Table of Contents…
First Presidency
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 Our
country finally had a Constitution and a good
plan for our government.
 The next step was to get it all working.
 Who would be President? Vice President?
 Who would the elected officials be?
 Our
newly formed country had created an
executive branch, so we needed an
executive.
 The electoral college (69 members) voted by
writing two names on a ballot.
 Most votes - President
 Runner up – Vice President
 First
President
 John Adams, Vice-President
 A reluctant president
 Sworn in on April 30, 1789 in New York City.
 There
was a great debate on what Washington
should be called.
 Adams and others felt that he should be called
“Your excellency” like other leaders of foreign
countries.
 Many felt that the term reeked of a monarchy.
 Washington ended the argument by telling them
that he would be called “Mr. President”.
 Federal
Judiciary Act of 1789
o Congress set up court system
o Act gave Supreme Court six members
o
• A chief justice and five associate justices
• We now have nine…a chief justice and eight
associates.
Set up lower, less powerful federal court system.
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Set up President’s cabinet with three departments
o Department of State
• Dealt with other countries
o Department of War
• Defended the country
o Treasury Department
• Currency
o Also set up an Attorney General to serve as adviser
and to oversee the postal system.
 During
Washington’s inaugural speech, he
was so nervous that his hands shook and he
had a hard time reading his speech.
 He was the only president to NEVER live in
the White House.
 Biggest
problem with new country is no $$$$.
 Congress decides to tax luxury items (like whiskey).
 Settlers west of the Appalachians were angry since
it cost a lot to transport the wheat to the whiskey
makers.
 Many farmers simply refused to pay it.
 Fortunately, the US learned from the mistakes of
Shay’s Rebellion and decided to deal with the
problem.
 In
an effort to end any protests, they lowered the
tax. Many began to pay, BUT…
 The “Whiskey Boys” in western Pennsylvania tarred
and feathered tax collectors that tried to enforce the
law.
 Alexander Hamilton and George Washington
believed the rebellion was a threat to the authority
of the national government and decided to lead
13,000 militia to stop the threat.
 It
worked! They stopped the Rebellion and proved
that the new government was strong and powerful.
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Tarring and feathering was a
form of humiliation in Colonial
and early American times.
The victim had tar either
poured or painted on him and
then feathers were thrown on
him
The tar used most often was
pine tar. It has a much lower
boiling point and so didn’t burn
the skin.
But it was incredibly difficult to
remove!
Table of Contents Update…
Creating a Strong Economy
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Hamilton was Washington’s Secretary of Treasury
Hamilton believed the nation could be great if it built a
strong economy.
Strong economy = strong nation
Before that could happen, the us had to pay off all of the
war debts quickly.
The plan to repay the debt was greatly opposed. The
Southern states had mostly repaid their war debt and didn’t
think it was fair to make them pay for the North’s debt.
What could persuade the South to agree to the debt
plan???
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Both the North and the South wanted the capital in their section of the
country.
Hamilton said he would support a plan for the capital to be in the South
IF the South would support his plan to pay off the debt.
The debt plan passed and the nation’s new capital, the District of
Columbia, was located in the South between Maryland and Virginia.
Now Hamilton worked to create a National Bank.
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Hamilton wanted Congress to
create a national bank for several
reasons…
o it could collect taxes and keep them
safe.
o It could print money backed by the
government, giving the nation a stable
currency
o MOST IMPORTANTLY, it could make
loans to businesspeople to build new
factories and ships. This would help
expand American businesses and
trade.
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Once again, there was opposition
to Hamilton’s plan.
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His opponents wanted to know where in the Constitution it
gave the Congress the power to establish a bank.
o Hamilton’s FEDERALISTS believed in a LOOSE
CONSTRUCTION, or a broad interpretation, of the
Constitution. So, they believed Why couldn’t the
Congress establish a bank?
o His opponents, the REPUBLICANS; however, believed in
STRICT CONSTRUCTION or strict adherence to the
Constitution. They felt that since it did not explicitly say
that the Congress would set up a bank, they should not
be allowed to set up a bank.
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Hamilton pointed out that the
elastic clause allowed Congress
to “make all laws necessary and
proper” to carry out its listed
powers.
One of those powers was
collecting taxes so Hamilton
believed that Congress was
justified in setting up a bank to
help the government with tax
collection.
Hamilton finally got his bank
approved in 1791. The Bank of
the United States helped the
economy grow and prosper.
Table of Contents Update…
French Revolution and the Growth of Political
Parties
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While the Whiskey Rebellion was happening in the US, the
French were rebelling against their king.
The leaders of the French Revolution hoped to build a
nation based on “liberty, equality, and fraternity”. (sound
familiar?)
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Initially, it was a great cause with well meaning leaders and
France does eventually become a Republic.
Americans were thrilled. They saw the French Revolution as a
crusade for democracy.
But eventually, the French Revolution starts taking a different
course…
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The leaders, cheered on by angry
mobs, begin beheading wealthy
nobles. (A symbol of the class
system that they are rebelling
against).
