ap chapter 10

Launching a New Ship of State1789-1800

American Pageant Chapter 10

Growing pains

• Population doubling every 25 years

• 90% rural

• 95% east of Appalachian Mountains

• Kentucky, Tennessee, & Ohio

– States w/in 14 years

– Restless group; conflict with Spanish

Washington for President

• Why George?

– Unanimously drafted by electoral college

– Imposing presence, war hero, did not lobby for office

– “Balanced rather than brilliant”

– Took office April 30, 1789

Washington for President

• Washington’s Cabinet

– Set precedent of cabinet meetings

– Secretary of State: Thomas Jefferson

– Secretary of the Treasury: Alexander Hamilton

– Secretary of War: Henry Knox

The Bill of Rights

• Constitution ratified w/no Bill of Rights

– Anti-federalist criticism

– States ratified w/promise bill of rights coming

• Bill of Rights:

– James Madison wrote 1st then presented to congress

– First 10 Amendments ratified 1791

The Bill of Rights

• Includes:– Freedom of: speech, religion,

press, bear arms, tried by a jury

– Freedom from: unusual punishments, seizure of property

– 9th Amendment: Other rights guaranteed not listed

– 10th Amendment: Powers not explicitly written—went to the States

The Bill of Rights

• Made Constitution more Anti-federalist

• 1st Congress— Judiciary Act of 1789

– Organized Supreme Court w/6 judges

– John Jay first Chief Justice

Hamilton & Public Credit

• Alexander Hamilton

– Financial wizard

– Shaped country’s fiscal plan

– Favored the wealthy (trickle down to lower classes)

– 1st objective—strengthen national credit


• “Funding at par”

– Government bonds depreciated to $.15/$1

– Pay off debts at face value

• “Assumption”

– Congress take state debts for war

– Strengthen the federal government


• Conflict (Jefferson)

– Big debtor states liked (MA)

– smaller debtor states disliked (VA)

• Compromise—move capital to South

– District of Columbia (Washington, DC)

Custom Duties & Excise Taxes

• National debt: $75 million

– Hamilton “Father of National Debt”

– National blessing, not curse

• More creditors—more people want to prevent. Government failure

– Pay off with customs & tariffs

And this is what the debt will become…

Custom Duties & Excise Taxes

• First Tariff Law 1789

– Protective for “infant” industries

– Foresaw spread of Industrial Revolution

• Excise Tax 1791—few domestic items, i.e. whiskey

Hamilton v. Jefferson—The BANK

• Bank of the United States

– Hamilton’s idea

– Modeled after England

– Private bank w/government as major stockholder

– Federal Treasury deposit surplus $

– Paper $--sound & stable national currency


But was it Constitutional?

• Jefferson: “No.”

– No specific authorization

– Amendment 10—all other powers to states

– “Strict Construction”

• Hamilton: “Yes.”

– “necessary & proper”

– Power to collect taxes & regulate commerce

– “Implied powers”

– “Broad construction”—”elastic clause”


• G.W.—unenthusiastic

• North for it (manufacturing centers)

• South against it (agricultural)

• Bank of United States created 1791– Chartered 25 years

– Capital of $10 million

– Philadelphia

– 1/5 owned by government

– Public quickly bought up stock

Mutinous Moonshiners of Pennsylvania

• Whiskey Rebellion 1794

– Tax burden to southwest PA

– Whiskey easier than grain to transport east

– “Whiskey poles,” “Liberty & No Excise”

– Ended tax collections

Mutinous Moonshiners of Pennsylvania

• George Washington led 13,000 & suppressed

• “sledgehammer to crush a gnat”

• Tiny rebellion but symbolic• Shows power of federal government

The Emergence of Political Parties

• At the start--Political parties not in existence or planned for

• Organized resistance: Anti-federalists

– Alexander Hamilton’s fiscal policies

– State right(ers)

• Two party system since then

– Party out of power—balances government

Impact of French Revolution

• French Revolution 1789 (A few weeks after

Washington was inaugurated)

– Impact on U.S.

