Post Revolutionary America

Impact of Revolution

External

• French Revolution

• Abolition movements

• End of the Church of England

• Social law

Internal

• Federalists v. Anti-Federalists

• Presidential role

• Checks/Balances

• Funding• Land

CONSTITUTIONAL ISSUES

Federalists, Anti-Federalists, and Ratification

New Issues

• Ideas of the Constitution-what are they?

• Articles of Confederation-fix or new?• Central v. decentralized government• Democracy v. Republic• National v. State Government• Individual rights• Tyranny

Viewpoints

Federalists• “Nationalists”• Supporters of

Constitution• Strong central gov’t• Washington, Madison• Well funded, well

organized, used print• Excessive

democracy=a problem

Anti-Federalists• Opposed ratification• Strong state gov’t• Supported farmers• Sam Adams, Patrick

Henry• Too much government

power=tyranny• Worried about tax• No protection of

individual rights

Ratification Process

• 4/9 states immediately approve (small)

• PA: dragged Anti-Feds to vote• MA: torn over taxation• By spring they had 9 to ratify; states

still on the fence about accepting• VA accepts on a 89-79 vote• NY=most divided; Hamilton & Fed.

Papers• NC and RI are the last to accept

Federalist Papers

• James Madison, A Hamilton, John Jay• 85 anonymous letters• 2 reasons to support:– Strong government to protect US in

foreign affairs– Keeps local interest groups from

dominating

Executive Office

• Most feared by Antifederalists• How should it be run?• By who?• What qualifications?• What if the President is no good?

• Hamilton answers with Federalist Papers

Constitution Accepted, Bill of Rights Approved…

WHEN DOES REVOLUTION END?

FEDERALIST ERA 1789-1801

Washington, Adams, Jefferson

George Washington: Military

• 1754-1783• Grave, aloof,

dignified• Well-equipped;

discipline and personal example

• Kept his army on the field

• Respected civil liberty over martial law

Washington: President

• Founding Father• Privately feared

weak central government

• Federalist• Bare outline of

duties• Chose his own

cabinet• Set precedents 1st

term, clouded 2nd term

Washington: Cabinet

• Cabinet: board of advisors

• Desired to work WITH the Legislature, not against it

• Secretary of State: Jefferson

• Treasury: Hamilton

Presidential Affairs

Domestic Affairs• Inaugural Address• 1st Cabinet• Court System:

Judiciary Act 1789• Debt/1st National Bank• Whiskey Rebellion• Political Parties

Foreign Affairs• French Revolution• British tensions

– Jay’s Treaty

• NEUTRALITY• Navy protection• Native Americans

– Treaty of Greenville

• Spain– Pinkney’s Treaty

PRECEDENT (n)

An event or action that is regarded as an example or guide to be considered in subsequent similar circumstances

Domestic Affairs

• Judiciary Act 1789– Article III of Const.– "judicial power of

the United States, shall be vested in one supreme Court, and such inferior Courts“

– Est. Supreme Court– Amendment 4 & 8– Federal v. State

courts

• 1st National Bank– Domestic/Foreign

debts– Rampant inflation– State

“IOU’s”=worthless– Hamilton: Pay off

state debts with security bonds

– 1st Bank modeled off Eng

– Paper money currency

– Tariffs, Mercantilist policies, subsidies

Opponents

Whiskey Rebellion

• 1791: first federal tax on domestic product

• PA 1794: Farmers revolt; medium of exchange

• How should the president respond?

Washington Sets Precedent

• Sends peace negotiators to talk with demonstrators

• Backs PA governor to collect tax

• Sends 13,000 Militia men to enforce

• National Government can suppress resistance to its laws

Pop Quiz!

Explain the significance of each precedence set by President Washington:1. Inaugural Address/Appearance2. Judiciary Act of 17893. Cabinet4. National Bank5. Whiskey Rebellion

Foreign Affairs: France

• After the French help the Americans, they too have a revolution

• Similar ideas, different outcomes

• Background on French Revolution…

• ~65,000 soldiers and sailors died in the American Revolutionary War

• ~40,000 French citizens died during Reign of Terror

• +Napoleonic Wars= easily over 1,000,000 people died in the French Revolution

Relations with Europe

• The French Revolution starts shortly after GW becomes President

• Radicals in France kill the King and Queen, declare a revolution and declare war on British/Spanish monarchs

• US trades with all countries• GW tries to maintain peace by

declaring the US is, “Friendly and Impartial to both countries”- Neutrality

Genet Affair

• Edward Charles Genet• Sent by French to negotiate with US• Genet to encourages privateering of

