The Federalist Period, “We are in a wilderness without a single footstep to guide us.”

I. Legitimizing the New Government Spring, Constitution ratified - Washington elected - Govt. meets in NYC All “Federalist”, all the time

A. Elect a hero George Washington, Revolutionary unity 3. Cabinet; Supreme Court

B. Bill of Rights 1. Conclusion to a long struggle, Constitution itself a shield of liberty

II. Making the Government Work

A. Political parties 1.No parties initially unnecessary & undesirable , 1796 – parties necessary & desirable Why, do you ask?

3. Parties tie government/public together branch to branch government to people people to government 4. Articulate conflicting demands of public rich v. poor urban v. rural region v. region

5. Parties revolve around competing visions in Washington’s cabinet Federalists Republicans Hamilton, Adams Jefferson, Madison

B. The Federalist Vision John Adams Alexander Hamilton 1. Anglophiles: imitate, rival Great Britain manufacturing/commercial economy protect native industry pro-British trade agreements

2. Popular in the northeast

3. Hamilton’s Reports, Common sense measures become source of bitter partisanship a. Funding national debt - win support of creditors - people cheated out of bonds

b. assuming state debts - Southern states already paid off - favored New England c. national bank - over-extending constitutional authority?

d. Tax on distilled liquor - critical for cash-starved farmers

III. Federalism comes unhinged Foreign and domestic affairs collide

A. French Revolution, Liberty, equality, fraternity a. Revolutionary ideology & Federalism 2.Reign of Terror, a. strained Washington’s administration b. Washington criticized

B. American Jacobins 1. Democrat-Republican societies a. KY – Mississippi navigation b. PA, NC – no whiskey tax 2. Whiskey Rebellion, 1794

C. The Jay Treaty 1.Britain’s unneutrality - Little Turtle’s War ( ) - Battle of Fallen Timbers (1794) 2. Anglophobia in Congress

3. Jay Treaty, Brits abandon NW forts (didn’t) - US pays debts (couldn’t) - Brits respect neutrality (wouldn’t) 4. Washington/Federalists take a spanking John Jay

IV. Adams Administration The proposition that the people are the best keepers of their own liberties is not true. They are the worst conceivable, they are no keepers at all; they can neither judge, act, think, or will, as a political body.

A. Election of Adams/Jefferson Administration - opposing factions / divided nation 2. Federalists control cabinet

B. X,Y,Z Affair, Bribe for French govt. - Ch. Tallyerand 2.U.S. united by insult - Dept. of Navy - standing army - “Quasi-war”

C. Adams/Hamilton overreach 1.Chance to ruin Republicans , Alien Act / Naturalization Act - arbitrary power , Sedition Act - “contempt or disrepute”

D. Crisis foreshadowed 1.Adams Administration all Anti-Feds feared 2.Virginia, Kentucky Resolutions, states had right to “nullify” feds

V. The Revolution of 1800 “We are all Republicans; we are all Federalists”

A. Jefferson wins 1.Democratic achievement - fear of civil war 2.Hamilton supports TJ

B. The Federalist Legacy 1.“Midnight appointments” - business-friendly judiciary 2.Jefferson’s 1 st Inaugural - conciliatory tone - borrows heavily from Hamilton’s plans