What makes a government successful? Topic #5 The Early Republic

Creating a New Government The new government started out with a huge problem. It had inherited a national debt of $52 million from the Confederation. With no navy and an army of around 400 men, the U.S. was not respected by other countries. The new government did have some extraordinary leaders. In 1789, the new electoral college system elected George Washington as President of the United States. He took the job reluctantly. John Adams was elected Vice President. Washington’s administration (those that help him work), in the beginning was a small group but over time many of his actions and changes became precedents or acts that form tradition. Precedents- One of Washington’s most important precedents was the formation of a Cabinet. The Cabinet leaders headed major departments of the executive branch and more importantly they advised the President. (unwritten constitution) Washington selected Alexander Hamilton (a true Federalist who believed in a strong centralized government) as Secretary of the Treasury. He wanted to quickly fix the debt problem and proposed the following:

Was Hamilton’s Plan Constitutional? Depends on how you look at it. Hamilton decided the best way to recover financially was to redistribute wealth in two ways: from farmers to merchants and from the South to the North. All of Hamilton’s ideas were part of his loose construction interpretation of the Constitution. His critics, Jefferson and Madison favored a strict construction interpretation which limited the federal governments powers. The Compromise- In 1791, by a narrow vote, Congress approved: full funding of the federal debt (the South absorbs the debt) the implementation of a new excise taxes the creation of a national bank In return Hamilton promised: in 10 years the national capital would move in 1792, Washington was reelected and the capital was moved to Washington D.C. The Whiskey Rebellion was the first test of the new power of the nation. Is everyone happy?

Political Parties Start to Emerge The Whiskey Rebellion highlighted the growing division in American politics. The Federal government, headed by Washington and Hamilton, sought to secure its power and authority. = The Federalists The opposition led by Madison and Jefferson grew stronger. = Democratic Republicans Washington’s advice Farwell Address

Jefferson as President When the Democratic Republicans took power, they spoke of the election as a “revolution”. Jefferson set out to do things differently. Jefferson: Encouraged Congress to abandon the Alien and Sedition Acts, as well as the hated taxes on stamps, land and alcohol. He wanted to pay down the national debt, it went from $80 million to $57 million in In general, he played down the wealth of the Federalist Party. The Marshall Court In 1801, when Jefferson became President, John Marshall became Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Marshall was a Federalist. Actions: Marshall claimed the Supreme Courts power to review acts of Congress and the President= Judicial Review 1803 Marbury versus Madison was the first use of Judicial Review

Louisiana Purchase 1803 – this purchase nearly doubled the size of the U.S. and was acquired from France for $15 million.

In 1804, Jefferson sent Lewis and Clark to explore the new territory.

New Nation = New Infrastructure The original 13 states hugged the Atlantic Coast, at the start of the 19 th century, overland transportation consisted of carts, wagons, and stagecoaches over dirt roads. In an effort to improve transportation new ideas emerged: turnpikes-users had to pay a toll, that money was used to maintain the road The National Road-made of crushed rock and funded by the Federal Government steamboat-The Claremont designed by Robert Fulton was the first commercially successful steamship. By 1850, a steamship could cross the Atlantic in days. Erie Canal- completed in 1825, it ran 363 miles across NYS from Lake Erie to the Hudson River. It helped make NYC the nation’s commercial center. It also enhanced the value of farmland in the Great Lakes due to easier access to markets in the East. Railroads- railroads cost less to build, could move faster and carried more weight than any of the other new innovations.

Industrial Revolution – developments in technology that transformed manufacturing. Samuel Slater- brought British innovations to the U.S. and started the so called family system. It evolved around water powered textile mills. Francis Cabot Lowell-established a manufacturing system and employed young, single women often from farms. They adhered to strict behavior guidelines and lived in boarding houses just for employees. They were referred to as the “Lowell Girls”. Eli Whitney- to improve efficiency he invented the interchangeable parts system and the cotton gin Samuel F.B. Morse- In 1837, invented the electric telegraph. The system of codes and dashes became known as Morse Code. A message could now travel instantly as as compared to the pony express letter method. By 1860, the nation had 50,000 miles of telegraph lines.

Difference between North and South Industrialization takes hold in the north. Jefferson had hoped to preserve the U.S. as a nation of farmers. Instead, between 1815 and 1860, the U.S. developed an industrial sector in the North. Cotton production soared in the South creating a need for more slaves. Slaves became more valuable.

Marshall Court Increases Federal Power YearCasePrinciples Established 1803Marbury v MadisonJudicial review- Supreme Court has power to declare federal laws unconstitutional. 1819McCulloch v MarylandEstablished Congress’s constitutional authority to create a national bank. 1824Gibbons v OgdenAffirmed Congress’s right to regulate interstate commerce (trade). The Monroe Doctrine- in 1823 President Monroe issued a written document declaring that European monarchs had no business meddling with American republics.

Jacksonian Democracy By the election of 1828, Jacksons’ supporters were calling themselves Democrats, not Democratic Republicans. Jacksonian Democracy triumphed in this election and he defeated John Quincy Adams. The party promised a return to Jeffersonian principles: 1. strong states 2. a weak federal government that wouldn’t interfere with slavery Jackson quickly rewarded his loyal political supporters with new positions in government. This “reward” practice becomes known as the Spoils System.

Jackson Policy – American Indian Removal Jacksons political base lay in the South. Those voters expected him to help them remove the 60,000 American Indians living in the region. In 1832, American Indians appealed their case of removal to the federal courts (Worcester v Georgia), the court ruled that Georgia’s land seizure of Indian territory was unconstitutional. Jackson however, ignored the Marshall Court decision. “John Marshall has made his decision, now let him enforce it” Jackson urged Congress to pass the Indian Removal Act of 1830 In 1838, U.S. soldiers forced 16,000 Cherokees to walk from their lands in the Southeast to Oklahoma which has become known as the Trail of Tears.