THE FIRST FOUR PRESIDENCIES
AND GROWTH OF THE REPUBLIC
(American History Lesson Plan)
Lynne O’Toole
September 2010
THE FIRST FOUR PRESIDENCIES AND GROWTH OF
THE REPUBLIC
Introduction
This Grade 5 lesson plan promotes continued emphasis and development of student
research and presentation skills in their American History studies. Previous learning
units cover John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and George Washington’s respective roles in
regards to the American Revolution; and the Constitutional Convention and the
development of the early government of the United States. This goal of this lesson plan
is to extend student learning of the later life and achievements of the first four presidents.
Massachusetts State Frameworks for Grade 5
5.18 - Describe the life and achievements of important leaders during the Revolution
and the early years of the United States.
A) John Adams
B) Thomas Jefferson
C) James Madison
D) George Washington
5.29 - Explain events leading up to, and significance of the Louisiana Purchase of 1803.
5.32 - Describe the causes of the War of 1812, and how events during the war
contributed to a sense of American nationalism.
A) British restrictions on trade and impressments
B) Major battles and events of the war
i)
The role of the USS Constitution
ii)
Burning of the Capitol building
iii)
Battle of New Orleans
Objectives
•
•
•
Students will be able to: identify, in order, the first four presidents of
the United States; identify their respective vice presidents, and the political
parties each of these executives belonged to.
Students will be able to discuss key issues of each administration, by
identifying at least one significant success, and one challenge.
Students will be able to discuss at least one significant event from each
administration, and analyze its significance to the development of the new
nation.
Time Frame
This activity will span 6 class periods. The first two will be used for introduction of the
project and research. The remaining four periods will be utilized for presentation and
extension activities.
References
Social Studies text – Silver Burdett Ginn Our United States Needham, MA 1997
- Houghton Mifflin United States History, Boston, MA 2005
History of US –Volume 4 by Joy Hakim
Quotations from George Washington
www.whitehouse.gov/about/presidents
www.ipl.org/div/potus
www.npg.si.edu
Procedure
Students will be broken up into four groups – each group responsible for the research,
and presentation of required information, on one of the first four presidencies.
Topics to be covered will include: a short biography of the chief executive, presidential
data (including: election dates, number of years in office, serving vice president, political
party each belonged to), key issues facing the presidency, a significant event occurring
during the presidency, and presidential legacy. Each member of the group will present
one topic of discussion regarding the assigned presidency. Group members will take the
identity of one of the significant personalities involved in the life of the assigned
president. Presenters will introduce the “personality” and the connection with the
president being covered, and then introduce their topic of discussion.
Washington presenters:
• George Washington
• First Lady Martha Washington
• Vice President John Adams,
• Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson (international relations) or Secretary of the
Treasury Alexander Hamilton (care for the nation’s finances).
Adams presenters:
• John Adams
• First Lady Abigail Washington
• John Quincy Adams
• John Marshall, Secretary of State
Jefferson presenters:
• Thomas Jefferson
• Martha Jefferson
• Vice President Alexander Hamilton
• Lewis and Clark
Madison presenters:
• James Madison
• First Lady Dolly Madison
• James Monroe, Secretary of War
• Francis Scott Key
Background Information
By using reference materials, students should develop information, in age appropriate
language covering much of the following information.
WASHINGTON
George Washington came from the middling aristocracy of Virginia. Though respected,
his family did not have a great deal of wealth, so his education was not as notable as that
of other important men of his time. He gained status by marrying up, into a substantially
wealthy family when he married Martha Dandridge Custis. Between the lands brought to
him by his wife, and those that he acquired as payment for services of the French and
Indian War, he had one of the largest land holdings in the country. He was a gentleman
farmer, who loved his agricultural life. He approached this endeavor with a scientific
mind as he experimented with both types of crops planted and growing techniques.
As a military hero, he was instrumental in the success of the war despite incredible odds.
He was the type of leader who led in front of his troops; he was willing to physically
expose himself to enemy fire. In addition, he had the ability to take command and inspire
his soldiers to do what seemed to be the impossible.
Though he was not a giant intellectual, he was considered a giant of character. He was
self-motivated and very self-disciplined. He was very cognizant of public opinion, and
like many of his contemporaries was very concerned with how he would be remembered
for posterity. He was a very social person. He and his wife had guests most evenings.
He utilized these visits to his advantage because he learned from the conversations held.
