Unit 4
GEORGE WASHINGTON
1789-1797
Washington’s Presidency
April 30, 1789 Washington (Virginia) is
inaugurated (sworn in) as President.
John Adams (Mass.) becomes the VicePresident.
Washington’s Presidency
• Washington establishes many
governmental precedents.
PRCEDENT: an example that would
become a standard practice.
Establishment of the
Court System
 Federal Judiciary Act of 1789:
passed by Congress.
1. Created an independent federal court
system with the Supreme Court and
lower level courts.
2. The U.S. Supreme Court is to have a
Chief Justice and five associate justices.
Currently we have 9 total justices.
3. Washington appoints John Jay as Chief
Justice.
Establishment of the
Presidential Cabinet
A. The Constitution allows Congress to
create departments to help the President
– the Cabinet.
B. The first Presidential Cabinet had
four departments:
The First Presidential Cabinet
1. Secretary of War (Henry Knox)
oversee the nation’s defenses.
The First Presidential Cabinet
Secretary of State (Thomas Jefferson)
oversee the relations between the U.S.
and other countries.
The First Presidential Cabinet
Secretary of the Treasury (Alexander
Hamilton) to manage the government’s
money.
The First Presidential Cabinet
Attorney General (Edmond Randolph) to
advise the government on legal matters.
Hamilton’s Financials Plan
NOTE: Alexander Hamilton believed
that the federal government should
be stronger than the state
governments.
Hamilton’s Financial Plan
A. Pay off the war debt to develop the
trust of other nations for trade.
B. Raise the federal government’s
revenues through tariffs and taxes.
TARIFFS – a tax on imported goods.
Hamilton’s Financial Plan
C. Tariffs would…
1. encourage the growth of American
industry (buy American-made).
2. raise money for the federal government.
Hamilton’s Financial Plan
D. Create a NATIONAL
BANK:
1. safe place to keep the
government’s money.
2. can make loans to
businesses.
3. would issue paper
currency.
4. strengthen the federal
government.
Debate on Interpretation
of the Constitution
• STRICT CONSTRUCTION: only what
the Constitution clearly states – favored by
Jefferson and Madison.
• LOOSE CONSTRUCTION: the
Constitution should be flexible to meet the
needs of the country (Elastic Clause) –
favored by Hamilton and Adams.
Jefferson and Hamilton argue these points
on the creation of the National Bank.
Vocabulary:
Reform- makes changes in order to
improve it; typically a social,
political, or economic institution
Abolish- to put an end to a system,
practice or institution
Vocabulary:
expansion- the action of becoming
larger or more extensive
Innovation- a new method, idea or
product
Vocabulary:
Migrate- move from one area or
country to settle in another
Foreign- strange or unfamiliar;
characteristic of a country or
language other than ones own
Vocabulary:
Domestic- existing or occurring inside
a particular country; not foreign or
international
Assimilation- the process by which a
person or persons acquire the social
and psychological characteristics of
a group
Vocabulary:
Doctrine- a belief or set of beliefs
held and taught by a church,
political party, or other group
Cession- the formal giving up of
rights, property, or territory
especially by a state
Thomas Jefferson’s
Presidency
1801-1809
The Beginning
• March 4, 1801
– Thomas Jefferson is the
first President inaugurated
in the new capital city of
Washington D.C.
– He delivers his first
inaugural address. This
address outlines what he
feels are the essential
principles of government.
The Louisiana Purchase
• The Louisiana Purchase was the
purchase of land by the United
States from France in 1803.
• It was one of the most important land
acquisitions in the history of the
country.
• Many say that it allowed the United
States to expand even further
westward and to become the nation it
is today.
• As President of the United States,
Thomas Jefferson faced much opposition
to the purchase of the land.
• Many said that it was unconstitutional
and undermined the authority of the
states in the government.
• Jefferson was exploring new bounds of
governmental control. He didn’t want
France and Spain to have the ability to
block American trade across the port of
New Orleans.
Benefits/Consequences
Benefits
Doubled the size of
the USA
Consequences
Much of the land
sold by France
wasn’t actually theirs
to sell
Ensured the access question of slavery
of the Gulf of Mexico in new territory
Quick Write
Imagine you are going to take a trip
down the Amazon River.
Make a list of problems or issues
you may face. Discuss and list
possible solutions to these
problems
5 min
Exploring the Territory
Jefferson wanted to explore the
new territory. Sent Meriwether
Lewis and William Clark to
explore in 1804-1806
Lewis and Clark Expedition
• January 18, 1803
– Jefferson asks Congress
for funds to explore
the land west of the
Mississippi
– His goal is to find a
water route to the
Pacific
• May 1804
– Meriwether Lewis and
William Clark depart
on the expedition
WHO ARE THESE GUYS??
