Important Events from Washington - Monroe Presidencies
Important Events from Washington - Monroe Presidencies
Washington’s Administration:
Washington’s challenges:
Finding a way to finance the activities of the federal gov
To ensure financial health of the new nation
Hamilton proposed Hamilton’s Financial Plan:
National bank
Tax on whiskey
Funding of national debt
Assumption of state debts
Opponents saw the plan as favoring the elites and growth of a manufacturing economy
French Revolution:
US was allied with France by treaty (Franco American Treaty)
US had a closer economic relationship with Britain (markets, imports, credit)
In 1789 the french people had risen up against the monarchy (French Revolution)
Declaration of the Rights of Man was issued saying that equal rights should be granted to every man
US celebrated the revolution as a triumph of liberty, similar to their own revolution and liked that others were following in their footsteps
Bastille fever swept across the nation and the US felt influential in world affairs
French Revolution contributed to the formation of the first US political parties (Federalists and Democratic Republicans)
Jefferson believed that the French experiment was important and necessary while Hamilton saw it as a threat to US liberty
Minister Genet:
In 1793 the French Republic declared war on Britain and Holland
The treaty requirements left US in an awkward position
It required the US to protect the crown of France in America
In April the new Minister Edward Genet arrived in Charleston South Carolina
He began to rally support fo the French Republic
Hamilton opposed receiving Genet because it would imply recognition of the new government of France and the treaty obligations that might result from recognition
Jefferson favored receiving Genet and recognizing the new French government
Washinton asked the Cabinet members whether the US was obligated to honor the treaties even though the government and circumstances had changed
Hamilton argued that the military alliance of 178 was void because the alliance was with the French gov and because the new French gov was unstable, likely to provoke war, and fundamentally different from the other one, its interests and those of the US were no longer compatible
Jefferson argued that even though the governments had changed the alliance was made between peoples and nations so the circumstances didn’t indicate that this alliance was necessarily a danger to the US
Neutrality Proclamation:
Washington chose to accept Hamilton’s position but didn’t declare the treaties will France null and void
On April 22 1793 he declared the Neutrality Proclamation acting on what he thought was a realistic assessment of the US’s limited powers and economic interests
He declared that the US would pursue relations that were both friendly and impartial with the nations of Europe
He warned citizens not to carry items to countries that would help these nations conduct their wars or it would be considered contraband
Hamilton and Madison argued over whether the president who help executive power had taken over what was supposed to be a legislative power in declaring neutrality
Hamilton said that the president had a right and responsibility to act as executor of US law to proclaim neutrality
Madison argued that the president had overstepped the bounds of the Constitution and since the Constitution did not permit the president to decided alone that war should be made he could not decided that there should be no war
Madison’s argument won and Congress passed and president signed legislation to enforce the Neutrality Proclamation
Precedent:
presidential assertions of foreign policy with regards to war were only assertions unless supported by legislation that the legislative government passed
The president could suggest neutrality but it was ultimately Congress’s decision
Back to Genet:
Washington’s cabinet agreed to receive Genet
Precedents:
US would recognize the appointed representatives of any foreign government regardless of sentiments for or against that government
Because the executive branch had the power to receive ambassadors and other public ministers it now had the power to establish relationships with foreign governments
Genet’s efforts to get around US neutrality by hiring privateers from US ports and raising troops to support the French led to the cabinet to issue a request for Genet’s recall
Rather than return home to face imprisonment or execution Genet became the first foreigner to ask for and receive diplomatic asylum for the US
Jay’s Treaty:
US and France relationship began to improve when the french decided to open ports in the the Caribbean to US shippers
Britain began to seize US ships engaged in trade in the French islands
British increased impressment of stopping US merchant ships and taking individuals they believed were British citizens into the British navy
Britain refuse to abandon six forts within the boundaries of of the US as required by the Treaty of Paris
British attempted to incite Native Americans against settlers in the American Northwest
Washington sent John Jay to England to negotiate
He secured bRitish evacuation of the Northwest and limited access to British ports in the West Indies for two years
British won the right to continue the fur trade with Native Americans on the US side of the Canadian border, which angered many western citizens
The treaty failed to address the issues of neutral trading rights and impressment
DR saw the treaty as a F surrender to the British
HOR attempted to negate the treaty but Washinton resisted the House’s efforts arguing that the president and the Senate alone had the constitutional right to make treaties