Washington had been content to retire from public life after the war, but because of the
political fears that arose after Shay’s Rebellion he decided that he needed to come out of
retirement and become an active participant in the Constitutional Convention.
Historians categorize the people attending the Constitutional Convention into five groups.
One of these groups were the “national symbols”, Washington, along with Benjamin
Franklin, was a member of this group bringing stature and prestige to the proceedings.
After months of work at the convention, Washington was pleased with the outcome. He
freely admitted that it was not perfect, but he believed that the convention “achieved the
best form of government that has a chance of being adopted.”
The United States elected a President for the first time in 1789.
Key Issues in the Washington Administration
• Solidifying the republican institution – the fear for the republican experiment was
whether or not it could work. Republics had been successful in small, urban
areas. The problem in 1790 was that America was a country of immense land
area, and a relatively small, agricultural population. Washington faced this goal
with strong political leadership. He recognized that the citizenry still had some
lingering fears that the central government and the executive branch would
become too powerful. He tired to embody his administration with a sense of
bridging the past with the republican concepts laid out in the Constitution.
Publically his approach was to present himself as the military hero, with an aura
of incorruptible, upright leader. He played to image of the “Father of the
Country”, as he set the tone for future presidents.
•
Boosting the economy – Washington employed Alexander Hamilton, his former
war time aid de camp, as the “mastermind” of his administration’s economic
improvement plan. Hamilton’s plan included: funding the federal debt,
assumption of state debts, establishment of a national bank, boost manufacturers
leading to increased industrialization, and generating government revenue through
import duties and excise taxes on expensive luxuries. (leads to the Whiskey
Rebellion)
•
Strengthening national defense – the administration thought that this could be
obtained by improving dealings with European powers. Two examples of this
policy were the Jay Treaty and the Pinckney Treaty. The Jay Treaty resulted in
improved relations with Great Britain. Even though America had fought for our
independence against England, they knew that they needed a “big brother” to be
successful in international trade. Settling the boundary with the Florida territory,
and securing navigational rights along the Mississippi were two of the most
significant outcomes of the Pinckney Treaty.
Significant Event of the 1st administration - Whiskey Rebellion
Many farmers made whiskey out of their corn because it was cheaper to ship whiskey
than corn. Farmers felt that the tax on whiskey was unfair, because they were being
taxed on the only practical product they could sell. These protesting farmers resorted to
violent attacks against the government. Unlike Shay’s Rebellion, though, George
Washington decisively sent 13,000 troops to put down the farmer insurrection. It was the
president’s actions through the strengthened national government that lead to this positive
ending.
ADAMS
John Adams was born in Massachusetts in 1735. He was educated at Harvard. Early on
his studies were to prepare him to become a minister, but instead he studied the law and
became a respected lawyer of the colony. He was so committed to the law that he even
took on the defense of the soldiers accused of killing citizens during the Boston
Massacre. Adams firmly believed that every man had the right to an attorney’s
representation. He is quoted as saying, “If I can save one unjustly convicted man… it
will cover me from the scorn of historians.”
During the Revolutionary Period
As a delegate to the First and Second Continental Congress he was instrumental in the
developing of the Declaration of Independence and advocating for independence at the
Second Continental Congress. During the Revolutionary War he served in France and
Holland as a statesman helping to negotiate loans to fiancé the war. At its conclusion he
helped negotiate the treaty of peace. He remained a foreign minister for the United States
until he returned to become George Washington’s vice president.
While he was in Europe, he learned of the events of Shay’s Rebellion. His reaction to
this was intense fear for the viability of the new country. It was one of the driving forces
for him to promote the need for a more powerful central government; therefore he was a
devoted member of the Federalist political party.
Adams only served one term. In 1800 he and his family arrived in the new Capital City
to take up residence in the White House.
Key Issues during Adams’ Administration
• Foreign policy was sorely tested during Adam’s administration. When he became
president, the on-going war between France and England was causing troubles for
the Americans, especially on the high seas. Adams focused the country’s
negotiations with France. The French foreign minister refused to negotiate.
When Adams reported this to Congress published the French dispatches of
disinterest. These became known as the XYZ Dispatches, and infuriated the
people of the United States.
• Adams insisted that the country was in dire need of a navy, to show its strength on
the water, as well as on the land. He convinced Congress to appropriate moneys
to commission several warships. It is because of this that John Adams has come
to be called the Father of the American Navy.
