President George Washington 1789–1797

& President John Adams 1797–1801

The Federalist Era1789-1801

The Washington Presidency

Unanimous Electoral College vote

Inaugurated March, 1789 in New York Congress established:

· Department of States (Thomas Jefferson)

· Department of Treasury (Alexander Hamilton)

· Department of War (Henry Knox)

· Department of Justice (Edmund Randolph)

An Active Federal Judiciary

Judiciary Act of 1789 · set up federal courts· established the Supreme Court, 13 district courts and 3

Appellate courts· Chief Justice (John Jay) and 5 Associates· Attorney General (Randolph)· Originally had limited jurisdiction

States maintained their individual bodies of law Chisholm v. Georgia (1793)

· Supported constitution’s grant of federal jurisdiction over disputes between states and citizens of another state

· 11th Amendment· Declared that no state could be sued by citizens

from another state

Hamilton’s Controversial Fiscal Program

(see chart “Hamilton’s Economic Plan”)

In 1790, Secretary of Treasury Alexander Hamilton submitted a series of financial proposals to address America’s economic problems including:

· a controversial credit program that passed when a compromise located the nation’s capital on the Potomac River

· creating a Bank of the United States that opponents considered an unconstitutional expansion of power

· a protective tariff to develop an industrial economy

The debate of Hamilton’s loose construction and Jefferson’s strict construction strained the Federalist coalition.

The Beginnings of Foreign Policy

Foreign affairs further strained Federalist coalition.

Americans initially welcomed the French Revolution, but when the Revolution turned violent and war broke out with Britain, public opinion divided.

Though both sides advocated neutrality, Hamilton favored closer ties with Britain while Jefferson feared them.

The “Citizen Genet” incident led Washington to issue a neutrality proclamation that outraged Jefferson’s supporters.

The United States and the Indian Peoples

A pressing “foreign” problem concerned Indians who refused to accept United States sovereignty over them.

The Indian Intercourse Act made treaties the only legal way to obtain Indian lands.

Spanish Florida and British Canada

Spanish and British hostility threatened the status of the United States in the West.

The Spanish closed the Mississippi River to American shipping, promoted immigration, and forged alliances with Indian tribes to resist American expansion.

Britain granted greater autonomy to its North American colonies, strengthened Indian allies, and constructed a defensive buffer against Americans.

Jay's Treaty Resolved disputes between the United States and

Britain. · G.B. said they would leave forts· Consented to pay damages to Amer. merchants· Refused to guarantee against future maritime

seizures, impressment & incitement of Natives· U.S. forced to pay back pre-Rev. debt

The political battles over the Jay Treaty brought President Washington off his nonpartisan pedestal. (most important cause for the formation of the Dem.-Rep. Party)

Temporarily eased tensions

Pinckney's Treaty

Normalized relations with Spain

Spanish feared Anglo- American alliance therefore they sought appease U.S.

Provisions:· Granted free navigation of Mississippi River and right

to use port of New Orleans· Yielded area north of Florida to U.S. · 31st parallel recognized as legal border between

Spanish Florida and U.S.

Domestic Crisis

By 1794, the government faced a crisis over western policy.

Western farmers were refusing to pay the whiskey tax.

An army sent into western Pennsylvania ended the Whiskey Rebellion.

General Anthony Wayne defeated the Ohio Indians at the Battle of Fallen Timbers, leading to the Treaty of Greenville in 1795 and the cession of huge amounts of land by the Ohio Indians.

Washington’s Farewell Address

In his farewell address, Washington summed up American foreign policy goals as:· peace; · commercial relations;· friendship with all nations; and· no entangling alliances.

Washington also warns us about……..

Federalists vs. Democratic-Republicans

(see additional chart)

Issue Federalists“Hamiltonians”

Democratic-Republicans“Jeffersonians”

Economy? Manufacturing Agrarian (farming)

National Bank?

Bank (helps manufacturing)

No Bank (too much federal power)

Interpret Constitution?

Broadly (is it expressly forbidden?)

Strictly (is it expressly permitted?)

Balance of Power?

National Authority States’ Rights

Foreign Policy?

Pro-British Pro-French

Election of 1796

John Adams (Federalist ‘party’) - president (most electoral votes)

Thomas Jefferson (Democratic Republican ‘party’) - vice-president (second most electoral votes)

John Adams - 2nd President

Massachusetts Revolutionary

generation Founding Father Federalist - favored a

strong central government and promotion of national interests.

The XYZ Affair 1798

Relations with France deteriorated after Jay’s Treaty.

