1. George Washington & America’s 1st Political Parties
The Young Republic,
George Washington & America’s 1st Political Parties

2. Building the Machinery of Gov’t
The Constitution created a “general framework” of gov’t but it was up to the 1st president & the 1st Congress to fill in the details:
The “gov’t” in 1789 had no federal court system, navy, or tax collection system
The Senate spent 3 weeks debating how the president should be addressed
One committee proposed: "His Highness the President of the United States and Protector of the Rights of the Same"
The new government consisted of nothing more than 75 post offices, a large debt, a small number of unpaid clerks, and an army of just 46 officers and 672 soldiers. There was no federal court system, no navy, and no system for collecting taxes.
The “government” consisted of nothing more than a large debt, 75 post offices, & an army of 700 soldiers

3. Building the Machinery of Gov’t
With James Madison’s leadership, the House of Representatives:
raised revenue by passing a protective tariff & a tax on liquor
gave structure to the executive branch by creating the State, Treasury, Justice, & War Depts
organized a federal court system via the Judiciary Act of 1789
Consisted of a Supreme Court with six justices, a district court in each state, and three appeals courts

4. The Importance of James Madison
“Father of the Constitution;” drafted the Bill of Rights; was the leader of Congress who helped create the 1st federal taxes, depts & courts; & will serve as the 4th president

5. Washington as President
The unanimous choice for the leader of the infant republic was George Washington
He established many precedents to make the presidency:
Created the 1st cabinet
Delivering an inaugural address
The title “Mr. President”

6. Washington as President
Washington’s 1st term as president was defined by domestic policy:
He helped define a strong & active presidency
Appointed strong, able leaders to cabinet posts
Focused on the U.S. economy
Traveled to every state to “show the people” their national gov’t

7. Washington’s Cabinet Alexander Hamilton, Secretary of Treasury
Henry Knox, Secretary of War
George Washington, President
Washington acted as president as he did as a military general: he surrounded himself with capable subordinates, listened to their advice, then made the final decision
Hamilton & Jefferson proved to be his most capable cabinet members but were also the most divisive because they had vastly different views on the role of gov’t for the new nation
Edmund Randolph, Attorney General
Thomas Jefferson, Secretary of State

8. As Sec of Treasury, Hamilton shaped the economy of the new nation
Alexander Hamilton
Hamilton believed a strong central gov’t was best for America:
He wanted the U.S. to grow as an industrial power with less dependency on Europe
He wanted the U.S. economy to mirror the English economy
He feared democracy would lead to anarchy; power should be in hands of wealthy citizens
As Sec of Treasury, Hamilton shaped the economy of the new nation 4 4

9. Thomas Jefferson
Jefferson believed that a limited gov’t would preserve liberty:
He saw the U.S. as an agrarian nation with active foreign trade to buy manufactured goods
He trusted the common people over the elitist aristocracy
He favored close ties with France, especially when the French Revolution began 5 5

11. Hamilton’s Economic Plan for America

12. Hamilton's Economic Plan
$54 million in national debt
$25 million in state debts
By 1789, one of America’s biggest challenges was its huge debt
Hamilton’s Report on Public Credit (1790) proposed:
“Funding” the national debt
“Assumption" of state debts
Creating a national bank
Gov’t aid to manufacturing
+ ~$25 million still owed by states) 6 6

13. Funding and Assumption
And an excise tax on distilled liquors (whiskey)
Funding: Congress to redeem U.S. certificates of debt at face value to prove to foreign investors that the U.S. would repay its debts
Assumption: Federal government would purchase states' debts to gain a better interest rate & create a “national” problem rather than individual state problems
Was initially defeated but salvaged when northern VA was proposed as cite for new U.S. capital (Compromise of 1790
In 1790, Washington signed into law Hamilton’s proposals on funding & assumption
Foreign investment poured into the U.S.
Was unsuccessfully opposed because most certificates were currently held by speculators 7 7

14. The Bank Controversy
Hamilton proposed the creation of a National Bank that would be privately owned, but federally chartered to regulate finance
Madison & Jefferson opposed the Bank of the U.S. (BUS) because:
It appeared to favor the rich
Its creation was not mentioned in the Constitution
This type of interpretation of the Constitution is called “strict construction” 8 8

15. The Bank Controversy
Hamilton defended creating a BUS under Article 1, section 8:
The Necessary & Proper Clause gave Congress “implied powers” to interpret the Constitution
This “Elastic Clause” allowed Hamilton to make a successful “loose construction” argument
Congress chartered the Bank of the United States in 1791

16. Promoting Manufacturing
Report on Manufacturing sought to boost manufacturing & reduce U.S. dependency on Europe
Opposition to Hamilton’s plan:
Madison feared strengthening the federal gov’t would destroy state sovereignty
Jefferson feared that the rise of cities would destroy agriculture & agrarian civic virtue
This plan was soundly defeated 9 9