• Prior build up of the navy and army leads to America’s success in the “Quasi
War”. The peace treaty with France leaves the American fleet freed to continue
trade with Haiti. Adams finally sends an emissary to France to effect a treaty,
unfortunately peace does not come in time to effect the outcome of the 1800
election in which he is defeated.
Significant Event of the 2nd presidency – The Alien and Sedition Acts
As the country feared that war would come because of the problems with France, in
1798, the Federalist-controlled Congress passed a series of laws. The laws were known
collectively as the "Alien and Sedition Acts. There were four laws. The Naturalization
Act – extended the residency period for aliens seeking citizenship from 5 to 14 years. The
Alien Act, which allowed aliens who were considered dangerous to be deported during
peacetime. The Alien Enemies Act which allowed the deportation of imprisonment of
aliens considered dangerous in wartime. And the Sedition Act which provided for
financial fines or imprisonment for individuals who criticized the government. The Alien
Acts were never enforced, but the Sedition Act was. A number of Republican newspaper
publishers were convicted under the terms of this law. These laws became a rallying
point for Jeffersonian politicians in the next election, and contributed to Adams defeat for
a second term.
JEFFERSON
Thomas Jefferson was born in 1743 in Virginia, inheriting a large plantation. He studied
at the College of William and Mary, and then concentrated his training in law. In 1772
he married Martha Skelton, and took her to live at his home, Monticello.
During the 1770’s Jefferson was known as a staunch supporter of the patriotic cause,
hoping a new country could obtain its independence from the mother nation. Not known
for eloquence of speech, but he was noted for his “felicity of pen”; so Jefferson
contributed to the patriotic cause by his published writings. This is why he was a natural
choice to write the Declaration of Independence.
During the Confederacy – he was very fearful of the threat that the Executive Officer of
the new country to be corrupted in ways similar to the monarchies of Europe. His
trepidation of putting too much power in the hands of the central government can be seen
in his reaction to Shay’s Rebellion. As opposed to many of the other Founding Fathers
who saw this event as a major indicator that the American confederacy was fatally
flawed, Jefferson saw the rebellion in Massachusetts as a natural course of events, that
conflict is a predictable outcome of national growth and development. Later, as a cabinet
member in George Washington’s administration, Jefferson often butt heads with
Alexander Hamilton over the power of the central government. Jefferson was inclined to
limit the central government, so that state rights would not be infringed upon; this
limitation of government powers directly opposed Hamilton’s viewpoint. In addition,
Jefferson and Hamilton also disagreed about how the nation’s finances should be
managed. Jefferson was against the idea of Hamilton’s national bank, which continued to
strain their one time friendship. These fundamental political differences led to the
creation of the political parties. People supporting Jefferson’s point of view were
considered part of the Democratic - Republican Party, while those that believed as
Hamilton did were known as the Federalist Party. There were some compromises
between these parties though. One of the best known resulted in moving the nation’s
capital to the area that would become the District of Columbia.
Jefferson was a politician who disliked confrontational conflict. He was noted for being
closed-mouth and understood the significance of silence. He was an astute student of
public opinion and mastered the politics of personal presentation in appearance, and the
need to monitor gossip. Jefferson is also an ambitious politician who wanted to be
remembered for doing good things; as the man who could preserve the fruits of the
American Revolution, in a new republican government dedicated to the simplicity of
virtue.
Key Issues in the Jefferson Administration
• When Jefferson took over as president in 1800, he took over a much divided
nation. He was a member of a different political party that his predecessor John
Adams. That is why in his inaugural address he tried to conjoin the two political
parties by saying “We are all Republicans - we are all Federalists”. He wanted
the Americans to unite no matter which party they had voted for. As a leader, he
was charismatic and intelligent. He was a good administer of his republican
•
•
vision. He staffed his cabinet with good people who were loyal. His presidency
characterized by his ability to “lead without having to command, and dominating
policy without controlling”
His goal was to create a government that was wise and frugal, but one that does
not take away from the fruits of the people’s labors. He believed that the federal
government should be constrained to the areas of foreign affairs, war, and
commerce; all other affairs should be administered by the states. Jefferson
managed to dramatically shrink the size of the government, and cut taxes. In
addition, he shrunk both the army and the navy.
On the foreign front, American shipping is being attacked in the open seas from
European powers. Jefferson institutes an embargo on all trading of goods, in the
hopes of forcing Europeans to allow America free shipping. Unfortunately
neither side of this power struggle capitulates, and the ultimate losers in this
stand-off become the American merchants and tradesmen. The country falls into
an immense economic depression. Smuggling of goods is combated by Jefferson
instituting marital law in the northern states. Because of the talk of northern state
secession, Madison pleads with Jefferson to finally lift the embargo and return to
open trading policies.
