Unit 3: Launching a New Nation

Washington was sworn in as president in ______________ our nation’s capital

New York City

The Constitution was a foundation, but not a _________________ meaning it did not actually provide step by step instructions on how to govern

blueprint

_______________________: created the federal court system

Judiciary Act (1789)

The Supreme Court would have a _____________________ and _______ associate judges (today we have ____ justices)

Chief Justice and 5

Today we have 9

Section 25: Allowed state court decisions to be appealed to a federal court (guaranteeing the ________________________)

Supremacy Clause

Washington created three executive departments

State, War, and Treasury

Washington’s Cabinet

Secretary of State: Jefferson
Secretary War: Henry Knox

Secretary of the Treasury: Hamilton

Major Domestic Issues under Washington

Assumption of State Debt, Bank of the United States, Formation of political parties, Whiskey Rebellion

_____________________________ wanted the federal government to take over that debt

Hamilton

Why was assuming state debts problematic?

• It would increase the debt of the government

• Southern states had already paid their debts; worried their taxes would go up to pay off northern debts

Why would assuming state debts be beneficial?

Creditors would support the new federal government

Hamilton wanted to create a ______

National Bank

A national bank could….

• issue paper money

• handle tax receipts

• handle other government funds

Many people opposed the idea of the national bank because…

• Might create unhealthy alliance between the wealthy and the federal government

• No provision within Constitution allowed for a national bank

Did the national bank pass?

It passed, but not without a fight

Why did Hamilton’s debt plan pass?

Hamilton proposed moving the capital

Hamilton proposed moving the capital from NYC to ___________________________

Washington D.C.

Political parties formed over the question of ___________________________

the power and size of the federal government

Federalists

• Favored strong central government

• Loose construction of the Constitution

Democratic-Republicans

• Favored strong state governments

• Strict construction of the Constitution

Our first ____________________ system begins in Washington’s presidency

“Two-Party” system

Congress passed a __________________________ (this makes it more expensive to buy foreign goods)

Protective tariff

Hamilton wanted an _______________________ on whiskey

excise tax

Reaction to taxes on whiskey

Farmers in western PA refused to pay, beat up federal marshals, and threatened to secede (leave the union)

Washington responds to angry farmers by sending in _______________________

15,000 militiamen

Significance of the Whiskey Rebellion

• consolidation of federal power in domestic affairs

• “Showing government power in domestic issues”

Washington’s Foreign Policy Issues: France

• Jacobins of France want to declare war on Britain 

• Americans split whether or not to support France or not

Washington’s Foreign Policy Issues: France (Solution)

• Declaration of Neutrality issued on April 22nd, 1793 by Washington

Washington’s Foreign Policy Issues: Britain

• British forts still in the Northwest Territory

• Encouraged Native American resistance

Washington’s Foreign Policy Issues: Britain (Solved)

• Signed Jay’s Treaty on November 19th

Washington’s Foreign Policy Issues: Native Americans

• Natives never accepted the treaties (Never included in the making)

• Attacked white settlers in their land

• Formed a confederacy and beat many American armies

Washington’s Foreign Policy Issues: Native Americans (Solutions)

• Native confederacy defeated at Battle of Fallen Timbers

• Treaty of Greenville signed by Miami Confederacy 

• Natives give up most of Ohio for little compensation

Washington’s Foreign Policy Issues: Spain

• Restricted US navigation on Mississippi River

• Controlled Louisiana Territory

Washington’s Foreign Policy Issues: Spain (Solution)

• Signed Treaty of San Lorenzo/Pinckney’s Treaty

• Spain’s claim est of M.R. given to U.S. (Except Florida)

• Recognized the 31st parallel

• Opened the M.R. to Spanish + US citizens

Election of 1796 was between _____ and _____

John Adams (F) and Thomas Jefferson (DR)

Election of 1796: First ______ election

partisan (Based off political parties)

The first electoral college was…

Flawed. Didn’t account for political parties

First electoral college:

• Candidate with most votes becomes president

• Candidate with 2nd most votes becomes vice president

Results of the election of 1796

• John Adams as president

• Thomas Jefferson as Vice President

What amendment fixes the electoral college

the 12th Amendment

Problems for John Adams

• Has to fill Washington’s shoes

• Hated by Hamilton

• Inheriting crisis with France

Effects of Jay’s Treaty

• French are angry

• French warships begin to seize US vessels

Adams’ goal with France is to…

Avoid war

XYZ Affair (1797-1798)

• Adams sent envoys to France to meet with Talleyrand

• Envoys were approached by 3 agents of Talleyrand

• Agents bribing the envoys to meet Talleyrand

• Referred to the 3 “go betweens” as X, Y, and Z in newspapers

Effects of X Y Z Affair

• Wave of Anti-French sweeps the States

• Federalists are delighted

• Quasi War breaks out

• Strengthens Federalist party

Quasi-War

• Undeclared naval war with the French

• Congress creates Department of the Navy

Alien & Sedition Acts

• Made citizenship harder (5y → 14 y)

