Challenges to the
New Government
challenge #1
Debt, debt, debt
• The new government was in debt,
and something had to be done
about it.
• Washington did something that
many people would not like?
• He raised taxes!
what did washington tax?
• Washington taxed
whiskey.
Why whiskey?
• Farmers had a hard time getting their
grain to market, so they turned their
grain into whiskey, which was easier to
transport.
• They got more money for the whiskey
anyway.
• Farmers traded the whiskey for salt, sugar, and other goods, using it like
money to get whatever they needed.
• Farmers did not have the money to pay for the tax, which meant they
could not buy what they needed.
so, what happened?
• The farmers who grew the grain to make the whiskey were
angry.
• In the summer of 1794, a group of farmers in Western
Pennsylvania rebelled against the whiskey tax and staged the
Whiskey Rebellion.
• One group beat up a tax collector and coated him with tar
and feathers.
The Governments Response
• Alexander Hamilton wanted the government to
look strong. He encouraged President
Washington to stop the revolt.
• 13,000 Federal troops marched to Western Pennsylvania and put
down the revolt.
•They were led by President Washington.
•Washington had proved that the government would deal
with people not obeying the law.
Washington’s Farewell
Address
• Before he retired, Washington
gave a farewell address
(speech). In it he...
• Warned against political
parties - he thought they
caused arguments.
• Washington also urged the
nation to remain neutral and
not become involved in
foreign alliances.
• Warned against a powerful
military.
Political Parties
• Despite Washington’s warnings, political parties
developed.
• The first two political parties were the Federalists and
Democratic-Republicans.
• The Federalists wanted a strong national government.
• The Democratic-Republicans thought a strong
national government would lead to tyranny.
Hamilton versus Jefferson
• Alexander Hamilton led the Federalists.
• Thomas Jefferson and James Madison led the
Democratic-Republicans.
• Northern merchants and manufacturers became
Federalists.
• Southern farmers and workers became DemocraticRepublicans.
John Adams elected the 2nd
president
• Washington’s vice-president,
John Adams, became the
second president in 1796.
• Thomas Jefferson came in
second, and became the vicepresident.
XYZ Affair
• The U.S. was having problems with France. They were seizing
American ships so they couldn’t trade with England.
• Adams sent men to France to work out the problems.
• However, the talks would occur only if the Americans agreed to
loan France $10 million and to pay the minister a bribe of
$250,000. The
• Americans refused. The incident became known as the XYZ
Affair.
Alien and Sedition Acts
• These acts targeted aliens—immigrants who were not yet
citizens.
• The period for becoming a U.S. citizen went from 5 to 14 years.
• The president was given the power to arrest disloyal aliens or
order them out of the country during wartime.
• A fourth act outlawed sedition, saying or writing anything false or
harmful about the government.
Free Speech?
• The Alien and Sedition Acts violated the First Amendment rights to freedom
of speech and press.
• As you just took notes on, you could be arrested for writing something bad
about the government.
• 25 newspaper editors were arrested, and 10 were found guilty of sedition
(speaking badly against the government).
• Adams served only one term as president. He was beaten by Thomas
Jefferson in the election of 1800.
Jefferson Takes
Office
Election of 1800: Adams vs. Jefferson
Federalists vs. Democratic-Republicans
• Each party believed that the other was endangering the Constitution
and the American republic.
• The Democratic-Republicans (led by Jefferson) thought they were
saving the nation from having a king. They argued, again and again,
that the Alien and Sedition Acts supported by the Federalists violated
the Bill of Rights.
• The Federalists (led by President Adams) thought that the nation was
about to be ruined by radicals—people who take extreme political
positions.
So, who won?
• People were overjoyed by
Jefferson’s election. A
Philadelphia newspaper
reported that bells rang, guns
fired, dogs barked, cats
meowed, and children cried
over the news of Jefferson’s
victory.
What was Jefferson’s
Philosophy?
• Jefferson wanted the United States
to remain a nation of small
independent farmers. Such a
nation, he believed, would uphold
the strong morals and democratic
values that he associated with
country living.
Jefferson cuts
• Jefferson reduced the number of federal employees to
cut costs.
• He also reduced the size of the military.
• He used revenues from tariffs and land sales to reduce
the amount of money owed by the government.
Jefferson thought debt was bad.
Judicial Review
• This ruling in Marbury vs. Madison established the
principle of judicial review. This principle states that the
Supreme Court has the final say in interpreting the
Constitution. In other words, when the Supreme Court
rules, their decision is final. By establishing judicial
review, Marshall helped to create a lasting balance
among the three branches of government.