Post on 30-Dec-2015
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Launching the New Ship of State
Chapter Ten
George Washington & his Cabinet
George Washington
• John Adams—Vice President
• Thomas Jefferson—Sec. of State
• Alexander Hamilton—Sec. of the Treasury
• Henry Knox—Sec. of War
• Edmund Randolph—Attorney General
First Job of the New Government:
• To add a Bill of Rights to the Constitution 2/3 vote by Congress & ratified by ¾ of states Used George Mason’s bill of rights in VA as a
guide Key: provided safeguards for some of America’s
core principles
• Judiciary Act of 1789 Organized the Supreme Court with a Chief
Justice (John Jay) and originally 5 associates KEY COURT CASE: Marbury v. Madison, 1803
Hamilton’s Financial Plan:• BE FAT (yes, an acronym)
• B—the creation of the Bank of the United States (BUS)
• E—Excise Tax on whiskey
• F—Funding at Par (key: increase national credit)
• A—Assumption of State Debts; Hamilton wanted the states to be more obligated to the federal government
• T—Tariffs (custom duties) passed to help new industries growing in the U.S.
Strict vs. Loose Constructionists
• Issue of the BUS: Strict constitution: strict interpretation of the
Constitution (Jefferson) Loose constitution: broad interpretation of the
Constitution (Hamilton) Jefferson opposed BUS b/c felt it was not
stipulated in the Constitution Hamilton argued the Constitution allowed for a
BUS b/c of “elastic clause” of Constitution• Bank necessary to store tax revenue and regulate
trade
Whiskey Rebellion (1794)
• Who: sw PA backcountry folks hit hard by excise tax
• What: challenged the new national gov; Washington sent a militia to stop rebellion
• Significance: Federal government showed it could ensure domestic tranquility
• Hamilton’s financial plan became a cornerstone of America’s financial system
Birth of Political Parties
• Constitution never mentioned party system
• 2 well-defined groups emerged: Hamilton Federalists Jeffersonian Republicans
• 2 political party system started over a clash b/t Hamilton and Jefferson
Hamilton’s Federalists
• Believed in gov by upper class
• Distrusted the common people
• Supported a strong central gov
• Gov to encourage business & not interfere with it
• Pro-British in foreign policy
Jeffersonian Republicans
• Advocated the rule of the people; gov FOR the people
• Biggest appeal was to the middle class & poor
• Democratic-Republicans believed the best gov was one that governed least
• National debt was a curse to future generations
• Jeffersonians were primarily agrarians
• Believed in freedom of speech to expose tyranny
• Pro-French in foreign policy