Significant Event of the 3rd presidency - Louisiana Purchase
Jefferson was a firm believer in the advancement of the country as an agrarian society.
This leads to his most noteworthy real estate procurement. In 1802, Spain closed the port
of New Orleans and then sold it to France. Americans in the western states had been
using this port to get their goods to market, so they wanted to control New Orleans.
Jefferson wanted to purchase New Orleans from Napoleon. Napoleon was again
preparing for war with Great Britain and he knew that he could not defend Louisiana
against the British navy, and he needed funds to finance the upcoming conflict.
Therefore the French emperor decided to sell. Jefferson’s emissaries offered $10 million
for New Orleans, which the French refused. The counter offer was that the United States
could purchase both New Orleans and the remainder of the Louisiana territory for $15
million. This real estate deal cost the United States about 3 cents an acre, and more than
doubled the size of the country. Jefferson’s belief in open space was bolstered by this
opportunity. But was it good for farming? Jefferson sends Lewis and Clark into this
uncharted territory to find out whether the continent really did house the sought after
Northwest Passage, and to explore the land to see if it is satisfactory for expansion and
settling. They were to gather information about the landforms, plants, animals, and
climates of the West, as well as study the cultures of the western lands natives. The
information gathered on this journey will be instrumental in the westward expansion of
the American people.
MADISON
James Madison was born in 1751 in Virginia, and attended Princeton. A well-respected
lawyer he participated in the Virginia Constitution and was a leader in the Virginia
Assembly.
In 1787, he was appointed as a member of the Constitutional Convention. During that
summer his daily notes provide the greatest evidence of what went on in the meetings in
Philadelphia. Though the initial directive of the Constitutional Convention was to amend
the Articles of Confederation, within a week the representatives come to realize that the
Articles need to go. James Madison is one of, if not the strongest, proponent of this
argument – lobbying extensively for the necessity of a strong centralized government.
Madison believed that a republic was the best type of government that could keep order
and still protect rights. The power in a republic coming from the citizens themselves, the
citizens would exercise their power by electing leaders to represent them in a legislative
body. As a result, he proposed the Virginia Plan which proposed the legislative
representatives be determined by the population of the state represented. (Contrasted by
the New Jersey plan, where each state is given an equal number of representatives) After
weeks of heated discussion and compromises on representation and population counting,
the Constitution is comprised and the ratification procedure begins. Madison fervently
provides encouragement and support for ratification. In order to assist the ratification
process James Madison, Alexander Hamilton and John Jay wrote a series of essays called
The Federalist. These essays explained how the federal government would work under
the Constitution and provided persuasive discussions as to why the new nation needed it
to succeed. For all these reasons James Madison is considered to have been an integral
part of the success of our nation adopting the Constitution; that is why his is known as the
“Father of the Constitution”. Like Washington, he has fallen into one of the categories of
participants who diligently worked on the Constitution that summer. Madison was
considered one of “the smart guys”. Madison, along with Alexander Hamilton and
Charles Pinckney, fell into this group. They were well respected among the other
delegates, as well as within their respective constituencies.
Madison was also instrumental in the framing of the Bill of Rights; inclusion of which
had caused much dissension during the Constitution’s ratification process.
His leadership led to the creation of the Republican Party. James Madison was elected
the United States fourth president in 1808.
Key Issues of the Madison Administration
•
•
Economic depression because of the Embargo Act
When James Madison was elected in 1808, Britain and France were at war.
Madison hoped to keep the United States in a neutral position between these two
powers, so that Americans could continue to trade with both countries.
Unfortunately, tensions rose between the United States and Great Britain which
made them enemies. Even though the Revolution had won America its
independence, the two countries were once again having trouble. Britain still had
claims in North America and were provoking Native Americans in this area to
attack American settlers. Also, after the Great Embargo, British ships once again
began stopping American ships at sea, forcing American sailors to serve in the
British navy. Called impressment, this made some Americans very angry and
they called for war. In June of 1812, Madison asked Congress to declare war.
