Constitutions are fun!

But now we need a new leader…

Delegates to the Constitutional Convention debated what to call the new leader. Many options were proposed, including:

His ExcellencyHis Most Benign HighnessHis Highness, the President of the United

States and Protector of the Rights of the Same

Let’s keep it simple:

“Mr. President”

HOORAY!

Titles have no place in a democratic society!

I don’t really want the

job…but I suppose I’ll

take it…

HOORAYElectoral College

Now to appoint my

cabinet!

Thomas Jefferson Alexander Hamilton

Secretary of State Secretary of Treasury

I just wanted balanced opinions!

It doesn’t pay to be one sided…

1789

- Washington Inaugurated

- Thomas Jefferson appointed Secretary of State

- Alexander Hamilton appointed Secretary of Treasury

- French Revolution Begins; First French Republic formed

You know…our country has a lot of financial

problems which we need to figure out…

Alexander Hamilton

Hamilton proposed that the Federal Government pay off all of its debt as soon as possible.

He also proposed that the Federal Government assume the state debt and pay it off.

After the Revolution, the United Statesowed a lot of money to a lot of people:

BOOO!

I don’t like this one

bit!

What about the states that aren’t in debt?

Who cares! We are ONE country!

The real question is, how will we manage all of

that debt?

Alexander Hamilton

The First Bank of the U.S.

With a national bank there will be a system for managing our

debt and allowing our citizens to

invest in the nation!

BOOO!

I don’t like this one bit!

It sounds scary and powerful!

Sounds good to us!

Me too!

Cool…but we still need to find a way to pay off all of

these debts…

Hamilton proposed a series of excise taxes.

An excise tax is an internal tax on a

specific item.

BOOO!

I don’t like this one bit!

Why should the citizens of

debt free Southern

states pay for someone

else's debt?

Sounds good to us!

Me too!

1790- U.S. was deep in debt

- Foreign debt (France and Netherlands): $11.7 million

- Domestic debt (owed to Americans): $40.4 million

- State war debt (domestic and foreign): $21.5 million

- Hamilton proposed the federal government assume all state debts and pay off all debt quickly

- Creation of a national bank (First Bank of the U.S.)

- Manage U.S. debt and allow citizens to invest in the nation

- Hamilton proposed a series of excise taxes (internal taxes on specific items) to raise funds to pay off the debt

- Congress approved; Jefferson opposed; Washington signed

Alexander Hamilton

These taxes are cool and all…but we need more

money!

Alexander Hamilton

The Whiskey Tax

This tax is SO cool!

Because I am a large distiller I

only pay a flat fee!

I’m outraged!

I have to pay by the pound so I pay more total than

huge distillers who make a lot more

money than I do...

This Whiskey Tax really hurts small

rural farmers!

I suppose so… but we are going to do it anyway!

The Constitution says we can tax, so tax we shall!

Oh well…at least I can still get cheap imported British

farm tools!

Alexander Hamilton

British Imports

Not again!You Federalists really don’t care

about us farmers…

We have to do what is best for

the nation…

We must strengthen our

economy!

- Whiskey Tax

- Excise tax on the producers of whiskey

- Mostly hurts small farmers (paid by the pound); large distillers (e.g. George Washington) paid a flat fee

- Protective Tariffs

- Import tax on European goods designed to promote American manufacturers

- Forced farmers to rely on more expensive and lower quality U.S. products

Meanwhile back in Europe…

Ummm…I don’t think we want to

get involved!

Maximilien Robespierre

- Washington’s Proclamation of Neutrality: U.S. will not become involved in European Affairs

Yippee!

Perhaps the Americans will be my

friend since they didn’t help Louis!

So Citizen Genêt was sent to the U.S. to negotiate a

commercial treaty with George Washington and gain popular support for war with Britain…

Maximilien Robespierre

He also commissioned U.S. privateers

(basically pirates)to attack British shipping in the

Caribbean and Spanish settlements in Florida

We can’t have that…it violates

American neutrality…

Get out of my

country!

He also commissioned U.S. privateers

(basically pirates)to attack British shipping in the

Caribbean and Spanish settlements in Florida

Stupid France!

