America at the
th
Dawn of the 19 Century
(SSUSH5e)
George Washington, President
John Adams, Vice- President
Alexander Hamilton
(Secretary of the Treasury)
Thomas Jefferson
(Secretary of State, 1790-93)
• 1789:
– Elected 1st President
– The Judiciary Act specified the number of Federal courts and judges.
– French Revolution ignites
• 1790
– Indian Intercourse Act passed
• 1791
– Federal capital established in swamplands on the Potomac.
– A national banking system established by the Bank Act.
– The Bill of Rights take effect.
• 1792
– Post Office established by Congress as a separate entity.
– New York Stock Exchange organized.
– Coins are minted by the government as enacted by the Coinage Act.
• 1793
– War breaks out between Britain and France.
• On April 22, U.S. declares neutrality.
• 1794
– Whiskey Rebellion over excise tax in western Pennsylvania. Federal troops
called to suppress the armed rebellion.
• 1795
– The Jay Treaty ratified. British troops required to withdraw from the U.S.
– Pinckney's Treaty with Spain opened navigation on Mississippi River.
– Washington posed for Stuart's portrait, which is now on the one dollar bill.
• 1796
– Washington delivered his Farewell Address.
Alexander Hamilton
(Secretary of the Treasury)
Thomas Jefferson
(Secretary of State, 1790-93)
• Following the War, America was buried in war debt
• Hamilton looked to a 3 prong plan to alleviate
American suffering and restore its economy:
1. Raise Federal Debt
• Federal Government should assume sizable state debts
• “A national debt if not excessive will be to us a national blessing; it will
be a powerfull cement to our union.”
2. Create a National Bank
• Based on Britain’s national bank
• Private corporation using Government’s money to stimulate the
economy
3. Stimulate American Manufacturing
• Government subsidizing of manufacturing
• Protective Tariffs
• Hamilton’s plan required funding…
• 25% Tax on Whiskey
– Paid by Grain farmers
– Raised the price of Whiskey
– Tax was hard to collect
• Pennsylvania farmers and distillers refused to pay the tax
• John Neville
– Tax Collector
– May 1794
• Neville Reported 75 farmers and distillers for tax evasion
• 500 protestors burned Neville’s home
• July 1794
– 5,000 protestors plan to march on Pittsburgh
– President Washington and Hamilton lead 13,000 troops to put down
protest
• Jefferson saw this as a repetition of Shays’ Rebellion
Federalist Party
Followed ideas of Alexander Hamilton
Wanted a stronger Federal Government
“Loose Constructivism”
Democrat-Republican Party
Followed ideas of Thomas Jefferson
Wanted a weaker Federal Government
“Strict Constructivism”
Loose Constructionism
The Constitution implicitly allows many unwritten actions
Strict Constructionism
The Federal Government can only do the things the
Constitution explicitly says that it can do.
• 1796
– E Pluribus Unum: "Out of Many, One" added to American coins.
• 1797
– Three anonymous French trouble makers brought France and the U.S.
to the brink of war in what became known as the XYZ Affair.
• 1798
– Federalists support the highly unpopular Alien and Sedition Acts. They
would later be repealed.
• 1800
– U.S. capital relocated to Washington, D.C. from Philadelphia.
– Jefferson defeated Adams.
– Congress established Library of Congress.
• Diplomatic scandal that almost caused another war between
the United States and France.
• France was, at the time, at war with Great Britain.
– A treaty between Britain and the U.S. failed to guarantee France the
right to ship with the U.S.
• France sent to the United States three diplomats (X, Y, and Z)
with outrageous demands.
– 50,000lbs sterling
– $12 million loan from the United States
– $250,000 personal bribe to the French foreign minister
– formal apology for comments made by John Adams
• Four separate laws constituted what is commonly referred to
as the "Alien and Sedition Acts"
– Naturalization Act- repealed and replaced the Naturalization Act of 1795 to
extend the duration of residence required for aliens to become citizens of the
United States from five years to fourteen years.
– Alien Act - authorized the president to deport any resident alien considered
"dangerous to the peace and safety of the United States." It was activated
June 25, 1798, with a two year expiration date.
– Alien Enemies Act- Authorized the president to apprehend and deport
resident aliens if their home countries were at war with the United States of
America (France). This Act still exists today.
– Sedition Act - Made it a crime to publish "false, scandalous, and malicious
writing" against the government or certain officials. It was enacted July 14,
1798, with an expiration date of March 3, 1801 (the day before Adams'
presidential term was to end).