I. President Washington (pages 279–281) On Apr. 6, 1789, G. Washington was elected 1st prez. of...

I. President Washington (pages 279–281)

• On Apr. 6, 1789, G. Washington was elected 1st prez. of new nation.

• Precedents, or traditions, that he set continue to shape presidency of U.S.• Everything Washington did would set

precedent for future prez.• Martha Washington too

Interesting Facts about GEORGE WASHINGTON

• Birthday: February 22, 1732• Birthplace: Westmoreland, VA• Education: No college, studied

at home• Wife: Martha Dandridge Custis

Washington (widow)• Occupations: planter, soldier,

surveyor, cartographer• Height: 6’2” • Favorite Foods: ice cream, fish• False Teeth: all but one at end

of life; made of ivory• Pets: Horse named Nelson

Mr. President• On April 30, 1789 George

Washington was inaugurated president in 1st capital NYC

• He was very serious• Wore a dark brown suit

w/silver eagle design buttons (suit is now at the Chicago Historical Society)

• No political party


• Congress created 3 dept.s in executive branch: State Dept., Treasury Dept., & War Dept. • Also created offices of attorney general

& postmaster general.• Washington appointed

• Thomas Jefferson-secretary of state • Alexander Hamilton- secretary of

treasury• Henry Knox- secretary of war• Edmund Randolph- attorney general. • These people became known as the

cabinet.• After much debate, Prez given power to

dismiss cabinet officials w/out Senate approval.


• Judiciary Act of 1789 established Supreme Court, district courts, & courts of appeals.

• John Jay was appointed to lead Supreme Court as 1st chief justice.

• In December 1791, 10 amendments were added to Constitution. • These amendments protected individual

rights & became known as Bill of Rights.

• New US faced growing national debt, or amount of $ owed by govt. to lenders.

II. Strengthening the Economy (pages 281–284)

• To fight Revolutionary War, govt. borrowed $ by issuing bonds-paper notes promising to repay $ in certain length of time. • While waiting for repayment, many

citizens sold their bonds to speculators- people who take risks w/their $ to make larger profit.



IOU

$100 today= 130 in 5 years

“My country needs $ for the war- I’ll loan them $100 today to get paid back w/interest later.”

Now worth $130

Maybe you hit hard times and need $. You may sell it for what you bought it for or less to a speculator.

IOUBought for $100 sold for $75

5 years later

Hamilton

• Born Jan. 11, 1755, on island of Nevis• Illegitimate child• Very smart• Came to US after mother’s death• Ambitious- America was land of

opportunity• Fought in Rev. War.- became aide to GW• Settled in NY & had successful law firm

• Alexander Hamilton proposed that national govt. pay off American citizens who had supported country in war by paying bonds’ original value.

• Hamilton believed U.S. must repay all debts so• It won’t lose trust of investors• To gain respect from other countries


• Congress & many citizens, particularly in Southern states, opposed idea.

• James Madison & others believe Hamilton’s plan would reward speculators• They shouldn’t make big profit on war

• Some had bought bonds at fraction of price

• Also, most southern states had already paid their debts. • Believed other states should do same.


• Hamilton promised to support putting nation’s capital in South if southerners agreed to his plan for repaying state debts• Congress agrees & passes bills in 1790

both to take over state debts & move capital• Capital will not be part of any state

• A special district was created btwn. VA & MD for nation’s capital, which became Washington, D.C.

• In meantime capital is moved from NYC to Philadelphia


• A national bank was created despite some opposition • Bank of the United States (BUS)• Some (Jefferson & Madison) believed it

would be unconstitutional• Bank would be place for govt. to deposit $

& make loans to businesses


• Hamilton proposed a protective tariff (tax on imports) to encourage people to buy American products.• Congress passed low tariffs to raise $ but

did not pass protective tariffs.• $ from tariffs became 90% of govt. income

• Congress approved variety of national taxes for operating expenses of national govt., an idea proposed by Hamilton.


Bank of the United States

to encourage economic growth

• The government deposited money from taxes in the Bank.

• The Bank issued paper money to pay the government’s bills and make loans to farmers and businesses.

Tariff, or tax, on foreign goods

to make imported goods more expensive than American-made goods

• Hamilton & many northerners wanted a high tariff to protect American goods from foreign competition. •Southern farmers opposed a high tariff.•Congress passed a tariff, but it was lower than the tariff Hamilton wanted.