• Can deport or imprison immigrants in times of hostilities (Without trial or due process)

• Violated freedom of speech and press

• Anyone who spoke up against the government or falsely defamed officials could face jail

Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions

• Argues 13 states entered a compact to create the federal government, so they should decide if the federal government overstepped

• Nullified the Alien and Sedition Acts in those states

• Later used by Southerners to support secession

Jefferson and Madison’s response to Alien & Sedition Acts

Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions

Alternate name for Election of 1800

The Revolution of 1800

Who wins Election of 1800

Thomas Jefferson and Burr as VP

Significance of Election of 1800

The first peace, democratic transfer of power from one political party to another

Judiciary Act of 1801 (Midnight Judges)

• Reorganized federal court system during Adams’ last night in office

• Appoints 16 federal judges to pack the courts with Federalist leaning judges

Response to Judiciary Act of 1801

• Marbury v. Madison

• Leads into the concept of Judicial Review

• One of the most important Supreme Court cases ever!

Convention of 1800

• Annulled the 22 yo alliance between US and France

• Officially ends the Quasi-War

• Allows the US to re-affirm neutrality

• John Adams deserves credit for the peace

Changes under Jefferson

• Reduced size of the army, navy, and lowered the budget overall 

• Eliminated internal taxes, reduced the influence of the national bank,  and promoted free trade (Instead of tariffs)

First president to take office in Washington D.C.

Thomas Jefferson

Louisiana Purchase

• Livingston and Monroe sent to Paris to buy New Orleans and Western Florida

• Instead purchased all of the Louisiana Territory for $15M

• Size of the US more than doubled

Lewis and Clark expedition

• Meriwether Lewis and William Clark leads the “Corps of Discovery”

• Collected scientific information and tried to establish relations with Native American tribes

• Assisted by Sacagawea

Barbary “War”

• Free trade: US didn’t want to pay tribute to North African States (To not have ships attacked by pirates)

• Conflict kept Jefferson from completely reducing the navy

• In the end we paid no more tribute to Tripoli

Issues with France and GB in Jeffersons’ Presidency

• Trade was disrupted due to Napoleonic Wars

• British practiced impressment

• Chesapeake Incident

• Embargo Act (1807)

Election of 1808

• James Madison (DR) vs Charles Pinckney (F)

• Madison wins!

Causes of the War of 1812

Violation of American neutrality, impressment of sailors, and

assistance to Native Americans

Blockade

• The use of ships or troops to

prevent movement into and out of a

port or region controlled by a

hostile nation

• Great Britain used

this tactic in response to Napoleon’s

Continental System; in effect, it did

not allow Americans to trade with

France

Impressment

The practice of seizing Americans at

sea and “impressing” or drafting

them into the British navy

Chesapeake Incident (1807)

The British opened fire upon our

frigate (warship) when we refused

them the right to board and search

our ship; 3 Americans were killed.

Jefferson responded with an

embargo rather than war

Embargo Act

A ban on exporting products to

other countries; Jefferson did this in

response to the Chesapeake

Incident rather than declaring war.

Unfortunately, it hurt our economy

more than Britain so Congress lifted

the ban two years later (except on

France and Great Britain)

William Henry Harrison

Governor of Indiana Territory and a

General who successfully fought in

the Battle of Tippecanoe which

made him a national hero

Battle of Tippecanoe

Fight between American settlers

and the Shawnee; effectively ended

the dream of a Native American

confederacy in the Northwest

Territory

Tecumseh

Shawnee chief who believed that

Native Americans needed to unite in

order to be able to fight against

white settlers; worked with the

British; was traveling down South

to unite more tribes during the

Battle of Tippecanoe

War Hawks

People who support war; in the case

of the War of 1812, they called for

war against Great Britain and were

led by Senator John C. Calhoun (SC)

and Congressman Henry Clay (KY).

Their motto: On to Canada!

James Madison

The victor of the Election of 1808

and 1812; Democratic-Republican

from Virginia; asked for a

declaration of war against the

British

Andrew Jackson

General from Tennessee; became a

national hero in the Battle of New

Orleans; famous for crushing Native

American military power in the

South too

Burning of the White House

In retaliation for the US victory at

the Battle of York (present day

Toronto) and the burning of

prominent buildings there; Burned

the Capitol, White House, and other

public buildings; Madison and

others had to flee from their own

capital (Good thing for Madison’s

wife Dolley – she saved the famous

portrait of George Washington)

Battle of New Orleans

Andrew Jackson’s famous battle

that occurred after the war was

actually over; inflicted heavy losses

on the British; considered to be

Jackson’s greatest victory and made

him a national hero

Treaty of Ghent

Peace agreement, declared an

armistice; did not address the issues

of impressment or neutral shipping

rights though