Early Republic

Launching a New Republic

THINK about it…

• Under the new Constitution, we have a President

• What kind of person would you choose to help you govern?

• What challenges might you have in being the first President?

George Washington takes office

• 1789 – the electoral college selected George Washington as President

• John Adams got the second most votes = Vice President

• April 30, 1789 – George Washington was inauguratedinaugurated – sworn in as president

Setting up the courts

• Federal Judiciary Act of 1793Federal Judiciary Act of 1793 - gave Supreme Court 6 members

• Over time, that number has grown to 9– An odd number

prevents a tie if they vote

Washington’s cabinet

• cabinetcabinet - heads of departments who help the President lead the nation

• Washington had 3 men in his cabinet:–Secretary of State – foreign interests–Secretary of War - defense–Secretary of the Treasury - $$

Secretary of State

• Thomas Jefferson• In charge of foreign

interests

Secretary of War

• Henry Knox• In charge of defense

Secretary of the Treasury

• Alexander Hamilton

• In charge of the Nation’s finances

The new nation’s economy

• Alexander Hamilton was appointed secretary of the Treasury

• The nation was in debt. They borrowed money from other countries for the war.

• Hamilton’s Financial Plan1. Pay off war debts

2. Raise government revenue

3. Create a national bank

Paying off debt – how?

• Hamilton’s idea to pay off the national debt was with tariffstariffs – a tax on imported goods.

• Tariffs serve 2 purposes:– Raise money for the government– Encourage growth of American

industry

Washington D.C.

• Gov’t told Virginia if it would give its debt to the national gov’t the federal city would be built on its door step

• Built on 10 square miles of land inbetween Virginia and Maryland and belongs to NO state

• Virginia’s debts were paid off due to the tourist activity in the new capital

Whiskey Rebellion

• Hamilton put a tax on whiskey

• Farmers were upset because whiskey and the grain it was made from were important products

– The Whiskey RebellionThe Whiskey Rebellion – a group of farmers rebelled against the tax

– Washington sent armies to end the rebellion – this showed the government had power

Create a national bank

• Why a national bank?

– Give the government a safe place to keep money

– Make loans to business and government

– Issue paper money

How does a bank work?

How does a bank work?

Political Parties form

Main disagreement was Americans were divided over how the nation should be run•political partypolitical party – a group of people that try to promote ideas & influence government

1. Jefferson & Madison = = Democratic-Republican PartyDemocratic-Republican Party

2. Hamilton = Federalist Party = Federalist Party

Democratic-Republicans

• Supported civil liberties (individual rights)• Wanted nothing more than a coastline defense• Weak federal government• Strict interpretation of Constitution• Did not like tariffs• Mostly agricultural based• Resided along the South and West of Country(frontier)• Supported the French• Preferred state banks over National Bank

Federalist

• Supported restrictions on civil liberties• Wanted a strong navy• Strong central government• Loosely interpreted the Constitution• Advocated the protective tariff• Gov’t should be ruled by best people• Business and merchant mariner along sea coast• Supported the British• Favor of a National Bank

French Revolution

• In France, the French began a revolution (similar to the American Revolution)

• France helped us in our revolution – do we help them?

• Neutrality proclamation of 1763 Neutrality proclamation of 1763 – we remain we remain neutralneutral, do not choose sides, do not choose sides– This is a major foundation for America’s This is a major foundation for America’s

isolationnist traditionisolationnist tradition

British Conflicts

• For 10 years Britain kept forts along the Great lakes in defiance of the treaty of Paris 1793.

• America had no Navy to stop from giving guns to the Indians, who attacked us as we moved west

• They also seized 300 merchant ships in the West Indies.

Washington Retires

• George Washington gave a farewell addressfarewell address when he retired from office.

• The address had 3 important points:1.1. Avoid debtAvoid debt2.2. Stay out of foreign Stay out of foreign

affairs (neutral)affairs (neutral)3.3. Do not form Do not form

political partiespolitical parties

Next election

• Federalists choose John Adams

• Democratic-Republicans choose Thomas Jefferson

• Adams becomes 2Adams becomes 2ndnd President President

• Jefferson becomes Vice President Jefferson becomes Vice President (2(2ndnd most votes) most votes)

– They were rivals

XYZ Affair

• XYZ Affair – Incident in which French agents attempt to get a bribe and loans from U.S. diplomats in exchange for an agreement that French privateers would no longer attack American ships; it led to an undeclared naval war between the two countries.

Undeclared War

• France vs America 1798 to 1800

• USA realized the need for Navy

• Marines were created in 1798

• Napoleon came to power in France in 1800

• He had big plans for Europe and couldn’t afford to be at war with the USA

Convention of 1800

• France agreed to no longer accept the treaty of alliance of 1798

• USA agreed to pay damages done to American shippers by France

• This ended the undeclared war.• The timing was critical in 1803 we doubled

the size of the USA and if we had been still fighting France this wouldn’t have happened

Federalist Power

• While the war was being fought the federalist gain overwhelming power in the Senate and House of Representatives

• We now had a Federalist president, supreme court and Congress

Alien & Sedition Acts

• Congress passed the Alien ActAlien Act – President can expel any person thought to be a threat (targeted immigrants)

• Sedition ActSedition Act – anyone who criticizes government can be jailed or fined

both were UNCONSTITUTIONAL

Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions

• Thomas Jefferson and James Madison anonymously wrote a response to the laws which criticized the abuse of power and violation of the peoples 1st amendment rights.

• This caused Americans to compare our gov’t to the British monarchy we had overthrown

Election of 1800

• Federalists choose John Adams

• Democratic-Republicans choose Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr

• There was a tie between Jefferson There was a tie between Jefferson and Burrand Burr

– The House of Representatives voted The House of Representatives voted and broke the tieand broke the tie

– Thomas Jefferson won the tie and Thomas Jefferson won the tie and became the 3became the 3rdrd President President