Things get out of control.
Word spreads back to America and
the wealthy Americans worried that
the same thing could happen in
America.
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The lasting effect of the French Revolution for Americans,
was the division of its government.
There were two very different political parties…
o Thomas Jefferson and his followers supported the revolution and
called themselves Democratic-Republicans or Republicans.
o Alexander Hamilton and his followers did not (remember they were
wealthy) and they called themselves Federalists.
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The division of between Republicans and Federalists
worried George Washington so much that he ran for a
second term.
Hamilton and Jefferson both told him that he was the only
person that could keep the country together.
He ran and easily won a second term as president.
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Near the end of Washington’s second
term, he said that he would not run
again.
In his final speech, he attempted to
reunite the divided country by reminding
them that they had fought together
during the revolution.
He also pointed to two major problems
the country faced…
o Problems with other countries
o Problems with the “Spirit of the Party”
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Despite the political differences,
Washington had led the country through
very difficult times and had left the
nation united and at peace.
“The great rule of conduct for us in regard to foreign nations is in
extending our commercial relations, to have with them as little political
connection as possible. It is our true policy to steer clear of permanent
alliances with any portion of the foreign world.
As an important source of strength and security, cherish public
credit. One method of preserving it is to use it as sparingly as possible;
avoid the accumulation of debt, not only by shunning occasions of
expense, but by vigorous exertions to discharge debts, which
unavoidable wars may have occasioned, not ungenerously throwing upon
[future generations] the burden, which we ourselves ought to bear.”
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What are some of the dangers that Washington cautioned the nation
against?
Which of these dangers does our nation still face today?
Grab a handout from the stool.
Clear your desk off and make sure you have a
pen or pencil.
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Must be silent!
No sharing answers
Only one card per person at a time
Place the card face down on the desk when finished
First one finished wins!
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Alexander Hamilton and the Federalists
Hamilton
o Born and raised in the Caribbean
o Sent to America when he was 13 with nothing
o Self made man
o Washington made him his personal assistant during the Revolution
o Married into one of the wealthiest families in New York.
o Snazzy dresser with good posture
o A doer - got things accomplished.
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Federalists
o Believed people were basically selfish so distrusted any system of
government that gave too much power to the people.
o Believed the most well educated, wealthy men should run the country.
o Favored a strong national government
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Thomas Jefferson and the Republicans
 Jefferson
o Born in VA to an old and respected family
o Owned a tobacco plantation in VA (slaves)
o Had faith in the “goodness” of people
o Eloquent writer
o Sloppy and thrown together
o Slouched
o A thinker – took time to explore ideas.
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Republicans
o Best government was the one that governed the least
o Felt that Federalist’s views were dangerously close to a monarchy
o Strict Construction – Strict adherence to the Constitution
o Weak national government/Strong state government
 Glue
this to the left side of your journal
under “French Revolution and the Growth of
Political Parties”
Next table of contents entry…
John Adams Presidency
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2nd President
John Adams – 71 votes
(President) (Federalist)
Thomas Jefferson - 68
votes (Vice President)
(Republican)
Top two leaders were
from opposing political
parties
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When Washington left office, tension were high with France.
France and Britain were at war.
France began seizing US ships and looting them to prevent
trade with Britain.
John Adams sent an ambassador to France to try to work
things out.
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For several weeks no one would talk with them until finally
three French men (X, Y, and Z) said they could meet with
France if the US paid $10 million.
They refused and reported it back to John Adams.
Adams cancelled its treaties with France and allowed US
ships to seize French ships.
Set aside money to expand the navy and army.
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First laws Adams enacted
Alien Acts broken into three laws…
o First
• Lengthened the time it took for an immigrant to become a citizen with the
right to vote from 5 to 14 years.
o Second and Third
• The other two Alien Acts allowed the president to either jail or deport aliens
that were suspected of activity against the government.
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Sedition Act
o Sedition (encouraging rebellion against the government) a crime
o It defined sedition as ‘printing, uttering, or publishing any false
scandalous and malicious writing’ against the govt.
o It was actually used to punish Republican newspaper editors who
insulted President Adams.
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Written by Jefferson and Madison
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Stated that the Alien and Sedition Acts violate the
Constitution (freedom of speech)
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Congress repeals them
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One editor said he was an “old, quarrellous, bald, blind,
crippled, toothless Adams.”
Twenty five people were arrested under the new Sedition
Act. Ten were convicted of printing seditious opinions.
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A couple years later, although war fever was high, Adams
reopened talks with France.
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They quickly signed the Convention of 1800
o Stopped all naval attacks
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Although Adams paved the way to make peace with France,
his actions made him an enemy of the Federalists and he
lost the election of 1800.
1789
George
Washington
sworn in as
first
president.
French
Revolution
begins.
1794
Whiskey
Rebellion
1796
1798
George
Washington’s
farewell
address
Alien and
Sedition Act
John Adams
elected
president