He also commissioned U.S. privateers

(basically pirates)to attack British shipping in the

Caribbean and Spanish settlements in Florida

Citizen Genêt Affair

- Sent to U.S. by new French Republic to gain U.S. support against monarchies (Britain and Spain) trying to restore Louis XVI

- Genêt went behind Washington’s back and asked Congress to reject neutrality

- Commissioned U.S. privateers (pirates) to prey on British shipping in the Caribbean and attack settlements in Spanish Florida (violations of U.S. neutrality)

- August 2nd: Washington demands Genet return to France before his actions draw the U.S. into war with Spain and Britain; beginning of tension with France

This annoying Whiskey Tax is

really becoming too much to pay…

Violent protests includingtar and feathering and

assaults take place

You want to protest?

Fine…I’ll bring in the militia…and if you break the law, you will be in Federal Court…not State Court!

But the nearest Federal Courts are

more than 100 miles away from here…I can’t afford to be

gone that long…and I probably can’t even afford to get there…

- Whiskey Rebellion

- Whiskey Tax was hurting rural farmers; they began to protest (mostly in Pennsylvania)

- State militias brought in to restore peace

- Washington ordered protestors/evaders stand trial in federal court

- Closest federal court was over 100miles away: difficult to make trip

- Days away from farm problematic

- Protests eventually stop; first test of Federal Government’s power and stability

Give us all your stuff!

And some of your sailors too…

You can’t take American citizens!

They aren’t really Americans…you have

British citizens aboard!

Chief Justice John Jay

So I was sent to negotiate

a treaty…

- Jay’s Treaty

- Relations with England deteriorating

- British had not abandoned western forts

- British were interfering with U.S. shipping

- British impressing American seamen

- Chief Justice John Jay sent to negotiate with Britain

Chief Justice John Jay

Well that isn’t a very nice thing to say…

Hamilton likes it…

And it may have prevented war with Britain (for now)!

- British would leave forts, but not for a year

- No compensation for American slaves taken by British at the end of the Revolutionary War

- No guarantees against impressment

- No protections for U.S. shipping

How could you turn your back on me for that?

I thought you loved me!

- Treaty he negotiated solved nothing

- British would leave forts, but not for a year, and only if they were given unlimited access to the fur trade on American soil

- No compensation for American slaves taken by British at the end of the Revolutionary War

- No guarantees against impressment; no protections for U.S. shipping

- Jay and Hamilton argued that the treaty prevented imminent war with Britain

- The French felt betrayed and became more angry

Goodbye all…but first, a few parting thoughts:

Political parties are bad!

We need national unity!

Follow the laws!

Don’t mess with other nations’ business!

Don’t let other nations mess with our business!

- Washington’s Farewell Address

- Warns Americans to stay neutral in foreign affairs

- Avoid political parties

- Remain unified and obey the law

John Adams

As specified in the Constitution, Jefferson becomes Vice President

(runner up in electoral college)

He frequently undermines Adams’ policy decisions

John AdamsIt seems bad that the French are so angry

about the whole Citizen Genêt thing and Jay’s Treaty…I should do

something about that

So he sent John Marshall, Thomas Pinckney, and

Elbridge Gerry to France to talk things over!

Talleyrand

If you want to talk to us it will cost you $240,000

Talleyrand

That’s it…I’m turning this boat

around right now!

Talleyrand

That wouldn’t be a healthy choice my American “friends”

(hint, hint)

This is outrageous!

Death to France!

Undeclared French and American naval war

- Adams sent John Marshall, Thomas Pinckney, and Elbridge Gerry to France to ease tensions over Genêt problems and Jay’s Treaty

- French foreign minister Charles Talleyrand tells them they must pay a $240,000 gratuity to the French agents if they are to have successful negotiations and hints that if they leave they will face war

- American Public is outraged

- Quasi War: undeclared naval war between France and U.S.

Death to France!

We must protect our nation from foreign invaders

and traitors!

The French government

is bad! VERY BAD!

I hope the Federalists don’t go

crazy over this…they may be worse

than France…

Repeals Treaty of Amity and Commerce (1778)

Creates Navy Department to protect shipping

- Federalists cry for immediate declaration of war

- “Millions for defense, not one cent for tribute”

- Begin a program to repel “foreign invaders” and find “traitors” in U.S.