Senate removed the provisions that limited US access to the West Indies and passed the treaty
Washington decided to retire and warned about permanent alliances
Adams’ Administration:
XYZ Affair:
France started to seize US ships because of Jay’s Treaty
Adams tried to negotiate by sending Pinckney, Marshall, and Gerry to France
The french minister Talleyrand sent three mysterious emissaries to demand a $25,000 bribe before he would even meet with them
US delegates refused to pay for the privilege of negotiation
“Millions for defense but not one cent for tribute”
Tension increased between US and France
Quasi War:
Started on the high seas about the Caribbean islands and most of the fighting was between naval vessels
Congress supported Adams’ attempt to protect neutral trading rights by passing legislation expanding both the army and navy
Precedent:
The executive branch has the power to wage war without declaration by the legislative branch
US Congress suspended the Franco American Treaties
Adams chose to send a new minister to France
At the same time Napoleon increased his hold on the French gov
Through negotiation US agreed to not require France to repay the US for ships France had seized
Francy released the US from its treaty obligations
Political parties increased
Alien and Sedition Acts:
Attempted to reduce the influence of recent immigrants whom Federalists believed were most often pro DR
Alien Act gave the president the power to deport any alien he thought endangered the nation's security
Naturalization Act increased the time it took to become a citizen from 5 to 14 years
Sedition Act prohibited publication or utterance of false, scandalous, and malicious writings against the gov
Under the Sedition Act only DR were convicted
Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions:
Madison and Jefferson believed that each state had the right to judge the constitutionality of laws passed by Congress
Madison wrote Virginia and Jefferson wrote Kentucky
DR used the Sedition Act as an issue against the F in the election of 1800
Jefferson Administration:
Election of 1800:
In the election, Adams lost and Jefferson and Burr tied
HOR voted and Jefferson won
Soon after Congress drafted the 12 amendment which provided that electors cast separate ballot for president and vice president
Jefferson believed that trade and the law of nations not military power should govern relations between countries
“We are all Federalists and Democratic Republicans”
He reduced the army and navy, abolished whiskey tax, reduced national debt and repealed legislation that would have allowed Adam’ last minute judicial appointees to take their seats as judges
Louisiana Purchase:
US commerce increased and French interest in North America increased
Napoleon had received Louisiana from Spain in order to use the region to supply his colonies in the Caribbean
US sent Monroe to buy New Orleans and part of Florida from Napoleon
Napoleon lost his taste for empire in the new world and the slave rebellion (Hatian Rebellion) made him worry about his own colonies
Expecting war with Britain, Napoleon sold Louisiana to the US so that Britain wouldn’t gain power by taking it in the war
Monroe bought it for $15 million without waiting for Jefferson
US doubled in size and secured the use of the Mississippi River and port of New Orleans
Federalists feared that the Louisiana Territory would doom the F Party
The purchase raised questions about the status of slavery
F viewed Jefferson’s action as hypocritical because he had to use a loose interpretation in order to obtain it which went against his idea
Trading:
Sea power of Britain was a major obstacle to Napoleon's vision of a French empire
Berlin Decree in 1806 ordered the nations of Europe to stop buying British goods
Britain responded by the Orders in Council which decreed that all ships carrying trade for the continent had to stop in Britain first where they would be searched for war materials
France responded by saying that all ships that stopped in Britain were liable to seizure
US was stuck, if they went to France their ships would be seized by Britain, if they went to Britain their ships would be seized by France
Britain continued to impress
Jefferson authorized Pinkney and Monroe to go on a mission to sooth US British tensions which produced the Monroe Pinkney Treaty
This treaty addressed the points of British restriction on US trade but failed to address the issue of impressment
Jefferson used this as an excuse to not submit the treaty to the Senate for ratification
He disliked Britain and believed that monarchies caused wars
In 1807 the HMS Leopard stopped the US naval vessel the USS Chesapeake
The US captain refused to allow the British to search for deserters from the navy so the British captain opened fire killing three and wounding 18
Jefferson ordered British warships out of US waters and instructed the US minister in London to demand an apology and to stop impressment
British Foregin Secretary Canning was eager to avert a war because he thought it would divert Britain’s resources from its battle with napoleon
He noted that the admiral responsible for the order had been dismissed but didn’t bend on impressment
US turned to peaceable coercion
Us attempted to exert economic pressure on France and England in an effort to gain respect for neutral trading rights
The US chose to imposed the Embargo Act of 1807 which confined all US ships to harbor in an effort to deny France and Britain agricultural and manufactured products
The embargo harmed the US economy and had no effect of France or Britain
