Chapter 10: Launching the New Ship of State p. 196-202

Mutinous Moonshiners in Pennsylvania 1. In 1794, in western Pennsylvania, the Whiskey Rebellion flared up when fed-up farmers revolted against Hamilton’s excise tax on whiskey. Around those parts, liquor and alcohol was often used as money. They said they’d been unfairly singled out to be taxed. They cried “taxation without representation” since many were from Tennessee and Kentucky which were not yet states and had no one in Congress. 2. Washington sent an army of 13,000 troops from various states to the revolt, but the soldiers found nothing upon arrival; the rebels had scattered. 3.Washington’s new presidency now commanded respect, but anti-federalists criticized the government. 4.The new government was stronger than the Articles of Confederation

And in this anonymous 1795 political cartoon called, "Triumph Government," Jefferson is seen as the man trying to halt the "wheels of government" while Benjamin Franklin Bache, and his newspaper, the Aurora, is shown being trampled by George Washington's armed cavalcade.

The Emergence of Political Parties 1. Hamilton’s policies (national bank, suppression of Whiskey Rebellion, excise tax) seemed to encroach on states’ rights. 2. As resentment grew, what was once a personal rivalry between Hamilton and Jefferson gradually evolved into two political parties. 3. The Founding Fathers had not envisioned various political parties. 4. Since 1825, the two-party system has helped strengthen the U.S. government, helping balance power and ensuring there was always a second choice to the ruling party.

In this cartoon entitled, "The Providential Detection," Thomas Jefferson kneels before the altar of Gallic despotism as God and an American eagle attempt to prevent him from destroying the United States Constitution. He is depicted as about to fling a document labeled "Constitution & Independence U.S.A." into the fire fed by the flames of radical writings. Jefferson's alleged attack on George Washington and John Adams in the form of a letter to Philip Mazzei falls from Jefferson's pocket. Jefferson is supported by Satan, the writings of Thomas Paine, and the French philosophers.

The Impact of the French Revolution Near the end of Washington’s first term two parties had evolved: the Jeffersonian Democratic-Republicans and the Hamiltonian Federalists. 2. The French Revolution greatly affected America. At first, people were overjoyed, since the first stages of the revolution were not unlike America’s dethroning of Britain.

3. When the French declared war on Austria and threw back the Austrian armies and then proclaimed itself a republic, Americans were overjoyed. 4. After the revolution turned radical and bloody, the Federalists rapidly changed opinions and looked nervously at the Jeffersonians, who felt that no revolution could be carried out without some bloodshed. But neither group completely approved of the French Revolution. 5. America was sucked into the revolution when France declared war on Great Britain and the battle for North American land began again. Executioner of King Louis XVI shows the head of the King of France to crowd. The king was only one of the thousands of victims of Robespierre and his "Committee of Public Safety" and "Revolutionary Tribunal"

Washington’s Neutrality Proclamation With war came the call by the Jeffersonian Democratic Republicans to enter on the side of France. The Hamiltonian Federalists leaned toward siding with Britain. 2. Washington knew that war could mean disaster and disintegration, since the nation was militarily and economically weak and politically disunited. In 1793, he issued the Neutrality Proclamation, proclaiming the U.S.’s official neutrality and warning Americans to stay out of the issue and be impartial. 3. This neutrality proclamation clearly was based on calculations of American self interest, and the controversial statement irked both France and Britain.

Washington’s Neutrality Proclamation ctd. 4. Soon afterwards, Citizen Edmond Genêt, landed at Charleston, South Carolina, as representative to the U.S. On this trip to Philadelphia, he had been cheered by Jeffersonian Democratic-Republicans (JDR’s), and he came to wrongly believe that Washington’s Neutrality Proclamation didn’t reflect the true feeling of Americans. He equipped privateers to plunder British ships and to invade Spanish Florida and British Canada. He even went as far as to threaten to appeal over the head of Washington to the voters, and was kicked out of the U.S. 5. Actually, America’s neutrality ultimately helped France, since it was the only way to get American foodstuffs into the Caribbean islands. 6. Although France was angry with the U.S. for not helping them, the U.S. was never officially obligated to honor its alliance from the Treaty of 1778 because France didn’t call on it to do so.

Embroilments with Britain Britain still had many posts in the frontier and supplied the Indians with weapons. 2. The Treaty of Greenville, in 1795, had the Indians cede their vast tract in the Ohio country to the Americans after General “Mad Anthony” Wayne crushed them at the Battle of Fallen Timbers on August 20, 1794. It was here that the Americans learned of, and were infuriated by, British guns being supplied to the Indians.

3. Ignoring America’s neutrality, British commanders of the Royal Navy seized about 300 American merchant ships and kidnapped scores of seamen into their army. 4. Many JDR’s cried out for war with Britain, or at least an embargo, but Washington refused, knowing that such drastic action would destroy the Hamilton financial system, which was dependent on British customs collections for U.S. revenue.

Jay’s Treaty and Washington’s Farewell In a last attempt to avert war, Washington sent John Jay to England to work something out. However, the negotiations were sabotaged by Hamilton, who secretly gave the British the details of America’s bargaining strategy. 2. The results of Jay’s Treaty were not good: Britain would evacuate its chain of forts on U.S. soil Britain would repay the lost money from the recent merchant ship seizures called “impressment”, but it said nothing about future seizures or supplying Indians with arms. America would have to pay off its pre-Revolutionary War debts to Britain. 3. The JDR’s were angry about making “peace” with Britain, but happy that at least war was avoided. 4. The Pinckney Treaty of 1795 with Spain gave Americans free navigation of the Mississippi and the disputed territory north of Florida. Oddly, it was the pro-British Jay Treaty that prompted Spain to be so lenient, as they were afraid that the USA would create a new Anglo-American alliance.

After his second term, Washington wearily stepped down, creating a strong two-term precedent. His farewell address warned against building permanent alliances with foreign nations, and of conflicting political parties. Washington had set the U.S. on its feet and had made it sturdy, with perhaps his greatest contribution being that he kept the young country out of foreign wars.