CHAPTER 9 THE FEDERALIST ERA (1789-1800)
Section 1 The First President
George Washington
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Became the first president of the United States on April 30, 1789
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(Several others served as president under the Articles of Confederation)
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John Adams became Vice President
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Washington knew that the precedents he established would shape the future of the United
States
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Washington created departments
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Set up the court system
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Added a Bill of Rights to the Constitution
The First Cabinet
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Washington chose prominent figures to head departments
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State Department- Handled relations with other nations (Thomas Jefferson)
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Department of the Treasury- Handled financial matters (Alexander Hamilton)
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Department of War- Handled the nation’s defense (Henry Knox)
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Edmund Randolph became attorney general- Handled the government’s legal affairs
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Office of postmaster general was also established
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The three department heads and the attorney general became known as the cabinet
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The president has the power to dismiss cabinet members
The Judiciary Act of 1789
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Congress had to decide how to set up the judicial system
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Some wanted a uniform national legal system and some favored state courts
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The two groups compromised in the Judiciary Act of 1789
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Congress established a federal court system with the power to reverse state decisions
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The Supreme Court would be the supreme authority- John Jay was chosen as chief justice
The Bill of Rights
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Many people insisted that the Constitution include guarantees of civil liberties
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Some states supported the Constitution on the condition that a bill of rights would be added in
the near future
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Congress passed 12 amendments and the states ratified 10 of them
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December 1791- The 10 amendments became the Bill of Rights
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The Bill of Rights limits the powers of government
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Protects individual rights (speech, press, trial by jury…)
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10th amendment- Madison hoped to use the states as an important line of defense against a too
powerful government
The New Country’s Economy
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Washington left the economic policies to his secretary of the treasury, Alexander Hamilton
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Hamilton had bold plans and policies to deal with the country’s finances
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The new nation faced a serious national debt… and it was growing
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Hamilton tried to find a way to improve the government’s financial reputation and strengthen
the nation at the same time
Hamilton’s Financial Plan
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1. Pay off war Debt
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2. Raise revenue by tariffs
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3. Create a national bank
Opposition to the Plan
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Those that bought bonds during the American Revolution- Many people sold them for lesser
value
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The new bond owners would be paid off at original value
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Southern states objected because they accumulated much less debt than the Northern states
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Hamilton worked out a compromise with the South- If they paid off the debt, the new capital
would be in the South
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Washington D.C. was now in planning
The Fight Over the Bank
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Hamilton asked Congress to create a national bank- The Bank of the United States
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Madison and Jefferson opposed a national bank saying it would benefit the wealthy and it was
unconstitutional
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Hamilton argued that Congress had the power to do so
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Washington agreed, and a national bank was created
Tariffs and Taxes
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Hamilton proposes a tariff to protect American industries from foreign competition
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A tax on imports
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The South opposed, but Hamilton won support in Congress
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A tax on whiskey distilled in the United States was also added
Section 2 Early Challenges
The Whiskey Rebellion 1794
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Part of Hamilton’s financial plan was a tax on whiskey
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Tax on whiskey angered frontier farmers
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Farmers also had trouble taking their crops to market because of bad roads
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They decided to make their grain into whiskey
More of the Whiskey Rebellion
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Whiskey would be easier to carry
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They often used whiskey like money to buy salt, sugar, nails, and ammunition
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Did not have money to pay taxes
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The whiskey tax seemed as unfair as British taxes had been
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Some feared more taxes would follow
Results of the Whiskey Rebellion
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Farmers in western Pennsylvania refused to pay the tax
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Farmers took up arms and chased away the tax collectors
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Hamilton convinced Washington that troops should be sent to put down the rebellion
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13,000 soldiers went into western Pennsylvania
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The rebels fled before a fight
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Showed that the National Government had the power and will to enforce laws
Struggle Over the West
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Washington worried about European ambitions for the Northwest Territory
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Washington signed treaties with the Indians
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He hoped that this would lessen the influence of the British and Spanish on them
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American settlers ignored the treaties and moved onto Indian land
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Fighting soon broke out
Washington Sends an Army
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Washington sends in General Arthur St. Clair
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He was to restore order in the Northwest Territory
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November 1791, St. Clair’s forces were defeated by Little Turtle, chief of the Miami people
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More than 600 American soldiers died in the battle by the Wabash River
Alliance With France?