Jefferson repealed the Embargo Act and passed the Nonintercourse Act of 1809 which forbade all trade with both France and Britain and their colonies
This allowed the president to reopen trade with whichever nation removed its restrictions the US first
It opened US ports to other traders and encouraged smuggling
Madison’s Administration:
More trading:
To try to reopen trade between the US and Britain, Erskine the British minter opened negotiations with the US Secretary of State Smith in April 1809
The Erskine Agreement stated that Britain would drop its requirement that US ships stop to be searched in Britain for war materials in return for an agreement from the US to not trade with France
Madison announced that US would reopen trade with Britain and close it with France
Erskine’s bargain was not approved by the British foregin secretary who rejected it
It wasn’t turned down quickly enough to stop a large number of US ships from embarking to Britain where they were seized
In May 1810 Macon’s Bill #2 replaced the Nonintercourse Act
This reversed the conditions and now trade was reopened with both France and Britain but the first nation to agree to cease its interference with US trade would get a embargo on the other
France agreed and US discontinued trade with Britain
War of 1812:
Clay and his allies were not affected by trading issues and impressment and viewed this as a good time to acquire land on the frontier and conquer Canada
They favored war with Britain and became known as War Hawks
Ohio Governor Harrison got three Native American chiefs drunk and convinced them to sign three million acres of land
Shawnee Chief Tecumseh formed a confederacy of tubes to resist the expansion
A battle at Tippecanoe River happened and native Americans withdrew
After the battle weapons from Britain were found and the war hawks assumed that British had armed the Natives
War hawks used this, impressment, and the effect of Macon’s Bill #2 on trade to make a case
Congress passed bills to outfit the army and navy
Taxation was increased to pay for the expanding military
Congress passed a secret 90 day Embargo to clear the ocean of US ships
Congress debated whether to declare war
Ultimately they decided to declare unlimited war on Britain
British merchants repeals the Orders In Council but the news did not arrive in the US until after Congress decided to declare war
US military was underequipped, inexperienced and incompetent
US forces suffered defeats in attempt to invade Canada
Napoleon’s defeat in 1814 allowed Britain to concentrate on the US
British blockaded the coast of the US and burned shipping
US authorized privateers to harass British shipping which they did with success and captured over thirteen hundred British vessels
In 1814 British military forces invaded Washington DC and burned parts of the nation’s capital forcing government officials to flee
This wounded the nation’s pride
Star Spangled Banner
Treaty of Ghent was signed but it did not mention impressment of rights of neutral ships on the seas
It only established that all land captured during the war would be returned to previous owners
Era of Good Feelings:
Having fought a war without raising a large army, incurring a huge war debt or upsetting the check and balances made Americans emerged from the war have high spirits
With Jackson’s Victory at New Orleans a wave of nationalism came
Monroe’s Administration:
Monroe Doctrine:
Dealt with the diplomatic issued that had plagued the US
It demanded for no European interference in the Western hemisphere as a defense of US security and ideals
Hands off the Western Hemisphere for Europeans and a green light for the US to expand
US continued to more west
US and Britain:
After the war both nations found that they shared political and economic interests
Britain supported Monroe’s Doctrine because it limited Spanish influence in the hemisphere
US could not have enforced the doctrine without the help of the British Navy
Britain began to respect the US
Hartford Convention:
Before the War many New Englanders felt that war would harm their interests which depended on maritime trade
War limited trade and they suffered
New England states blocked a military draft and refused to allow their militias to serve beyond state borders and boycotted federal bond sale to finance the war
During the war delegates went to the Hartford Convention to propose several amendments that would reduce the South’s voting power in Congress
Some even discussed secession from the US
When the delegates arrived in Washington to present their proposals they were too late as the capital was celebrating the peace treaty with Britain and Jacson’s victory at New Orleans
Missouri Compromise:
Different regions had fundamentally different interests
South didn’t like tariffs put on cheaper manufactured goods because they forced them to buy more expensive goods from the North
South felt that the North was getting rich at their expense
In 1820 Congress passed the Missouri Compromise which maintained the ratio of representatives from free and slave states in the senate
Missouri became a slave state and Maine became a free state
Native Americans:
The added territory was expanding into uninhabited lands
It displaced Native Americans by disease, war and treaties
Natives who sided with Britain in the War were punished for their resistance to US expansionism
Tribes were ordered to the lands west of the Mississippi
The policy of removing Natives east of the Mississippi was the Trail of Tears
Conclusion:
War of 1812 did little to raise the alarm about US lack of military power
DR were pleased with the success of the war because they had not needed to raise a large national army
CIvil war ahead