I. The Whiskey Rebellion (page 286)

• Farmers bartered (traded) whiskey for goods they needed. • Western farmers distilled grain into

whiskey before shipping it to East- whiskey was more valuable than grain.

• In 1791 Congress placed tax on whiskey & other alcoholic beverages.

I. The Whiskey Rebellion (page 286)

• A large mob of farmers attacked tax collectors who came to get tax money. • This protest was called Whiskey Rebellion.• Washington sent troops across

Appalachian Mts. to put down rebellion, but rebels had disbanded.

• However, this sent message that if citizens wished to challenge law they had to do it peacefully.

• Native Americans living btwn Appalachian Mts. & MS River insisted that U.S. govt. had no authority over them. • Battled Americans over frontier land.

• Washington sent Gen. Arthur St. Clair to restore order on frontier

• Chief Little Turtle defeated U.S. soldiers.

II. Struggle Over the West (page 287)

• Native Americans’ demanded that all settlers north of OH River leave territory • Washington sent another army headed by

Anthony Wayne • Wayne’s army defeated Native Americans

at Battle of Fallen Timbers. • Treaty of Greenville (1795) Native

Americans agreed to surrender most of their land in present day OH


• In 1789, French rebelled against their king (Louis XVI)• July 14th- Bastille Day

• Peasants & middle class paid heavy taxes, while nobles paid none.

• French wanted constitution to limit king’s power & protect basic rights.

Reaction in America• At 1st most Americans

were supportive of French• We understood desire

for liberty/democracy• They were our 1st ally

• French Rev. took violent turn

• Jacobites took power & used guillotine to kill 1,000s; including King Louis XVI & his wife Marie Antoinette

• When Britain & France went to war in 1793, Washington hoped U.S. could maintain its neutrality (not take sides in conflict).

• French sent Edmond Genêt to US to gain America’s support• Washington discouraged American

involvement: “ It is the sincere wish of United America

to have nothing to do with… the squabbles of European nations”

• Issues Neutrality Proclamation- April 1793

III. Problems with Europe (pages 288–289)

Neutrality Proclamation• April 1793 GW issues Neutrality Proclamation

• US won’t support either side in war • No American is allowed to aide either side• Jefferson was not happy- this & other

differences (esp. w/ Hamilton) cause him to resign

• Difficult for GW to enforce proclamation• US citizens still wanted to do business w/

both countries • Britain & France want U.S. to take sides

• US had made treaty w/ France during Am. Rev. that allowed France to use US ports• France wanted to use these ports during

war to restock ships & launch attacks on British ships

• It’s hardly staying neutral if French use U.S. ports

• Cabinet is divided• Jefferson still sees France as our ally & feels

that a country has the right to revolt any way they choose

• Hamilton & Adams disagree w/ Jefferson• Believe that freedom won through

violence is “ill gained”• They argue that the treaty US had w/

France was made w/ king who is dead so treaty does not have to be honored

• American merchants keep trading w/ both sides

• This angers both Britain & France• Neither country respects U.S. neutrality

rights• British forced crews to serve in navy-

practice known as impressment.• Many Americans want to go to war w/ Britain

• Washington knows country is too weak to get in another war

• He sends John Jay over to work out agreement


• British agreed to Jay’s Treaty• Few Americans approved of treaty.

• Didn’t address issue of impressment • Didn’t mention Britain’s interference

w/American trade.• Britain must:

• Pay damages for ships captured in 1793

• Give up forts in OH Valley• Despite protests Senate approved treaty

in 1795- GW accepted too to avoid war


• Spain, worried about becoming target of British & American forces, wanted to estab. positive relationship w/US. • Washington sent Thomas Pinckney to

make deal w/Spanish. • Pinckney’s Treaty gave Americans right to

sail on MS River & right to trade at New Orleans.


• Washington announced he would not seek 3rd term.

• He resigned as prez. in 1796, after 2 four-yr. terms.


The Ultimate Precedent• No president until FDR would run for 3rd term• In Washington’s Farewell Address he left

Americans w/ 3 pieces of advice printed in the American Daily Advertiser on Sept. 17, 1796 • Try to avoid political parties & geographic

differences- they will tear country apart• Try to stay neutral- don’t get too close to

any one country nor develop a hatred for any one country

• Don’t get involved in European business

Washington’s Retirement

• Washington would be retired for less than 3 yrs. before he died in 1799

• Martha would live another 3 yrs. dying in 1802

I. Opposing Views (pages 291–293)

• As political issues arose in new country, Americans began taking sides, becoming partisan (favoring 1 side of an issue).