17. Foreign Affairs

18. The Battle over Foreign Affairs
France was engulfed in the French Revolution; The U.S. supported the revolution, but feared its radical & bloody nature
In the 1792 election, Washington was unanimously chosen again
Foreign policy became the focus of Washington’s 2nd term:
War between England & France broke out in 1793 which divided Americans over who to support
England refused to obey the Treaty of Paris (1783) & barred the U.S. from West Indian trade
U.S. neutrality seemed to be the best option 10 10

19. The French Revolution Led to War Between England & France

20. The Peril of Neutrality
Americans seemed to favor France due to French assistance in the American Rev
Hamilton & Jefferson wanted neutrality but disagreed how:
Jefferson: punish England (due to impressment) by cutting off trade & reward France
Hamilton: England needed to be appeased, not coerced
Washington signed Proclamation of Neutrality (1793) to keep America out of foreign wars
At least until the Genet Affair: French diplomat Edmond Genet challenged American neutrality repeatedly in public 11 11

21. English & French “impressment” of American sailors

22. Jay's Treaty with England
The treaty avoided war with England but did not get the British to pay Southerners for lost slaves or merchants for impressed ships
John Jay demanded from England
The removal of British soldiers from western forts in America
payment for impressed ships
acceptance of U.S. neutrality
Jay’s Treaty (1794)
British vacated western forts
U.S. gained trade in West Indies
But, England did not recognize neutrality or end impressment
Jay was hung in effigy throughout America
The House challenged the Senate’s Constitutional authority to ratify the treaty 12 12

23. Pinckney’s Treaty with Spain
Prior to 1795, Spain closed U.S. access to the Mississippi River & encouraged Indian attacks
But, Spain interpreted Jay's Treaty as Anglo-American alliance against Spain & signed the Treaty of San Lorenzo (Pinckney’s Treaty):
Spain reopened the Mississippi
Settled the disputed border between Florida & U.S. 15 15

25. Treaty of Greenville with Indians
To end Indian attacks against white settlers in the West, the U.S. fought an Ohio Indian alliance led by the Shawnee at Battle of Fallen Timbers (1794)
Led to the Treaty of Greenville:
Indians ceded lands in Ohio
The U.S. promised “fair” dealings with Indian nations
Settlers rushed to Georgia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Ohio, & western New York
The end of the American Revolution unleashed a rush of white settlers into frontier Georgia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Ohio, and western New York. Hundreds died as Indians resisted the influx of whites onto their lands. To open the Ohio country to white settlement, President Washington dispatched three armies. Twice, a confederacy of eight tribes led by Little Turtle, chief of the Miamis, defeated American forces. But in 1794, a third army defeated the Indian alliance at the Battle of Fallen Timbers in northwestern Ohio. Under the Treaty of Greenville (1795), Native Americans ceded much of the present state of Ohio in return for cash and a promise that the federal government would treat the Indian nations fairly in land dealings. 14 14

26. America’s First Political Parties

27. America’s 1st Political Parties
Represented the “Spirit of 1776” & the fight against tyranny
Also called Jeffersonian Republicans or simply, Republicans
Disagreements over Hamilton’s financial plans & Anglo-French Wars led to the 1st political parties:
Democratic-Republicans: led by Jefferson, favored states’ rights, “strict construction,” ties to France, & liberty
Federalists: led by Hamilton, favored a strong national gov’t, “loose construction”, ties to England, & public order
Represented the “Spirit of 1787” & the fight for a stronger national gov’t 10 10

29. America’s 1st Political Parties
Political parties were seen as a conspiracy against liberty
Federalists & Dem-Republicans thought it was their duty to destroy the other party
In the Washington & Adams eras, the Federalists dominated politics, but Jefferson’s election in 1800 killed the Federalists
Commoners in the U.S. were highly literate
Newspapers transformed political culture in the U.S.; they were widely read, highly influential, & totally partisan 16 16

30. Whiskey Rebellion
Hamilton interpreted the rebellion as a Jefferson-inspired conspiracy
Jefferson saw it as an excuse by Federalists to raise an army to intimidate Republicans
The whiskey tax led yeomen in western Pennsylvania to start a Whiskey Rebellion in 1794
When the governor of PA refused to act, Federalists saw the revolt as a threat to safety
Washington himself led the U.S. army to suppress the rebellion
Both parties used the event to attack each other
Rioted with the same fervor as those against the Stamp Act
Political polarization was further intensified by the outbreak of popular protests in western Pennsylvania against Hamilton's financial program. To help pay off the nation's debt, Congress passed a tax on whiskey. On the frontier, the only practical way to transport and sell surplus corn was to distill it into whiskey. Frontier farmers regarded a tax on whiskey in the same way as American colonists had regarded Britain's stamp tax.
By 1794, western Pennsylvanians had had enough. Some 7000 frontiersmen marched on Pittsburgh to stop collection of the tax. Determined to set a precedent for the federal government's authority, Washington gathered an army of 15,000 militamen to disperse the rebels. In the face of this overwhelming force, the uprising collapsed. The new government had proved that it would enforce laws enacted by Congress.
Thomas Jefferson took a very different view of the "Whiskey Rebellion." He believed that the government had used the army to stifle legitimate opposition to unfair government policies. 17 17

