The Federalist Era, 1789-1801
Theme: Led by Washington and Hamilton ,the first administration under the Constitution
overcame various difficulties and firmly established the political and economic foundations
of the new federal government. The first Congress under the Constitution, led by James
Madison, also contributed to the new republic by adding the Bill of Rights.
Theme: The cabinet debate over Hamilton’s financial measure expanded into a wider
political conflict between Hamiltonian Federalists and Jeffersonian Republicans—the first
political parties in America. Federalists supported a strong central government, a “loose”
interpretation of the Constitution, and commerce (business). (Democratic) Republicans
supported states’ rights, a “strict” interpretation of the Constitution, and agriculture (farmers).
Theme: The French Revolution created a severe ideological and political division over
foreign policy between Federalists and Republicans. The foreign-policy crisis coincided with
domestic political divisions that culminated in the bitter election of 1800, but in the end
power passed peacefully from Federalists to Republicans. American isolationist tradition
emerges as a result of Washington’s strong neutrality stance and his farewell warnings about
foreign alliances.
I. Domestic Issues
A.
Washington Administration, 1789-1796
1.
Challenges in American society in 1790
a. Population, finances, and foreign affairs
2.
New government!
a.
b.
c.
3.
Hamilton’s Plan
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
4.
President WA and Cabinet-1789
Bill of Rights, 1791
Judiciary Act, 1789 and “writ of mandamus”
Funding at Par
Assumption state debts and Federal district
Tariff (Revenue Act of 1789)
Excise taxes (“an Inland tax)
National Bank
States’ righters and 10th Amendment
Hamilton’s Implied Powers from the “elastic or necessary
and proper clause”
Whiskey Rebellion, 1794
Memory Aid
•
•
•
•
•
B ank of U.S.
E xcise tax
F unding at par
A ssume state debts
T arrifs
I. Domestic Issues (cont.)
B. Election of 1796
1.
WA Farewell Address
a.
Warnings
2. Adams Administration
1.
2.
TJ VP (“He is distrustful,
obstinate, excessively
vain, and takes no counsel
from anyone.” TJ)
WA’s Cabinet
II. Foreign Policy
A.
French Revolution
1.
Washington’s Neutrality
Proclamation, 1793
a. Citizen Genet
B.
Jay Treaty, 1794
1.
2.
C.
Pinckney Treaty, 1795
1.
D.
Harassment American frontier
and impressment
War averted but creation of DR Party
Right of deposit
Defeat of American Indians in
Old Northwest
1.
2.
Battle of Fallen Timbers, 1794
Treaty of Greenville, 1795
II. Foreign Policy (cont.)
D.
“Quasi-War”, 1798-1800
1.
French condemned Jay Treaty
a.
b.
2.
Undeclared Naval Warfare
a.
b.
3.
Military build-up
Suspension of trade
Alien and Sedition Acts, 1798
a.
b.
4.
300 warships
XYZ Affair, 1797
VA and KY Resolutions
State right of “nullification”
Convention of 1800
a. End Franco-American alliance
III. Election of 1800
Federalists
•
•
•
–
•
Rule by “best people” (“those who
own the country ought to govern it”)
Distrusted democracy
Pro British
•
Strong standing army and navy
•
Hamilton’s Plan
–
–
–
•
BE FAT
Loose Constructionists
Support business but don’t interfere
Strong Centralists
–
–
•
Subordinate the state power
Alien and Sedition Acts
Strong Judicial Branch
–
Jeffersonian-Democrats
Judiciary Act, 1789
Support in S, SE, and W agrarian support in
hinterland (“Those who labor in the earth
are the chosen people of God”)
–
Pro French
–
•
Strict Constructionists
Strong State Rightists
–
–
•
Minimal army and navy
State and local spending
–
•
Government for the people but not by all the
people!
Central government at a minimum
VY & KY Resolutions
Weak Judicial Branch
–
Strong state Judicial branches
Matching
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Neutrality Proclamation of 1793
Alexander Hamilton
Thomas Jefferson
James Madison
Supreme Court
Funding and assumption
Bank of the United States
Whiskey Rebellion
Federalists
Republicans
A. Sec of State who opposed Hamilton
B. Body organized by the Judiciary Act of
1789.
C. Brilliant administrator
D. Body believed in the common people,
no aid for businesses and pro-French
E. President Washington’s statement of
basic principles of American foreign
policy.
F. Body believed in a strong government
run by wealthy.
G. Skillful politician-scholar who drafted
the Bill of Rights.
H. Hamilton’s aggressive financial policies
of paying off all federal bonds and
taking on all state debts.
I. Institution bitterly opposed by states’
rights advocates.
J. A protest by poor western farmers.
Answers
1-E
2-C
3-A
4-G
5-B
6-H
7-I
8-J
9-F
10-D