• By mid-1790s, 2 political parties had taken shape: Federalists & Democratic-Republicans.


• Federalists stood for • strong U.S. govt. • policies favoring biz.

• Hamilton & Federalists believed federal govt. had implied powers (powers that were suggested but not directly stated in Const.)


• Opposition to Federalists began when Philip Freneau began publishing newspaper.• Opponents to Hamilton came together &

called their party Democratic-Republicans. • They wanted

• limited central govt.• policies favoring farmers & urban

workers.• Jefferson & Madison disagreed w/ Hamilton.


• Federalists supported representative govt.

• Republicans believed that liberty was safe only if ordinary citizens participated in govt.

• Washington tried to ease tensions btwn. 2 groups, but Jefferson & Hamilton ended up resigning their posts.


• Election of 1796 • To prepare for election, Federalists &

Republicans held caucuses (meetings). • John Adams represented Federalists in

election• Thomas Jefferson represented

Republicans.• Adams won election- Jefferson became

v.p.! • Adams: 71 electoral votes, president• Jefferson: 68 electoral votes, v.p.

• Election process though not perfect worked to put 2nd president into office

John Adams- 2nd Prez.• Born in MA Bay Colony in 1735. • Harvard-educated lawyer• Delegate to 1st & 2nd CC• During Revolutionary War he served in

France & Holland in diplomatic roles• Helped negotiate Treaty of Paris• Adams' 2 terms as VP were frustrating

• He complained to his wife Abigail, "My country has in its wisdom contrived for me the most insignificant office that ever the invention of man contrived or his imagination conceived."

II. President John Adams (pages 293–297)

• French resented Jay’s Treaty • Felt it was an attempt to help Britain. • They began to seize American ships that

carried cargo to Britain.• Adams sent a delegation to France to

settle dispute


• French foreign minister Charles de Talleyrand would not meet w/ Americans.

• Instead, 3 French agents were sent • Asked for $250,000 for Talleyrand & $10

mill. loan for France• American delegation refused


• US diplomats told Adams- Adams told Congress referring to French agents as “X,Y & Z”• Americans learned of incident & created

slogan: “Millions for defense, but not one cent for tribute!”

• In response, Congress:• Established Navy Department in April

1798 • Increased size of American army.


• Although war was not officially declared, French & U.S. naval ships clashed several times btwn. 1798-1800.

• Many Americans felt France was an enemy.• Republicans, who had been friendly w/

France in past, did not condemn French. • Because of this, some Republicans were

voted out of office.


• Americans became more suspicious of aliens (immigrants-not citizens but living in US). • Many aliens supported ideals of French

Revolution. • Some Americans feared that these

aliens would not remain loyal if US went to war w/ France.

• Federalists passed Alien & Sedition Acts attempting to protect nation’s security.• Sedition refers to activities aimed at

weakening established govt.

• Alien Act passed in 1798 allowed Prez. to expel any foreigner thought to be dangerous to country

• Sedition Act made it legal to fine or even jail citizens for criticizing gov’t or its officials!

• Citizenship requirements also change- previously white males could become citizens after living in U.S. for 5 yrs.- new law changed to 14 yrs.!• Again, immigrants often voted Republican

Republicans are Outraged

• Rightfully so Republicans were irate w/ new laws• Blatantly infringed on rights- esp. 1st

amend.• Pro-Republican editors & even Congressmen

were fined & jailed under Sedition Act• Jefferson urges states to take action against

laws


• Many Federalists believed that Alien & Sedition Acts would weaken Republican Party. • Instead, laws hurt Federalists more. • An even larger # of immigrants gave their

support to Republicans. • Newspaper editors jailed for sedition were

hailed as heroes in cause of freedom of the press.


• VA & KY Resolutions of 1798 & 1799 claimed that Alien & Sedition Acts could not be put into action because unconstitutional. • The Kentucky Resolutions also suggested

that states could nullify, or legally overturn, federal laws considered unconstitutional.

• VA & KY Resolutions affirmed principle of states’ rights- limiting federal govt. to those powers clearly assigned by Const.


• In 1800 French agreed to treaty w/ U.S. & stopped attacks on American ships.

• John Adams is now considered the “Father of the U.S. navy”

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