Chapter 9: Launching a New Republic

This powerpoint covers the people, issues, and events that are important to know as we look at the new government formed by the

Constitution of the United States.*****Please write everything in PURPLE*****

George Washington Nation’s first president.

Elected and Inaugurated in 1789 after the Constitution was ratified and went into effect.

The only president to ever get 100% of the electoral vote (and he did it twice!!!!)

Refused, at first, to let Congress pay him because he was wealthy and saw himself as a servant of the people so he shouldn’t be paid!

George Washington Cont. Set many precedents as president

A precedent is a decision someone makes on how to handle an issue that then becomes a “rule” on how others will follow later in dealing with similar situations.

Appointed a cabinet of officials to give him advice on how to deal with issues while he was president.

He only ran for president twice, this was followed by each president until Franklin D. Roosevelt ran 4 times during the 1930s and 40s.

Washington’s Cabinet Thomas Jefferson = 1st Secretary of State

Wanted the expansion of state’s rights (fought for the Bill of Rights to be added to the Constitution)

Liked the idea that the federal government would be weak compared to the states.

Wanted the US to be more rural and full of farmers.

Would become part of the Democratic Republican Party.

Washington’s Cabinet… Alexander Hamilton = 1st Secretary of the

Treasury A member of the Continental Congress &

Constitutional Convention. Co-Authored the Federalist papers, wanted a strong

federal government. Thought the way to pay for our Revolutionary War

debts was to raise money through Tariffs (taxes on imported goods).

Tariffs would raise money for the government, encourage American industry, & encourage Americans to buy more American-made goods!

Thought the US should be urban (full of cities and manufacturing).

Alexander Hamilton & The Bank of the United States

Hamilton wanted to create an official bank of the United States.

He believed that having a bank to issue currency and make loans to businesses would strengthen the United States.

Other people, including Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, opposed the bank because they feared the national government would gain too much power.

They didn’t believe that the government had the power to create a bank at all.

Washington heard both sides but eventually decided to go with Hamilton and allow the creation on the bank.

Alexander Hamilton & The Bank of the United States

Hamilton’s financial plan for the United States had 3 parts: 1) create the national bank 2) paying off war debts (by using revenue

from tariffs) 3) raising money for the government!

Domestic Issues Facing Washington (Domestic = Inside the US)

Debate on the National Bank

Whiskey Rebellion 1794 1791 Congress applied a tax on whiskey.

Farmers refused to pay the tax They needed whiskey to trade for goods Grain was MUCH harder to transport than whiskey was

Washington called out the state militia to put down the rebellion which they did with no problem.

Rebellion was important b/c it confirmed the authority of the federal government over the people of the US!!!!!

Foreign Issues Facing Washington(Foreign = Outside the US)

War between Britain and France Each nation wanted us to take sides Caused tensions to grow with Britain

The Jay Treaty helped ease tensions w/ Britain. Britain agreed to leave forts near the Great Lakes. Revolutionary debts were forgiven. Britain’s colonies in the West Indies were opened to

trade with America. Ended up avoiding war with Britain and instead

allowed the US to have a decade of Prosperity.

Washington & The Judiciary Branch

Was able to appoint 10 Supreme Court Justices, more than any other president.

Judiciary Act of 1789Signed into law by WashingtonAct set up the Supreme Court to have 6

members, 5 Justices and 1 Chief Justice (this would later be changed to 9 total).

Also gave the Supreme Court the right to issue certain rulings outside of their jurisdiction which will later be declared unconstitutional.

Washington’s Farewell Address “The great rule of conduct for us in regard to

foreign nations is…to have with them as little political connection as possible. So far as we have already formed engagements let them be fulfilled with perfect good faith. Here let us stop.”

Washington wanted the US to follow a foreign policy based on the principle of non-involvement in European affairs.

Trade was fine, but he wanted us to not get involved with anything happening across the ocean or we might get pulled into their problems.

Other points of Washington’s Farewell Address

Warned against creating political parties. He felt that political parties would do nothing but split

the people into factions (groups) against each other instead of everyone working for the good of the United States.

Warned against taxing the American people too heavily. He felt the people would not soon forget what Britain

had done to the colonies with taxes and that we should be careful not to repeat the same mistakes.

Development of Political Parties

Disagreements over Alexander Hamilton’s financial program and wanting to create a national bank split Congress into factions.

Development of Political Parties Alexander Hamilton & the Federalists-

Believed in a strong national government Believed in LOOSE CONSTRUCTION (interpretation)

of the Constitution. Thought the Constitution was just a base-line of powers

given to the government. The government, according to federalists, could do more if it was necessary to run the government effectively.

Believed that the “elastic clause” (also called the “necessary and proper clause”) written in Article I of the Constitution gave the government broader powers than just those listed in the Constitution.

Early Leaders included Alexander Hamilton and John Adams.

Development of Political Parties Cont.

The ‘Elastic’ Clause Also called the ‘Necessary & Proper’ Clause. Listed in Article I section 18 of the Constitution (where the

powers of Congress are specifically listed) This is what gave Federalists the idea that government had

more powers than just those listed in the Constitution.

“To make all laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into execution the forgoing powers, and all other powers vested by this Constitution in the government of the United States, or in any department or officer thereof.”

….. What is this saying? Does it give Hamilton and the Federalists the power to do things NOT listed in the Constitution or must they still follow it to the letter?????

Development of Political Parties Cont.

Thomas Jefferson & the Democratic-Republicans- Believed in a LIMITED national government

Believed in a STRICT CONSTRUCTION (interpretation) of the Constitution.

Thought the Constitution stated THE ONLY THINGS the government could do. According to the Democratic Republicans, the Constitution could not be “added to” on an as needed basis. If it was listed in the Constitution, the government had the power to do it but if it wasn’t, too bad.

Early leaders included Thomas Jefferson and James Madison