlawful activities such as speaking out against the U.S. government.


[ The Alien & Sedition Acts

[ President Adams signed the new laws but was cautious in implementing them. [ He did not deport any aliens & he

prevented the government from launching a major crusade against the Republicans.

[ The Alien Act helped discourage immigration & encourage some foreigners already in the U.S. to leave.

[ The administration made use of the Sedition Act to arrest & convict ten men (most of them Republican newspaper editors) whose only crime had been criticizing the Federalists in the government.

Sec. 3: The First Political Parties[ The Kentucky & Virginia

Resolutions

[ Republican leaders pinned their hopes for a reversal of the Alien & Sedition Acts on the state legislatures.

[ The Kentucky & Virginia Resolutions of 1798 and 1799 were resolutions written by Madison & Jefferson on states’ rights.

Sec. 3: The First Political Parties[ The Kentucky & Virginia

Resolutions[ The resolutions said that the Alien

and Sedition Acts could not become effective because they violated the Constitution. * They also said that the people of each

state had the right to nullify, or cancel, a federal law within that state.

* They showed that many Americans feared a strong central government that could interfere with their rights.

[ The issue of states’ rights would continue and in time lead to civil war.


[ President John Adams

[ The undeclared war with France needed resolution.

[ Federalists urged Adams to step up the war with France. * They hoped to benefit

politically from a war.

[ Adams refused to rush a war and appointed a commission to seek peace with France.

[ In 1800 the French agreed to a treaty and stopped attacks on American ships.


[ President John Adams [ The treaty with France hurt Adam’s chance for reelection. [ Hamilton & his supporters now

opposed their own president.

[ Because of this rift in the Federalist Party, the Republicans now had a good chance to win the 1800 presidential election.

Chapter 8: A New Nation 1789-1800. Section 1: The First President President Washington On April...

Documents

Transcript of Chapter 8: A New Nation 1789-1800. Section 1: The First President President Washington On April...