• Meriwether Lewis and William Clark
• Both former soldiers from Virginia
(TJ’s home state)
• Jefferson chooses Lewis, who picks
Clark
Goals of the Exposition
1. Scientific – Study plants, animals,
geography
2. Economic – Is area profitable for
America? If so then how? Is there a
passage to Pacific? “Northwest
Passage”
3. Ambassadors to Indian Tribes – Bring
messages of friendship – “Peace
Medals”
James Madison
Born: March 16th, 1751 in Port Conway VA
•Education: Princeton University
•Political Experiences:
• Outlined VA’s Constitution
• Wrote the U.S. Constitution, “Father of the
Constitution”
• Secretary of State under Jefferson’s
presidency
First Term’s Main Issues
Domestic: Rechartering of the Bank of the U.S.
• •Opposition from Republicans
 thought bank was unconstitutional &
too
much Hamiltonian power
• **Anti-British objected to bank stock held by
British & state banks**
What are some major events leading
to The War of 1812?
• US shipping was being harassed, and cargo
was seized.
– Britain required licenses for ships bound for
Europe
– France confiscated cargo from licensed ships
• Impressment of American sailors
– Many British sailors became naturalized US
citizens and deserted British vessels and joined
American crews.
– British Navy kidnapped these sailors off
American ships and had them rejoin the British
Navy
What are some major events leading
to The War of 1812?
• Economic Diplomacy
Fails
– Embargo Act of 1807
halted all trade with
Europe
– Embargo is a government
ban on trade with other
countries
– Embargo was unpopular
in port cities, especially in
the North
•
•
•
•
What were some of the benefits of
going to war with Britain?
To allow reopening of
trade
National Pride
To stop the
impressment of
sailors
CANADA!!!
What were some drawbacks to going
to war?
• Not everyone in the US wanted to go to war
• Military was small
– Standing Army was small
– Militia comprised most of our forces, and they did
not like to fight outside of their state borders
– Navy was quite small only 22 ships
• Britain was a great Superpower and could
crush us like a bug and we could lose territory
that was gained in the Treaty of Paris or the
Louisiana Purchase
Declaration of War
• June of 1812
Madison asked
Congress for
declaration of war
• Vote was split along
regional lines
• War started with
Invasion of Canada
The roof is on fire…
• In August 1814,
British Forces
Sailed into
Chesapeake Bay
and capture
Washington D.C.
• They burn the
White House and
the Capitol
• Madison and
Congress Barely
escape
Treaty of Ghent
• Treaty was Negotiated in
Europe and was signed
on Dec. 24, 1814 ending
the war of 1812
• The War ended in a
stalemate, where no
party gained or lost any
territory.
• The issue of
impressment was not
addressed, but faded on
its own.
If The War of 1812 ended in a tie, why
was it important?
• Gave the United States a National Identity
– We were able to hold our own against the
British
– Started us thinking about continuing westward
expansion
– Ended bad feelings toward the British
• Creates a hero in Andrew Jackson and the
Western Frontiersmen
James Monroe
• Born in Virginia in 1758
• Fought with Continental
Army
• Practiced law in Virginia
• Elected United States
Senator
• Helped negotiate the
Louisiana Purchase
• Elected President in 1816
and served from 1817 to
1825
• Era of Good Feelings
The Era of Good Feelings
• Monroe’s election in 1816 helped lead to the death
of the Federalist Party
– Federalist liabilities included:
• "Disloyalty" during the War of 1812
• Extremely sectional regarding the interests of New
England
• Jefferson had adopted many of their most important
ideas (e.g. Hamilton’s financial plan, expansion, loose
construction in certain cases)
The American System
Tariff of 1816
• The Tariff of 1816 was created to protect U.S.
manufacturing from British competition
– After the war, Britain flooded U.S. with cheap goods, often
below cost to undercut new U.S. industries
• Americans saw this as British attempt to crush U.S. factories
– First protective tariff in U.S. History
• Imposed roughly 20-25% duties on imports
• Not really high enough to provide effective protection.
• Started a protective trend in U.S. trade.
Panic of 1819
Causes of the Panic of 1819
• Over-speculation on frontier lands
• BUS forced "wildcat" western banks to foreclose on farms
• BUS stopped allowing payment in paper; now demanded
payment in specie
– State banks affected & called in loans in specie
– Many farmers didn’t have specie so they lost their farms
Panic of 1819
Results of the Panic of 1819
• Western farmers begin to view the bank as an evil financial
monster
• Hard hit poor classes looking for more responsive government
• New land legislation resulted in smaller parcels being sold for
lower prices
• Widespread sentiment to end the practice of imprisoning
debtors
Growing West
• Nine new states
joined the union
between 1791 &
1819
– Most had been
admitted alternately
free and slave
– Maintaining a
sectional balance in
Congress was a
supreme goal
Growing West
Reasons for Westward Expansion
• Westward movement had been significant since colonial
era.