– Early stages—removed Louis XVI

– Declared war on Austria then other countries

• Control of the Atlantic

– Reign of Terror—executed all nobles

Impact of French Revolution

• American Reaction:

– Jeffersonian Republicans:

• Regret bloodshed, but…

• Supported the French Revolution

– Hamiltonian Federalists:

• Feared change & mobocracy

• Worried about economic impact

Washington’s Neutrality Proclamation

• Franco-American Alliance—1778

– Bound U.S. to defend French West Indies

• Jeffersonians—want to enter fight

• Washington—Avoid war at all costs

– Nation to weak economically & politically

– Delay strategy—”birthrate to fight America’s battles”


• Neutrality Proclamation 1793

– Government neutral

– Citizens impartial

– Start of isolationist trend

– Washington announced w/out consulting congress


• Citizen Genet Affair

– Edmund Genet—French Republic representative

– Unauthorized--tried to recruit armies to invade Spanish Florida & Louisiana, etc.

– Tried to “go over Washington’s head” to the voters

– Washington demanded his withdrawal


• U.S. neutrality benefitted France

– U.S. too weak to help

– F.W.I.—supplies

– British would have blockaded U.S. coast

Embroilments with Britain

• Kept chain of northern frontier forts

– Fur trade

– Indian Buffer states

• Miami Confederacy

– 8 Indian nations

– British sold firearms & whiskey


• Little Turtle—Chief of Miami Confed.

– 1790-1791 defeat U.S. troops

• Battle of Fallen Timbers

– Indians abandoned by British

– Treaty of Greenville 1795

• Confederacy yielded vast tracts of Old N.W.

• $20,000 given to Indians + $9,000 annually

• Allowed to still hunt in those lands

• Significance:

– Indians thought treaty put limits on U.S.


• Sea Frontier

– British want to starve French West Indies

– U.S. Merchants “neutral”—supplies

– British seize 300 U.S. merchant ship & impress sailors into British Navy

– America’s response

• Jeffersonians: want another war

• Hamiltonians: War w/Britain would stop economics trade w/powerful nation

Jay’s Treaty & Washington’s Farewell

• John Jay sent to England to avoid war

– Jeffersonians did not like choice

– Hamilton told British Jay’s strategy

– Jay’s Treaty:

• British leave frontier forts (already promised)

• British pay damages for ships

• Did NOT pledge to stop future seizures or impressments

• U.S. pay debts to British merchants from Rev. War


– Unpopular w/Americans

– Revitalized Jefferson’s Democratic Republican party

• Southern planters—pay majority of debts

• Pinckney’s Treaty 1795 w/Spain

– Spain granted U.S. navigation of Mississippi & territory north of Florida


• Washington decides to retire

– Two term precedent

– Farewell address

• Avoid permanent alliances

• Political parties were divisive

– His Contributions

• Strong central government

• U.S. fiscally sound

• Kept U.S. out of foreign wars

John Adams becomes President

• Hamilton—too unpopular (fiscal policies)

• John Adams (Federalist)—1796 election

– Washington’s V.P.

– Stern principles, but tactless

– “Respectful irritation”

– Hated by Hamilton

– Support in N.E.

– Jefferson (2nd place) becomes his V.P.

Unofficial Fighting with France

• French felt Jay’s treaty was a betrayal

• Refused to receive America’s envoy

• XYZ Affair– John Marshall & others sent to Talleyrand

– X, Y, & Z ask for bribe just to talk

– War hysteria breaks out in U.S.• Navy Department

• United States Marine Corps (up to 10,000 men authorized)

• U.S. ships capture 80 armed ships, but…

• Several 100 U.S. merchant ships taken

Adams Puts Patriotism Above Party

• Adams stays out of war

– Unpopular w/people—especially Jeffersonians

• Convention 1800

– Treaty with Napoleon

– Ended peace time alliance w/France

– Paved way for purchase of Louisiana

The Federalist Witch Hunt

• Alien & Sedition Laws 1798

– Anti-French frenzy

– Extended residency requirement from 5 to 14 years

– President empowered to deport in peace or imprison in war (never enforced)

– Imprisonment and/or fine for those who impede the government

• Matthew Lyon—4 mo. Jail for criticizing John Adams

– Purpose: Oppress pro-Jeffersonians

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