Significant Event of the 4th presidency – The War of 1812
In addition to stopping the impressments and to keep the British from helping the natives,
the United States also wanted to drive the British out of Canada. Most of the early
battles of the war started out on land near Canada. The U.S. army tried to invade Canada
several times early in the conflict, but they were beaten badly. The British even were
able to capture Detroit during one of these battles. Though a lot of battles were on land,
this war became known for its battles on water. American leader, Oliver Perry, forced
British ships on Lake Erie to surrender. In an attempt to recapture Detroit, the Americans
won a battle on the Thames River. Later, they would also win another important victory
at the Battle of Lake Champlain. It forced the British commanders to return to Canada
and give up their plans to invade New York. In August of 1814, the British attacked
Washington D.C. The British captured Washington, and burnt the White House.
Luckily, First Lady Dolly Madison had attempted to collect important papers to be taken
to safety. Then the British moved on to Baltimore. The British attempted to capture Fort
McHenry, but the American army was able to hold on and did not surrender. The events
of this battle have been immortalized by Francis Scott Key in a poem he wrote while
watching the fight. This poem was later set to music and became “The Star – Spangled
Banner”.
After two years of fighting, neither Britain nor the United States was winning the war.
They parties agreed to end it. A peace treaty was signed in Ghent, Belgium. The largest
of the battles was the Battle of New Orleans, which because communication traveled so
slowly in those days, the battle was fought two weeks after the two sides had signed the
peace treaty.
The war didn’t settle much. No lands were won or lost, but Americans gained selfconfidence. Twice they had stood up to the mighty British Empire and twice they had
defeated her. Without British support, the Native Americans stopped harassing settlers,
and it would now be easier for white settlers to move west.
Extension Activities
I. George Washington – post presentation
Objective: To give students an opportunity to gather insight into the personality of
George Washington by determining those themes that he believed should be of the most
concern for people of his time.
Activity: Working in pairs, students will be given a quote attributed to Washington. They
will read and analyze the quote, to determine which theme Washington is referring. The
quote will be read aloud to the class; then the pair will offer a paraphrase of the quote and
place it in the appropriate category on the theme chart displayed in the classroom.
Theme categories: Personal Behavior, Education, Military Duty, The New Nation
Quotes to be distributed:
Personal Behavior
• Strive not with your superiors in argument, but always submit your judgment to
others with modesty
• It is absurd to act the same with a clown and a prince.
• With me, it has always been a maxim rather to let my designs appear from my
works than by my expressions. To talk long beforehand of things to be done is
unpleasant.
• In your apparel be modest and endeavor to accommodate nature, rather than to
procure admiration.
• Be courteous to all, but intimate with few, and let those few be well tried before
you give them your confidence.
• It is better to offer no excuse than a bad one.
Education
• To promote literature in this rising empire, and to encourage the arts, have even
been amongst the warmest wishes of my heart.
• A knowledge of books is the basis upon which other knowledge is to be built.
• Every effort of genius and all attempts towards improving useful knowledge
ought to meet with encouragement in this country.
Military Duty
• There is one reward that nothing can deprive me of, and that is the consciousness
of having done my duty with the strictest rectitude and most scrupulous exactness.
• The best general advice I can give is to be strict in your discipline, that is, to
require nothing unreasonable of your officers and men, but see that whatever is
required be punctually complied with.
• Orders, unless followed by close attention to the performance of them, are of little
avail.
• Remember that it is the actions, and not the commission, that make the officer…
The New Nation
• Nothing but harmony, honesty, industry, and frugality are necessary to make us a
great and happy people.
• However unimportant America may be considered at present, there will assuredly
come a day when this country will have some weight in the scale of empires.
• No man is a warmer advocate for proper restraints and wholesome checks in
every department of government than I am.
• My policy has been, and will continue to be… to be upon friendly terms with, but
independent of, all the nations of the earth.
• The welfare of our country is the great object to which our cares and efforts ought
to be directed.
II.
Thomas Jefferson – post presentation
Objective: Teaching with Images - Students will be given the opportunity to deconstruct
a famous portrait in order to gain insight into the areas of importance in colonial
America
Activity: Students will view a portrait of Thomas Jefferson for analysis. In a teacher
directed discussion various parts of the portrait will be discussed.
For example, some of the following features will be pointed out for student consideration:
• tight pants to make legs look sexy because female clothing did not lend itself to
this
• wearing a cravat to hide a man’s Adam’s apple
• ruffled shirt to keep hands in a position not to get messed by sauces
• significance of wigs
• males wearing make-up
• analysis of backgrounds features and why they might have been included (ex.
Rainbow representing good times)
Students then working in small groups will be given another portrait to analyze. The
group will report out to the whole class, sharing gained insight.