• Cheap lands in Ohio territory attracted thousands of
European immigrants.
• Land exhaustion in older tobacco states drove people
westward.
• Speculators accepted small down payments & made
purchase of land easier.
• Economic depression during the embargo years sparked
migration westward.
Growing West
Reasons for Westward
Expansion
• Transportation Revolution
improved land routes to
Ohio Valley.
– Cumberland Road begun in
1811; from Maryland to Illinois
– Advent of steamboat in 1811
made upstream travel possible
– Canals beginning in 1826
allowed for increased trade
between west and east
Growing West
• West still remained weak in population and
influence
– Allied with other sections regarding national political
issues.
– Demanded land reform & cheap transportation, cheap
money, created its own "wildcat" banks, & fought the
BUS.
Monroe Doctrine (1823)
• Background:
– European monarchies were concerned
about democratic revolutions at home &
abroad
• Saw democracy as a threat to absolute
monarchy.
• Sought to restore newly independent Latin
American republics to Spanish rule
– Americans were alarmed at European
hostility to democracy in the Western
Hemisphere
Foreign Policy Act the War of 1812
Monroe Doctrine (1823)
• Background:
– Great Britain sought a joint alliance with
the US
– Secretary of State John Quincy Adams
felt that Britain wanted an alliance in
order to stop the US from expanding
into Latin America
Foreign Policy Act the War of 1812
Monroe Doctrine (1823)
• President Monroe’s annual
message to Congress warned
Europeans:
– Colonial powers could keep
existing colonies but gain no new
ones
– Leave America alone; let new
republics govern themselves
– Directed largely at Russia which
had designs on the Pacific coast
Foreign Policy Act the War of 1812
Monroe Doctrine (1823)
• Impact:
– Immediate impact of the Monroe Doctrine was
small
• US army & navy remained small & relatively weak
• Became more important when President Polk
revived it in 1845
– Long-term impact of the policy was significant
• Served as the cornerstone of US foreign policy
during last half of 19th century & throughout 20th
century
Foreign Policy Act the War of 1812
Andrew Jackson
• Born in a log cabin on the
frontier
• His parents were immigrants
from Ireland
• They died by the time he was
15
• He grew up tough
• A military man
• Studied Law at North Carolina
– Practiced in Tennessee
Spoils System
• After the election, he fired many government
employees
– He hired many of his supporters
• “The duties of all public offices are…so plain
and simple…”
• A supporter said, “To the victor goes the
spoils”
– Very few of his supporters were qualified
• Unofficial advisors were referred to as his
“Kitchen Cabinet”
Dealing with the Bank
• Jackson hated the federal bank
– He let them know!
• He felt the National Bank was only
helping the rich
– Issue dealing with farmers and merchants
• He vetoed a renewal of the bank
– Ended the National Bank and sent money to
state banks
Indian Removal of 1830
• In 1830 Congress passed the Indian Removal
Act. This law said that all Indians living east of
the Mississippi River must leave their lands
and move to Indian Territory. (Current day
Oklahoma)
• President Jackson signed the law and ordered
the Choctaws, Creeks, Seminoles, Chickasaws,
Cherokees, and other tribes to leave their
lands.
The Fight Against Removal
• Many tribes fought against removal.
• The Seminoles of Florida with the
help of runaway slaves struggled to
keep their land.
• Many of the Seminoles were either
killed or forced to leave their homes.
Cherokee Nation
• The 15,000 Cherokees made up one of the
richest tribes in the U.S.
• Many Cherokees owned small farms, and a
few had large plantations where Africans were
enslaved.
• They had their own government with a
Constitution and elected leaders.
• Gold was discovered on Cherokee lands in
1829. Settlers poured in to stake their claims.
Cherokee’s Fight Removal
• The Cherokee nation, led by Chief John Ross,
fought back in the U.S. courts.
• Their case went all the way to the Supreme
Court.
• In 1832, Chief Justice John Marshall ruled that
the U.S. should protect the Cherokees and
their land in Georgia.
Jackson’s Response
• Instead of supporting the court ruling,
President Jackson ignored it.
• President Jackson sent soldiers to remove the
Cherokees to the Indian Territory.
• By late 1838, soldiers had forced the last
group of Cherokees to leave their lands.
• Their journey to the Indian Territory became
known as the Trail of Tears.
The Trail of Tears- 116 day Journey
• The Cherokees traveled more than 800 miles
through North Carolina and Georgia through
Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, Missouri, and
Arkansas.
• The journey ended on March 26, 1839.
• More than 4,000 Cherokees had died of cold,
disease, and lack of food during the 116-day
journey.
Go West Young Man
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