Washington’s Presidency
and
the Development of Political Parties
President George Washington

Organized the Federal Government
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Federal Court System –
Judiciary Act of 1789
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Hamilton, Secretary of Treasury
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Bank and Debt
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Hamilton’s Plan
Pay off national debt and national gov’t assume
state debts
 High tariffs to protect industry and collect adequate
revenue
 Create a national bank
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Foreign Policy
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French Revolution – should U.S. support
France, France’s enemies or neither side
Proclamation of 1793 – neutrality – Jefferson
resigns his position in disagreement
Jay Treaty (1794) – Britain will evacuate posts
on western front – but nothing about seizures;
kept US at peace-angered supporters of France
Pinckney Treaty (1795) – opened up trade for
US in New Orleans – right of deposit without
duties
Domestic Concerns

Native Americans
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Whiskey Rebellion (1794)
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Resisted western encroachment – Battle of Fallen
Timbers defeated Shawnee – Treaty of Greenville
Native Americans surrendered claims of Ohio
Territory
Farmers refused to pay tax by attacking revenue
collectors – put down with show of big force
Western Lands
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Public Land Act of 1796 established procedures for
selling federal lands – gov’t encouraged westward
movement
Vermont, Tennessee, and Kentucky become states
Political Parties emerge
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Colonial times temporary factions would
emerge – vote together for or against a
specific policy and then disband
Political parties formed around two
primary leaders – Hamilton and Jefferson
French revolution sharply divided nation
and contributed to the creation of parties
Conflicting Visions:
Alexander Hamilton
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Secretary of the
Treasury
Believed strong
central government
preserves national
independence
Envisioned U.S. as
an industrial power
Feared the common
people; he was an
elitist
Conflicting Visions:
Thomas Jefferson



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Secretary of State
under Washington
Believed limited
government
preserves liberty
Envisioned U.S. as
an agrarian
(farming) nation
Trusted the
common people
Political Parties Develop
Federalists(Hamilton)
 Pessimistic view of human
nature
 Wanted a rich, well-born
aristocracy to rule based on
birth, wealth, and status
 Strong national government
 Loose interpretation of the
Constitution
 Industrial, urban centered
economy
 Government gives aid to
business
 Pro-British
Republicans (Jefferson)
 Optimistic view of
human nature
 A natural aristocracy
based on talent and
virtue
 Local, states’ rights;
limited central
government
 Strict interpretation of
the Constitution
 Farming, rural centered
economy
 Government neither aids
or regulates business;
laissez-faire
 Pro-French
Washington’s Farewell Address

Wrote about practices and policies he
considered unwise
Washington 1789-1797
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Apotheosis of Washington
created a strong,
independent presidency
rejected the argument for
states’ rights
Wanted a strong, national
government
Resisted any attempts to
restrict his presidential
powers
By his second term most
Americans saw
Washington as a
Federalist; no longer
“above party lines”
John Adams, 2nd President

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Adams - Federalist candidate
Jefferson – Democratic Republicans
candidate
Adams wins by 3 electoral votes –
Jefferson becomes vice president
XYZ Affair & the Quasi War with
France

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French seizing ships – Adams sends
diplomats to resolve issue (Jay’s Treaty!)
French ministers requested bribes for
entering into negotiations
“Millions for defense, but not one cent for
tribute” (Fries Rebellion)
Adams resisted sentiment for war and
sent new ministers to Paris and avoided
war
Alien and Sedition Acts

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Federalists won a majority of seats in
1798 in both houses – take advantage
Federalist adopted 2 laws – Why did they
pass laws limiting rights of immigrants?

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Naturalization Act –
Alien Act –
Sedition Act –
Kentucky (Jefferson) and Virginia
(Madison) Resolutions
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Republican leaders challenged the federalist
Congress by enacting nullifying laws of their
own in the state legislatures
Both resolutions declared that the states had
entered into a “compact” in forming the national
government and therefore if any act of the
federal government broke that compact, a state
could nullify the federal law.
Set forth the argument and rationale that would
be widely used in the nullification controversy of
the 1830s
Election of 1800
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Why was this election so significant in
American History?
Election was organized along party lines
Thomas Jefferson becomes President
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1st inaugural address
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“We are all Republicans – we are all Federalists”