Topic 3.10: Shaping a New Republic

Washington’s Presidency

• took oath of office as the first U.S. President on April 30, 1789

• appointed four heads of departments: Thomas Jefferson as secretary of State, Alexander Hamilton as secretary of treasury, Henry Knox as secretary of war, and Edmund Randolph as attorney general

cabinet

• met with President Washington to discuss major policy issues

federal courts

• had lesser powers than the Supreme Court but determined the number of justices making up the Supreme Court

Judiciary Act of 1789

• established a Supreme Court with one chief justice and five associate justices and also provided for a system of 13 district courts and three circuit courts of appeals

• one of Congress’ first laws

hamilton’s financial program

• wanted to pay off the national debt, protect the infant industries and collect revenues by imposing high tariffs, and create a national bank

national bank

• deposited government funds and printed banknotes that would provide the basis for a stable U.S. currency

French Revolution

• an uprising that occurred in France motivated by an aspiration to establish a republic

Proclamation of Neutrality (1793)

• believing that the young nation was not strong enough to engage in European War, Jefferson issues a proclamation of U.S. neutrality

“Citizen” Genet

• the French minister to the United States broke all the rules of diplomacy by appealing directly to the American people to support the French cause

Jay Treaty

• a treaty brought by Jay in which Britain agreed to evacuate it's Post but included nothing about impressment; angered American supporters of France but maintained Washington’s policy of neutrality

Pinckney Treaty (1795)

• proposed by Thomas Pinckney, the U.S. minister to Spain which said:

• Spain opened the lower Mississippi River and New Orleans to American trade

• the right of deposit was granted to Americans so that they could transfer cargoes in New Orleans without paying duties to the Spanish government

• Spain accepted the U.S. claim that Florida’s northern bounda

Battle of Fallen Timbers

• defeated Confederacy tribes in northwestern Ohio by a U.S. army led by General Anthony Wayne

Treaty of Grenville

• the chiefs of the defeated people agreed to this treaty where they surrendered claims to the Ohio Territory and promised to open it up to settlement

The Whiskey Rebellion (1794)

• a rebellion that occurred by rebelling farmers who were angry because they could not afford to pay a tax on the whiskey, so they defended their “liberties” by attacking revenue collectors

• a result of Hamilton imposing excise taxes on the sale of whiskey to make up the revenue lost because tariffs were lower than he wanted

Public Land Act (1796)

• established orderly procedures for dividing and selling federal lands at moderate prices

federalist era

• the 1790s was known as the federalist era because it was dominated by Federalist policies

federalist party

• supported Hamilton and his financial program

Democratic-Republican Party

• supported Jefferson and tried to elect candidates in different states who opposed Hamilton’s programs

political parties

• further solidified in the U.S. after the French Revolution, as Americans divided sharply over whether to support France

Farewell Address

• given by the retiring President Washington, and states:

• Do not get involved in European affairs

• Do not make “permanent alliances” in foreign affairs

• Do not form political parties

• Do not fall into sectionalism

two-term tradition

• Washington’s decision to leave office after two terms led other Presidents to follow his example, even though Constitution placed no limit on a President’s tenure in office

John Adams

• the Federalists’ candidate; ended up winning by three electoral votes

Thomas Jefferson

• the choice of Democratic-Republicans; became vice president because he was the candidate to receive the second-highest number of electoral votes

XYZ Affair

• certain French ministers known as "X, Y, and Z, because their names were never revealed, requested bribes as the basis for entering negotiations — American delegates refused & news also angered Americans who now wanted war against France

Naturalization Acts

• passed by the Federalists, and increased from 5 to 14 the years required for immigrants to qualify for U.S. citizenship

Alien Acts

• authorized the president to deport aliens considered dangerous and to detain enemy aliens in time of war

Sedition Acts

• made it illegal for newspaper editors to criticize either the president or Congress and imposed fines or imprisonment for editors who violated the law