British ships• Congress debates on what to do with

him-Genet ignores government policies• Negotiate a way to send him home,

power changes in France keeps him in US

• British navy starts seizing neutral ships headed to French ports

• Rumors; Native American attacks

• GW sends John Jay to Great Britain to create a treaty and prevent a war

Jay’s Treaty• New nation is not ready for a war again• Great Britain still seizes US ships

headed to France• Great Britain will not reimburse US

merchants who lost care to GB• US gets “most favored nation” status in

trade with Great Britain• US gets rid of some of the British

soldiers still in the Northwest Territory and opens ports

Reaction to Jay’s Treaty

• Senators think this treaty is awful, US gives up more than it gets

• Senators still agree to sign this bill into law so they can avoid a war with Great Britain, try to keep it quiet (10 to 20 vote)

• The American people find out about this treaty and are very unhappy, especially the Republicans (Jefferson)

Pinckney’s Treaty

• Thomas Pinckney from South Carolina • Spain joins France and Great Britain in

war but Spain wants to keep peace with the US

• Spain approaches the US about making a treaty-NEUTRALITY (seeing a pattern?)

• Spain gives US access to Mississippi River and New Orleans, helping to soothe Western farmers

• Native American chief Little Turtle forms Western Confederation of Native American groups

• Little Turtle beats US troops in two embarrassing losses (1790-1791)

• Washington sends massive amounts of troops, finally defeats Little Turtle (1794) at Battle of Fallen Timbers

Greenville Treaty

• 12 of the Native American groups from the Confederation sign the Greenville Treaty with the US

• Native Americans agree to give up their land for $10,000 annually from the federal government

• Settlers now feel safer to settle here

Washington’s Farewell Address

• Washington wrote a letter, addressed to the people of the United States, announcing he would not run again

• Two main ideas– Stay away from Political Parties– Don’t get involved in the politics of

other nations

Goodbye George

Election of 1796

• Federalist Candidate: John Adams• Republican Candidate: Thomas

Jefferson

• Electoral College-How do you decide?

• John Adams Wins!!• Problems?

Who is John Adams?

• Federalist party member• Delegate from Mass. for CC• European diplomat• Vice President to Washington• Married to Abigail Adams-intellectual

woman who fought for women’s right• Son=6th President JQA• Vigorous foreign policy

Quasi War with France

• French are upset by Jay’s Treaty, start seizing US ships headed to Great Britain

• Federalists call for war with France• John Marshall, Charles Pinckney,

and Elbridge Gerry go to France to negotiate in 1797

• They run into French Agents X, Y, an Z

XYZ Affair

• French Secret Agents (called X, Y, and Z) tell the US they must pay a bribe/loan before negotiations can begin

• Quasi-War with France 1798

• Only war fought completely on the sea

Quasi War

• Convention of 1800: Quasi-War ends in 1800

• US gives up claims for reparations

• France releases US from Treaty of 1778

Alien and Sedition Acts

• The Quasi War causes domestic conflict

• Federalists got US involved in the Quasi War; "MILLIONS FOR DEFENSE, BUT NOT ONE CENT FOR TRIBUTE"

• Republicans upset-TJ• John Adams resents the statements

Republican newspapers make about him

• Pass 4 laws dealing with foreign policy

Alien and Sedition Act

1. Naturalization: Immigrants must wait 14 years to become citizens (they usually voted Republican)2. Alien Friends Act: Any immigrant could be deported without trial if deemed “dangerous to the peace” to the United States

3. Alien Enemies Act: Same as Friends Act except for males 14+ years from a hostile nation during a time of war4.Sedition Act (tried to keep people from inciting rebellion) it is a federal crime to publish anything “false, scandalous, or malicious” about gov’t

Is this Constitutional????

WHY OR WHY NOT?

VA and KY say NO!

• Response to Alien and Sedition Act: the Rep. controlled legislatures of VA and KY protest

• Both states argue the A&S Act to be UNCONSTITUTIONAL

• Madison with Virginia: public should oppose, universal alarm

• Jefferson with Kentucky: states should be able to nullify unconstitutional fed. laws

Nullification

• Nullify: make of no use or value; cancel out; invalidate

Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions

• Virginia Resolutions argue interposition— States can place themselves between the people and the federal government to stop an illegal action of the government

• Kentucky Resolutions argue nullification— States can declare an unconstitutional federal law to by invalid

End Result?

• Alien and Sedition Acts cause the election of Jefferson as next President

• Alien FRIENDS act expires 1801, Sedition Act expires 1800

• Alien ENEMY act is kept…used during WWII for Japanese Internment camps

• Adams retires to his home; Jeffersonian era begins