THE CONSTITUTION TESTED:
THE EARLY REPUBLIC
I.
Policies of First Five Presidents:
a. George Washington - 1789-1797
b. John Adams - 1797-1801
c. Thomas Jefferson - 1802-1810
d. James Madison - 1810-1818
e. James Monroe - 1818-1826
II. George Washington:
A. Domestic Policy:
1. the first cabinet:
a. Secretary of State – Thomas Jefferson
b. Sec’t. of Treasury – Alexander Hamilton
c. Sec’t. of War – Henry Knox
d. Attorney General – Edmund Randolph
2. Whiskey Rebellion:
To raise revenue – excise tax
(a federal tax on the sale of goods made
in the U.S.) on the distilling of whiskey.
Excise tax provoked on armed revolt among whiskeyProducing farmers in western Pennsylvania.
Washington sends in troops to put down revolt –
showed the fed’l power to act effectively in a crisis.
Was not supported by all (ex. Jefferson)
“a meat axe to kill a spider”
3. Hamilton’s Financial Plan - had the task of
putting the shaky U.S. economy on a firm
footing.
a. Basic goals:
1. establish credit of U.S. among the
the other nations
2. provide a strong currency
3. strengthen the central gov’t.
4. secure the support of the propertied classes.
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b. Five key actions:
1. repay the foreign debt
2. assume unpaid debts of the
states from Revolutionary War
3. raise revenues through excise
taxes
4. protective tariff to encourage
domestic industries
5. create a Bank of the U.S. to
coordinate public and private
financial activities.
Formation of political parties: came about because of differences of opinion over financial
plans.
Federalists vs Democratic Republicans
What they advocated, were made up and
supported were the same as the Federalists and
the Anti-federalists. ( see power point on
Origins of the Constitution.
Washington retired after two terms - thus
setting a precedent of a Pres. only serving
two terms.
Washington in his farewell address gave out
two bits of advice to America:
1. stay out of foreign affairs - remain
neutral
2. do not have political parties
John Adam’s Presidency: 1796-1800
1. Alien and Sedition Act: 1798)
federalist majority in Congress
enact Acts to limit Dem. Rep.
influence and criticism.
2. Alien Act: enable President to
a. Deport aliens who were thought
to be dangerous of the public
safety
b. increased from 5 to 14 years for
citizenship
3. Sedition Act:
fine and imprison editors who
criticized the Federalist Gov’t.
Result of these two acts is the - Virginia
and Kentucky Resolutions:
Thomas Jefferson and James Madison
resolutions – protested the above and
claimed the right to nullify federal laws.
Is this dangerous to the country?
Election of 1800:
John Adams – Federalist
Thomas Jefferson – Dem. Rep.
Aaron Burr - Dem. Rep.
Jefferson and Burr had the same electoral
vote - election is thrown into the House of
Rep.
Hamilton makes a deal with Jefferson’s
followers that if he won’t dismantle Hamilton’s
Plan – then Hamilton will tell his followers in
the House to vote for Jefferson.
House of Rep. votes and Jefferson emerges
as the winner.
To avoid tie votes in the future – we added
the 12th Amendment to the Constitution
(1804).
Amendment allows for the electors to cast
one vote for President and one vote for Vice
Pres.
Previously electors cast two votes and the
top two votes got the positions.
Thomas Jefferson: 1800-1808
Louisiana Purchase: 1803
Purchase Louisiana territory from
France for $15million. Equals out to 3
cents an acre.
Doubled the size of America.
Jefferson’s constitutional delemma:
As a strict constructionist, he should not
have purchased this territory. There is
nothing in the Constitution giving the
President power to increase the size of
the U.S.
He agreed to use implied powers to
purchase this territory.
III. FOREIGN POLICY
Foreign policies of first five
Presidents were shaped by the
following goals:
1. defense of the U.S. and a
sovereign republic
2. westward expansion
3. support of the people of Latin
America
in their struggle for freedom from
foreign rule.
4. neutrality
Washington’s Foreign Policy:
1793 – France declares war on Britain
- U.S. declared neutrality
British were intercepting U.S. ships at - on
way to France. Known as impressment.
In order to avoid war: Jay Treaty 1794-1795
a. Gave Britain right to seize U.S. ships
b. We got “much- favored nation”
statuswith Britain.
Why is this treaty a success for the U.S.?
Pinckney Treaty: 1795
Spain and U.S.
Spain was afraid that we’d side with Britain
against her - and take over North American
holdings.
We stay neutral and they give us the “right to
deposit” in New Orleans.
Early Port of New Orleans:
X, Y, Z Affair: 1798
French begin to seize American ships.
Pres. Adams sends negotiators over to settle
dispute - French negotiators demand bribe
before they will negotiate.
Congress in response suspended trade with
France and a quasi-naval war continued.
JEFFERSON during the Napoleonic Wars –
placed an embargo on goods shipped to
Europe.
This embargo hurt U.S. business interests
Embargo lasted from 1807-1809.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50_iRIcx
sz0&feature=related
Reasons for going to war:
1. Impressment of American sailors and
seizure of American ships.
2. Land hunger - desire to acquire
Canada
3. Indian atrocities – believed instigated
by the British
4. British forts and soldiers in the West
War Hawks – group of young Western and
Southern Congressmen –
lead by:
John Calhoun - South Carolina
Henry Clay - Kentucky
This group called for the U.S. to go to war
with Britain.
By 1812 they control Congress
Declare war in June 18th, 1812
1812-1813 - disastrous campaigns for the U. S.
1813 – American attempt to invade Canada and
fail.
Only real success was on Lake Erie Sept. 1813,
when we defeat the British fleet.
1814- British win their war against the French
1814 which will allow them to place more
troops in the U.S.
August 24-25, 1814 - The British burn
Washington, D.C. and Madison flees the
White House.
December 15,1814 - The Hartford Convention
occurs. A group of Federalists discuss
secession and propose seven amendments
to protect the influence of Northeastern
states.
December 24, 1814 -American diplomats
agree to return to the status quo from
before the war.
Treaty of Ghent:
Treaty acknowledged that the war was a
draw.
1. Western boundary - Mississippi River
2. Britain stopped impressment
U.S. emerges as a world power.
January 1815 - Battle of New Orleans.
Andrew Jackson scores a huge victory
and paves the way to the White House. 700
British are killed, 1400 are wounded. The
US only loses 8 soldiers.
The Treaty of had been signed on
December 24, 1814 and ratified by the on
the Senate on February 16, 1815. However,
official dispatches announcing the peace
would not reach the combatants until late
February, finally putting an end to the war.
The battle is widely regarded as the
greatest American land victory of the war.
MONROE DOCTRINE - 1823
A. Western Hemisphere was closed to further
colonization.
B. Any attempt of European countries to
intervene in countries of LA would be seen
as an unfriendly act.
C. U.S. would not interfere in Europe’s affairs.
A declaration of our neutrality.
MANIFEST DESTINY
1840’S New York journalist John O’Sullivan
created the term “Manifest Destiny”
He wrote that it was the U.S. “divine
mission” to spread democracy from
“sea to shining sea.”
Most saw this as the expansion to the
Pacific.
Insert map and chart here.