Quiz Wash and Adams Administration

Two-party system

Federalists (Hamilton) vs Democratic Republicans (Jefferson). Washington didn’t like the existence of political parties because he saw it as a danger to national unity

John Jay (Treaty)

Chief Justice John Jay makes treaty with Great Britain

British soldiers evacuate posts in Northwest

British continue fur trade

Normalizes relations with Great Britain

Francophiles are angry because if we are neutral with France/Great Britain, why are we making agreements with the British?

Thomas Pinckney (Treaty)

Spain negotiates with Thomas Pickney

Pickney’s Treaty (Treaty of San Lorenzo)

Spain gives up all land east of Mississippi River (except Florida)

Florida US boundary set at 31st parallel

Mississippi River open US traffic

Democratic-Republicans

Believed in:

a strict interpretation of the Constitution

states' rights

a limited federal government, which they saw as a threat to individual freedoms.

Thomas Jefferson

• Wants strong state, local gov.

• People’s participation from farmers

• Has Southern, Western support

XYZ affair

• XYZ is nameless low-level clerks to meet the Americans (In the XYZ Affair, "X", "Y", and "Z" were code names for three French diplomats)

• French: Jay’s Treaty violates French/American alliance

• France seizes U.S. ships

• U.S. diplomats in Paris to meet Talleyrand (French Foreign Minister)

• XYZ demand bribe ($250,000) to see him

• U.S. is furious

• Military build-up

• Undeclared naval war between French/U.S.

• Federalists → want war. Democratic Republicans → don’t want war

Alien and Sedition Act

Federalists fear French plot vs. U.S. gov

Federalists suspicious of immigrants → many are Democratic Republicans and critical of Adams

Federalists push Alien/Sedition Acts through congress

Alien Acts → 14 year residence required for citizenship (up from original 5 years). Deportation or jail if undesirable

Sedition Acts → Can’t say anything bad, false, scandalous, damaging about gov. If you do there will be fines/jail terms. Enforced by the federal government. People were mad about this because they said it violated 1st Amendment

Federalists

Party supporting strong national government, loose interpretation of Constitution, pro-Britain

B.U.S (Bank of the United States)

U.S. owes millions and is in debt

Hamitlon’s Assumption Plan:

Federal government assumes (take together as national)

Issue new bonds (pay private citizens

Pay foreign debt

The Bank of the United States would issue paper money and handle tax receipts and other government funds

Whiskey Rebellion

Protective tariff: To protect domestic industries (in this case American businesses) by making imported goods more expensive

Excise tax: Tax on specific goods → here it was whiskey. Goal was to raise revenue for the government by taxing a specific domestic product

1974: Farmers (Pennsylvania corn farmers) refuse to pay

They begin to rebel: beat federal marshalls, threaten secessions (people even started using whiskey as a form currency)

Rebellion showed that the federal government had power/was legitimate and could enforce laws

Washington and cabinet

Made the first president’s cabinet. Has secretary of state, treasury, and war

Edmund Randolph

First Attorney General: President Washington appointed him as the first U.S. Attorney General in 1789.

Protective Tariff

Protective tariff: To protect domestic industries (in this case American businesses) by making imported goods more expensive

John Marshall

-His importance comes from establishing the principle of judicial review, which gives the Supreme Court the power to declare laws unconstitutional

French Revolution and neutrality

Jacobins (radical political group during the French Revolution,wanted to end the French monarchy and establish a republic)

Jacobins takeover France in 1792

War on Monarchies

Federalists were pro-British

Democratic-Republicans pro-French

What About the US/French Alliance?

Washington says that the deal died with Louis XVI

Washington declares neutrality

Ambassador Genet was not happy (Genêt ignored U.S. neutrality and tried to recruit Americans to fight for France against Britain and Spain.) and got kicked out of the U.S.

Alexander Hamilton

His economic plan starts conflict → he wants federal gov. to assume states' debt, issue new bonds, pay foreign debt

Wants strong central gov. + country to be led by wealthy/educated

Commerce and industry

Has Northern support

Excise Tax

• Tax on specific goods → here it was whiskey. Goal was to raise revenue for the government by taxing a specific domestic product

Henry Knox

He was the first United States Secretary of War, serving from 1789 to 1794 under George Washington.

Aaron Burr

Democratic-Republican leader in Adams’ era; ran in the 1800 election, tied with Jefferson, and influenced early U.S. politics.

Washington's farewell address

2 most important points:

• Stay out of affairs with Europe

• Avoid political parties → since it divides the nation

Judiciary Act 1789

U.S. law that established the federal court system, creating the Supreme Court with a Chief Justice and five associate justices, along with lower federal and district courts