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Many believed an alliance with France would help them defeat the British, Spanish, and Indians
in the West
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The possibility of French involvement prompted Britain to take action in the West
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The British urged Indians to destroy American settlements west of the Appalachians
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The British began building a new fort in Ohio
More Fighting
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The Native Americans demanded that all settlers north of the Ohio River leave the territory
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Washington sent another army under Anthony Wayne
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2,000 Indian troops planned to ambush Wayne’s smaller force
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Wayne’s troops moved closer to Fort Miami
The Battle of Fallen Timbers
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Wayne knew that it was an Indian custom not to eat before battle
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The warriors waited three days for Wayne’s force
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Grew weaker and hungrier
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Wayne soundly defeated the Indians at the Battle of Fallen Timbers
After the Battle of Fallen Timbers
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Indians fled to Fort Miami
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British closed the gate on them
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British would not help them
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Battle of Fallen Timbers crushed the Indians’ hope of keeping their land
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Indians signed the Treaty of Greenville- agreeing to surrender their homelands in what is now
Ohio
Problems with Europe
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Many Americans cheered the French Revolution, but it soon grew bloody
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France and Britain went to war and Washington hoped to maintain neutrality
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The French sent diplomat Edmund Genet to recruit American volunteers
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Washington then issued a Proclamation of Neutrality
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French and British warships were also barred from American ports
The British Fight Back
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British warships captured American ships that traded with France
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The British forced American sailors to join the British navy (impressment)
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Washington sent John Jay to negotiate peace with Britain, and Jay’s Treaty was signed
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Britain agreed to leave American soil
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It said nothing about the impressment or British interference in trade
Treaty With Spain
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Spain feared the US and Britain would work together against them in North America
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Thomas Pickney was sent to Spain to settle the differences
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1795- Pickney’s Treaty gave the Americans free navigation of the Mississippi River and the right
to trade at New Orleans
Washington’s Farewell
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After two terms
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In his farewell he attacked political parties
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Also attacked the involvement in foreign affairs
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“Observe good faith and justice toward all nations…”
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“It is our true policy to steer clear of permanent alliances”
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These words influenced the nation’s foreign policy for more than 100 years
Section 3 The First Political Parties
Opposing Views
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Even President Washington was not liked by everyone
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Many of those were supporters of Thomas Jefferson
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Political Parties began to form
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People disagreed with each other, even in Washington’s cabinet (Hamilton and Jefferson)
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Even Washington was partisan (Favored one side of an issue)
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Washington usually favored Hamilton
Political Parties Emerge
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Similar differences existed in Congress
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Two distinct political parties formed
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Federalists- supported the policies of Washington’s administration
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Democratic-Republicans (Republicans)
Federalists
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Stood for a strong federal government
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Favored banking and shipping interests
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Support in the Northeast and wealthy plantation owners of the South
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1791- Philip Freneau wrote the National Gazette that turned public opinion against the
Federalist
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Jefferson and Madison later organized people who disagreed with Hamilton
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Were called the Democratic-Republicans
Democratic-Republicans
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“Republicans” wanted to limit the government’s power
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Feared a strong federal government would endanger people’s liberties
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Appealed to small farmers and urban workers
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Support in the Middle Atlantic states and the South
Views of the Constitution
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Hamilton’s view (Fed.)- federal government had implied powers (Loose Construction)
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Powers not expressly forbidden in the constitution
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Hamilton used this idea to justify a national bank
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Jefferson and Madison (D-R)- disagreed and said there is a strict construction of the Constitution
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They believed implied powers are “absolutely necessary” to carry out the expressed powers
The People’s Role
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Federalists supported representative government
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Public office should be held by honest and educated men
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Ordinary people were too likely to be swayed
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Republicans feared a strong central government
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Washington tried to get his two advisors (Hamilton and Jefferson) to work out their differences
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They didn’t and Jefferson resigned as Secretary of State
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Later Hamilton resigned as Secretary of the Treasury
Election of 1796
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Federalists and Republicans held meetings called caucuses
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Members of Congress and other leaders chose their parties’ candidates for office
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Federalists chose John Adams for President and Charles Pickney as VP
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Republicans chose Thomas Jefferson for President and Aaron Burr as VP
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The electoral college votes - Adams 71, Jefferson 68
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A Federalist president and a Republican VP
President Adams Problems
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1. The XYZ Affair
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2. Alien and Sedition Acts
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3. Domestic and Foreign Affairs
XYZ Affair
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The French started to seize American ships that carried cargo to the British
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Fall of 1797- Adams sent delegates to Paris to try to resolve the dispute
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The French foreign minister, Charles de Talleyrand refused to meet with the delegates
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Instead he sent three agents (X,Y, and Z) who demanded a bribe and a loan for France
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The Americans replied “not a sixpence” and sent a report to Adams
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Adams said he would rather pay for a war and told Congress to prepare for war
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This became known as the XYZ Affair
Alien and Sedition Acts
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Public anger rose against France, Americans became suspicious of aliens
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Immigrants living in the country who were not citizens
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Many Europeans who came to the US in the 1790s supported ideals of the French Revolution
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Some people questioned if aliens would remain loyal if the US went to war with France
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Federalists responded with strict laws to protect the nation’s security
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Sedition- Activities aimed at weakening the established government
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Alien Act allowed the president to imprison aliens, or send those considered dangerous out of
the country
Domestic and Foreign Affairs
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Republicans responded to the Alien and Sedition Acts by standing up against what they regarded
as Federalist tyranny
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Madison and Jefferson wrote protests that called the Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions
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Said that the A&S Acts violated the Constitution
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So the A&S Acts could not be put into action
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The Kentucky Resolution suggested that states might nullify federal laws considered
unconstitutional
Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions
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Supported the principle of states’ rights
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This states that the powers of the federal government should be limited to those clearly
assigned in the Constitution
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States should have all other powers not expressly forbidden to them
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The issue of states’ rights would remain an important issue
Adams’ Decision
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To help them politically, Federalists urged Adams to declare war on France
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Adams didn’t, instead appointed a new commission to seek peace with France
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1800- France agreed to a treaty
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This hurt Adams chance of reelection
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Hamilton and his supporters now opposed the president