31. Whiskey Rebellion, 1794
His mere presence (and the 15,000 soldiers he brought with him) was enough to end the Whiskey Rebellion
Political polarization was further intensified by the outbreak of popular protests in western Pennsylvania against Hamilton's financial program. To help pay off the nation's debt, Congress passed a tax on whiskey. On the frontier, the only practical way to transport and sell surplus corn was to distill it into whiskey. Frontier farmers regarded a tax on whiskey in the same way as American colonists had regarded Britain's stamp tax.
By 1794, western Pennsylvanians had had enough. Some 7,000 frontiersmen marched on Pittsburgh to stop collection of the tax. Determined to set a precedent for the federal government's authority, Washington gathered an army of 15,000 militamen to disperse the rebels. In the face of this overwhelming force, the uprising collapsed. The new government had proved that it would enforce laws enacted by Congress.
Thomas Jefferson took a very different view of the "Whiskey Rebellion." He believed that the government had used the army to stifle legitimate opposition to unfair government policies.
President Washington is one of two presidents (Madison is the other) who participated in combat while serving as president

32. Washington's Farewell Address
Washington was not limited by the Constitution to 2 terms, but in 1796 he announced his decision to retire
In his Farewell Address his final advice was that the US should:
Be neutral
Remain united
Warned against “entangling alliances” with foreign nations
Do not have political parties
Washington never acknowledged the faction in his cabinet, he tended to side with the Federalist perspective of gov’t
Washington’s decision to retire established the precedent of terms in office for presidents 18 18

33. Discussion Question:
George Washington is universally agreed to be the most significant of America’s Founding Fathers…
But, who is the 2nd most important of these early political leaders:
James Madison?
Alexander Hamilton?
Thomas Jefferson?
Someone else?
Make an argument for each & then rank order them with a clear justification for your #1 choice

34. The Adams Presidency

35. The Election of 1796
Adams won the presidency & the Federalists controlled the national gov’t from
The political parties that quietly emerged during Washington’s presidency played a pivotal role in the election of 1796
Former VP John Adams (Federalist)
Thomas Jefferson (Republican) 19 19

36. VP Jefferson & the Republicans constantly attacked Adams policies
The Adams Presidency
VP Jefferson & the Republicans constantly attacked Adams policies
Adams attempted to continue with Washington’s policies
But…his administration was plagued with problems:
Jefferson, his campaign opponent, was now his VP
Most of Adam’s cabinet took their orders from Hamilton who had retired with Washington
Tensions with France emerged
Hamilton was the unquestioned leader of the Federalist Party, who undermined Adams by advising the cabinet to ignore the president

37. The XYZ Affair & Quasi-War
During Adams’ administration relations with France declined:
France interpreted Jay’s Treaty as an alliance with England
France seized & impressed American merchant ships
An American diplomatic mission to France failed when 3 French officials (X, Y, Z) demand bribes ;
Provoked anti-French outrage in US; Federalists attempted to crush Dem-Reps by branding them as pro-French 20 20

38. French “impressment” of American sailors

39. The XYZ Affair & Quasi-War
The XYZ Affair led to anti-French sentiment in America & led to a “quasi-war” with France:
The U.S. tripled its armed forces to prepare for a French invasion
Adams created the Dept of Navy
The quasi-war increased the dislike between the Federalists leaders Adams & Hamilton
Hamilton convinced Washington to pressure Adams to name him control of the army
“Millions for defense, but not one cent for tribute!”
Adams was forced to do so, but retaliated by failing to approve many key army appointments & decisions

40. The Alien and Sedition Acts
Federalists used Alien & Sedition Acts to silence Repub criticisms:
Alien Enemies Act—presidential power to expel any foreigner
Naturalization Act—must be a U.S. resident for 14 years to gain citizenship & vote
Sedition Act—made criticism of the gov’t a criminal act
These acts were enforced by Federalist appointed judges 22 22

41. Kentucky & Virginia Resolutions
Republicans saw Alien & Sedition Acts as a dire threat to liberty:
Jefferson & Madison authored the Virginia & Kentucky Resolves suggesting that states could nullify federal laws that they saw as unconstitutional
VA & KY Resolves weakened the Federalists & planted seeds of nullification that would be used to justify the Civil War 23 23

42. Adams’s Finest Hour
In 1799, Adams sent a diplomatic envoy back to France to address the XYZ “misunderstanding”:
Napoleon voided the 1778 treaty that tied the U.S. to France
France ended its trade restrictions in the West Indies
Adams dismantled Hamilton's expensive & useless army
The improved relations paved the way for the Louisiana Purchase 24 24

43. Peaceful Resolution: The Election of 1800

44. The “Revolution of 1800” The Federalists were fatally divided by 1800:
Hamilton tried to undermine Adams’ reelection
Jefferson won election (despite a tie with VP candidate Burr)
1800 was a “revolutionary” election because the presidency was peacefully transferred from one political party to another 25 25

45. In his inaugural address, Jefferson claimed: “We are all Republicans, we are all Federalists”
To avoid another Jefferson-Burr tie, Congress passed the 12th Amendment which put presidential & VP candidates on separate ballots