- Republicans in disarray

- Publicly speak out against French government

- Privately fear Federalists’ goals

- Congress repealed Treaty of 1778 and ended alliance with France

- Congress created Navy Department to protect American shipping interests

They decided they wanted to

keep all the weirdoes and the

baddies out!

Of course, the Federalists argued all of these were

passed to “protect” the U.S…in truth, the Federalists

wanted to put down any political

resistance to their policies!

Notice Time went from 3 to 5 years

Residence Period went from 5 years to 14

As before, only free whites could become citizens

Wait…what the heck is “Notice Time”?

Notice time is how long you have to live in the country before giving notification you

want to apply for citizenship…

- Alien And Sedition Acts

- Passed under the guise of protecting national security, but really intended to decrease the number of potential voters who would disagree with the Federalists

- Naturalization Act (repealed 1802)

- Increased requirements for naturalization

- Notice Time increased from 3 years to 5

- Residence Period increased from 5 years to 14

- As previously, had to be free and white to become a citizen

This act says the president can kick me out of the U.S.

if he thinks I am dangerous…he doesn’t even need to have any

evidence to do it...

If I don’t leave I go to jail…and can never apply for

citizenship….

This made it a crime to publish anything negative about the government…

Eventually, that expanded to include speaking out against policy as well…

This act says that if you are an alien living in the U.S. and they are at war with your

country they can make you leave…

- Alien Act (expired 1800)

- Authorized the president to expel all aliens that he judged “dangerous to the peace and safety of the United States”

- Those who refused to leave could be imprisoned and permanently excluded from citizenship

- Sedition Act (expired 1801)

- Made it a crime to publish "false, scandalous, and malicious writing" against the government or its officials

- Alien Enemies Act (still applies today)

- President can expel aliens whose presidents are at war with the U.S.

Federalists began to use the Army to crack down on political opposition and protect party members.

Support for Republican party begins to grow.

KY and VA asserted they could nullify (or refuse to follow) Federal law if it violated state laws or was unjust.

Claimed that the Alien and Sedition Acts violated the Bill of Rights.

- Federalists use the Army to crack down on opposition and protect party members

- Support for Republican party begins to grow

- Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions

- Asserted that states had the power to nullify (refuse to follow) Federal law if it violated state laws or was unjust

- Claimed Alien and Sedition Acts violated Bill of Rights

John Adams

I better send somebody to France to talk before we

end up at war…

I might as well send my son John Quincy Adams…

John Quincy Adams

And I totally fixed

everything…

France + US = ♥♥

Federalists

Federalists

Without the threat of war the Alien and Sedition Acts

cannot be justified!

France is my country now!

And I’m going to take over Europe!

- Adams decides to send his son, John Quincy Adams, to France to try to negotiate peace guarantees with Talleyrand

- J.Q. Adams successfully negotiates and agreement to release the U.S. from the 1778 alliance and restore peaceful relations

- Federalists were outraged

- Alien and Sedition Acts could not be justified if no threat of war

- Napoleon I comes to power in military coupe

To make matters worse,the Hamiltonians demanded

Adams back out of the presidential race

- The “Revolution of 1800"

- Federalists in disarray

- Party divided: Hamiltonian Federalists v. Federalists

- Party accused of unconstitutional use of federal power, suppression of political dissent, and the use of the federal army against U.S. citizens

- Hamiltonians felt betrayed by John Adams; demanded he not seek reelection

- Adams ran anyway

Aaron Burr

John Adams

Thomas Jefferson

Republicans

Federalist

- Election of 1800

- Presidential Candidates

- Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr (Republicans)

- John Adams (Federalist)

- Jefferson and Burr tie in electoral college

- Election moves to the House of Representatives

I ended up winning. The Federalists, angry with

Adams, decided to back Burr because he wasn’t

as scary as I am.

Luckily, most of the Republicans backed

me, and I won!

- Thomas Jefferson Elected

- Burr serves as Vice President

- Called “The Revolution of 1800” because political power changed party control peacefully

- Significant because it was a peaceful transition