1. Launching the New Republic
Chapter 7
Launching the New Republic

2. Government under the constitution
Following ratification, the states unanimously selected George Washington as our country’s first president, and John Adams as our first vice president
Washington’s first cabinet would consist of five positions: Secretaries of State, Treasury, and War, attorney general, and postmaster general

3. The court system & bill of rights
The next order of business was to establish the national court system. When Congress passed The Judiciary Act in 1789, many fears were subdued by establishing a federal district court in each state that operated according to local procedures
James Madison led the efforts to establish the promised Bill of Rights offering citizens specific protections from the government
The Constitution had only been ratified due to a Bill of Rights protecting citizens being promised. James Madison would be instrumental in drafting these protections which would be added to the Constitution in 1791

4. Alexander Hamilton & the nation’s finances
Alexander Hamilton as Secretary of the Treasury developed a plan where the national government would repair its credit by issuing bonds to pay roughly $54 million in debt
Additionally, roughly $25 million in state debts would be assumed by the national government and paid off
Finally, a National Bank would be established in order to provide loans for expanding the economy
All of these policies would begin to divide the country into two early political parties, the Federalists and Democratic-Republicans (also known simply as Republicans)

5. The whiskey rebellion
When farmers in Western Pennsylvania protested Hamilton’s tax on whiskey, an uprising known as the Whiskey Rebellion developed
George Washington would raise a militia of nearly 13,000 men to put down the rebellion, the first serious crisis of protest as a new nation
Protesters during the Whiskey Rebellion assumed that the same mob tactics which were used to protest Parliamentary actions such as the Stamp Act were also justified in this instance. Washington quickly showed that mob rule would not be allowed.

6. What to do about the French revolution?
The French Revolution, which started in 1789, would serve to drive a wedge between groups with different political ideals; primarily splitting northerners from southerners & westerners.
People of the North preferred to ally themselves with Great Britain due to the distrust of mob rule in France, and economic interests which favored England
People of the South & West preferred a French alliance. Southern slaveholders sided with the French in their battle against Haiti, and Western farmers felt the French would open up the port of New Orleans from Spanish rule

7. Washington retires & adams ascends
Frustrated by the growing partisanship of politics, George Washington did not seek another term as President
Following a close election in 1796, John Adams would be selected as president, and Thomas Jefferson would be vice president
This would mark the first time a president & vice president would be from opposite political parties
Adams took over amid high tensions between Great Britain & France, and tried to avoid having the United States caught in the middle
George Washington’s farewell as he retires to return to Mount Vernon

8. Adams as president
The presidency of John Adams would be marked by two significant issues that would define his career, the XYZ Affair and the Alien & Sedition Acts, both developing due to tensions with France
The XYZ Affair took place when Adams sent a peace commission to France hoping to avoid war, but the group was informed that a bribe was necessary prior to talks
The Alien & Sedition Acts grew out of the threat of war with France, and the fear that speaking out against the government would harm war efforts should violence with France break out

9. The election of 1800
Under the tense environment of the Alien & Sedition Acts and looming conflict with France, the election of 1800 would be marked by an extremely divided political atmosphere and voter turnouts which more than doubled compared to 1796
Eventually, following 35 ties over the course of nearly a week, Thomas Jefferson would be selected as President by the House of Representatives
Thomas Jefferson would tie in the Electoral College with running mate Aaron Burr, forcing the decision to go to the House of Representatives