French seized American merchant vessels Talleyrand (FR ambassador) solicited a

loan and bribe in order for FR to stop FR agents “X, Y, and Z” under authority

from Talleyrand 1798 Congress cut off trade w/ France The X, Y, Z Affair made Adams’s popularity

soar. Beginning of an ‘undeclared naval war’

with France (aka the Quasi-War) Led to the passage of the Alien and

Sedition Acts

“Millions for defense, not one cent for Tribute!”

Quasi-War with France (1798-1800) Undeclared naval war for control of the Caribbean US forces seized 85 French ‘privateers’ [pirates] in

the Caribbean --- US lost just one ship. French - nuisance at sea but no longer a serious

threat by 1799.

The Alien and Sedition Acts

The Federalists pushed through the Alien and Sedition Acts that:· severely limited freedoms of speech and of the

press; and· threatened the liberty of foreigners.

This is the beginning of the decline of the Federalist party

Summary of Alien and

Sedition Acts (1798)Alien Enemies Act

President may, in case of war, deport aliens of an enemy country or impose severe restraints on them.

Alien Friends Act

President may deport any alien he views as “dangerous to the peace and safety of the U.S.” No trial or evidence required. No defense.

Naturalization Act

To be eligible for citizenship, an alien must prove 14 years of residence within the United States (previously 5 years).

Summary of Alien and

Sedition Acts (1798)Sedition Act(most controversial)

1) Illegal to conspire to oppose any measure or to impede the operation of any law of the United States.

2) Illegal for any person to write print or publish “any false, scandalous and malicious writing . . . . against the government of the United States, or either house of the Congress . . . or the President . . . with intent to defame or to bring them into contempt or disrepute; or to excite against them the hatred of the good people of the United States.

Justification for Alien & Sedition

Acts“The United States . . . were

threatened with actual invasion . . . and had then, within the bosom of the country, thousands of aliens, who, we doubt not, were ready to cooperate in any external attack.”

Federalists saw opposition to the administration as opposition to the state and prosecuted leading Democratic-Republican newspaper editors.

Virginia and Kentucky

Resolutions: 1798-99

Response to the Alien and Sedition Acts Articulated the doctrine of “State’s Rights” Madison (anonymously) wrote the Virginia

Resolution Jefferson (anonymously) wrote the Kentucky

Resolution Introduced the idea of interposition and

“nullification” - states could nullify federal laws deemed objectionable. Argument based on the “compact theory”

First thoughts of secession by a state

Fries Rebellion Pennsylvania (1799-1800)

Tax passed to help pay for Quasi War and Penn farmers were resistant (sent to jail)

Rebellion was an attempt to free a tax resister from jail

Led by John Fries and 400 man militia force Tried for treason;

sentenced to be hanged; Adams pardoned

Convention of 1800

“Adam’s finest moment” U.S. negotiated with Napoleon (he is more

worried about Europe) France agreed to end the 22 year Franco-

American alliance with the U.S. U.S. agreed to pay damage claims of American

shippers Major war with France avoided Improved relations (paved way for LA Purchase)

The Revolution of 1800

Adams bid for re-election was weakened by:

· Hamilton’s dispute with Adams; and

· the Federalists becoming identified with oppressive war-mongering.

In the election of 1800, the Federalists waged a defensive struggle calling for strong central government and good order.

By controlling the South and the West, Jefferson won the election.

“We are all Federalists, we are all Republicans.”

Election led to 12th Amendment

Democratic Political Culture

The rise of partisan politics greatly increased popular participation.

American politics became more competitive and democratic.

Popular celebrations became common and suffrage increased.

The Rising Glory of America

American Artists

The Revolutionary generation began to create a national culture.

American artists depicted national heroes and national triumphs.

The Liberty of the Press

The Revolutionary years saw a tremendous increase in the number of newspapers.

During the 1790s newspapers became media for partisan politics.

In response to prosecutions under the Sedition Act, American newspapers helped to establish the principle of a free press.

The Birth of American Literature

As a highly literate citizenry, Americans had a great appetite for books.

Writers explored the political implications of independence or examined the new society including the emerging American character.

The single best-seller was Noah Webster’s American Spelling Book which attempted to define an American language.

Parson Weems’s Life of Washington created a unifying symbol for Americans.

Women on the

Intellectual Scene

Although women’s literacy rates were lower than that of men, a growing number of books were specifically directed toward women.

Several authors urged that women in a republic should be more independent.

In this 1792 cartoon from the Lady’s Magazine, the allegorical figure of “Columbia” receives a petition for the “Rights of Woman.” In the aftermath of the Revolution, Americans debated the issue of an expanded role for women in the new republic. Many Federalists condemned “women of masculine minds,” but there was general agreement among both conservatives and Democrats that the time had come for better education for American women.