Issues Facing the New

Government

George Washington’s Presidency

1789 - 1797

No political party affiliation

Won 100% of electoral vote in both elections

Established precedent of serving only 2 terms as president

Alexander Hamilton

Washington’s Treasury Secretary

Federalist Party

Wanted to build a financially strong and independent US, especially for US industry and business

Thomas Jefferson

Washington’s Secretary of State

Democratic-Republican Party

Wanted to protect states’ rights, US-French relations

Resigned in 1793

Henry Knox Washington’s

Secretary of War

Famous hero of the Revolutionary War

Ft. Knox (in Kentucky) is named after him: Forts are used in WAR

Died from swallowing a chicken bone

Edmund Randolph Washington’s

Attorney General Later became Secretary

of State after Jefferson’s resignation, but had to resign himself in 1795 after a scandal where he had been providing insider advice to the French government on how to deal with Pres. Washington

Judiciary Act of 1789

Established the Federal Court system

Made the Supreme Court the highest court in the U.S.

President George Washington appointed John Jay the 1st Chief Justice

John Jay First Chief

Justice (1789-95) Federalist

Sent to England in 1794-5 and negotiated Jay’s Treaty (more on that in a couple of days!)

Resigned from the court in 1795 to become governor of New York

Hamilton’s Economic Plan

Most states had many debts left over from the Revolution

1. Hamilton wanted US to assume the states’ debts

2. US would pay debts by taxing whiskey and imported goods (protective tariff)

3. Hamilton also wanted to establish a national bank

Constitutional opposition to Hamilton’s Plan

Thomas Jefferson argued government did not have constitutional power to create a bank (strict interpretation of Constitution)

Hamilton argued that the “necessary and proper” clause allowed the government to do what was necessary to perform its functions (loose interpretation)

Southern opposition to Hamilton’s Plan

Taxes on imported goods would hurt southern farmers

Many southern states had paid their war debts already

South agreed to support Hamilton’s plan when US capital was moved from NY to the Potomac River

Frontier opposition to Hamilton’s Plan

Didn’t like tax on whiskey because that was how they made a living

Led to Whiskey Rebellion of 1794

Whiskey Rebellion Pennsylvania farmers

refused to pay whiskey tax and took up arms

Pres. Washington responded by leading an army which put down the rebellion

US demonstrated it could enforce its laws

Federalists vs. Democratic-Republicans

Federalists Led by Alexander Hamilton Favored strong national

government Favored large landowners

and merchants Favored tariffs and

government regulations that supported business

Loose interpretationists More popular in the North Pro-business Favored neutrality in the

war between Britain and France

Democratic-Republicans Led by Thomas Jefferson Favored strong state

governments Favored small farmers Favored a “laissez-faire”

approach where government did not regulate the economy

Strict interpretationists More popular in the South Pro-farmers Favored France in their

war against Britain

Washington’s Farewell Address

1796

US should stay neutral and avoid “foreign entanglements”

Good government is based on religion and morality

Political parties are divisive and dangerous to national unity

John Adams’ Presidency

1797 – 1801

Federalist

Had been Washington’s Vice-President

Beat out Jefferson in 1796 election by only 3 electoral votes, but lost to Jefferson in 1800 election

Alien Acts of 1798 Allowed government

to arrest and deport foreigners deemed “untrustworthy”

Prevented poor immigrants (who tended to vote Democratic-Republican) from voting

Sedition Act of 1798

Limited free speech by making it illegal to publish "false, scandalous, and malicious writing" against the government or its officials

Used to silence critics, who were usually from the other party: Democratic-Republicans

The Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions

Written in response to the Alien and Sedition Acts by Jefferson and James Madison

Stated that states do not have to obey or enforce federal laws that they believe to be unconstitutional – they can “nullify” the law: the Doctrine of Nullification

Election of 1800 Presidential election won

by Democratic-Republicans, but it was a tie between Jefferson and Aaron Burr

Federalists had to choose which Dem.-Rep. to support; Hamilton decided on Jefferson over Burr

Sometimes called the “Peaceful Revolution”

Burr-Hamilton Duel July 1804

Vice-President Burr challenged Hamilton to a duel in which Burr shot and killed Hamilton

Burr was charged with murder, but acquitted and finished his term as VP

The Midnight Judges Adams appointed a bunch

of Federalist judges to life terms just before leaving office

Jefferson ordered his Sec. of State James Madison to withhold their commissions, preventing them from taking office

These denied judges sued

in federal court

John Marshall Chief Justice of the

Supreme Court (1801-1835)

Federalist

Longest serving Chief Justice in US History

Marbury v. Madison Court found that, while the

judges had a right to be seated, the Supreme Court did not have jurisdiction in the case

Declared the Judiciary Act of 1789, which had given the Court jurisdiction, to be in conflict with the Constitution and therefore unconstitutional

Established precedent of judicial review – the Supreme Court decides whether laws violate the Constitution

Thomas Jefferson’s Presidency

1801 – 1809

Democratic-Republican

Both he and John Adams died on July 4, 1826 – 50 years to the day after signing the Declaration of Independence!

The Louisiana Purchase

US acquired 828,800 square miles for a total purchase price of $23,213,568

About $0.03 per acre!

Napoleon’s France needed the $$$

Begins US policy of pursuing economic prosperity through territorial expansion

The Decline of the Federalists

Federalists opposed the War of 1812, and staged a formal protest in 1814

Unfortunately, they protested just as news arrived that the US had won the war, causing them to lose popularity and fade from the political scene.