U.S. History
Ch. 10
The Federalist Era
Shaping the New Government
• The electoral college unanimously elected
George Washington as the first President.
– John Adams became the Vice President
– Washington was reluctant to be the leader.
– However, he proved to be a great leader and
he established the model that the President
still follows today.
• U.S. faced many problems. It was weak,
had a small army, no navy, & millions of
dollars in debt
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• Martha
Washington
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The Electoral College vote for
George Washington (1789)
George
Washington,
first elected in
1789, was
elected
unanimously
by the Electoral
College
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Inauguration of
George
Washington
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Branches of Government
• Legislative Branch – first met in New York City
in March 1789.
– First action was the Bill of Rights.
• Executive Branch – 1789 Congress created
the Presidential Cabinet.
– Sec. of State – Thomas Jefferson
– Sec. of War – Henry Knox
– Sec. of Treasury – Alexander Hamilton
– Attorney General – Edmund Randolph
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• Thomas
Jefferson
• (Sec. of State)
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• Henry
Knox
• (Secretary
of War)
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• Alexander
Hamilton
• (Sec. of the
Treasury)
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– Edmund
Randolph
– Attorney
General
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Branches of Government
• Judicial Branch – Constitution only
created the Supreme Court.
– Congress created other courts with the
Judiciary Act of 1789.
– Supreme Court would have 1 Chief Justice
and 5 Associate Justices
– John Jay was appointed as the first Chief
Justice of the Supreme Court
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• John Jay
• (Chief Justice
of the Supreme
Court)
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National Debt (Hamilton’s Plan)
• In 1790’s U.S. had a huge national debt from
the Revolution.
• Sec. Alexander Hamilton’s plan:
– pay off national and state debts with an excise tax
(taxed goods made in the U.S.) and a tariff (taxed
imported goods).
– Create a national bank.
– borrow funds on par (pay back borrowed money
with interest.)
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Hamilton's
Financial Plan
National Bank
Funding at Par
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Tariff
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Responses to Hamilton’s plan
• Southerners (Madison & Jefferson) didn’t like it:
– Made the states dependent on national government
– Most southern states had already paid their debt.
• Hamilton made a compromise with them:
– If the south agreed to the plan, the new capital would be in
the south on the Potomac River between Maryland and
Virginia
– It would be its own area known as the District of Columbia.
– This way no one state claimed it inside its borders
• Hamilton’s economic plan were approved by
Congress in 1791.
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Location of Washington D.C.
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The Whiskey Rebellion
• Excise tax on Whiskey led to a rebellion in
Pennsylvania in 1794 b/c they felt this was
an unfair tax.
– Known as the Whiskey Rebellion. It tested
the young U.S. Government.
– Pres. Washington responded angrily and put
down the rebellion with force by sending in
the militia.
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The Whiskey Rebellion proved the
strength of the Constitution
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Challenges from other Nations
• British
– British still had troops in The Northwest Territory
– American Indians attacked American settlers in the
area.
– American troops were sent in but were easily
defeated.
– In August 1794, another American army defeated the
American Indians at the Battle of Fallen Timbers.
• Spanish
– Spanish controlled Louisiana (land west of the MS
River) and the port of New Orleans.
– Many times they refused to cooperate with America
over boundaries and use of the river.
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Battle of Fallen Timbers
took place near a number of uprooted trees "fallen timbers"
that had been leveled by a tornado. (1794) Toledo, Ohio
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Challenges from other Nations
• Pirates
– Most pirates came from the Barbary
Coast of North Africa
– They attacked American ships b/c
America had no navy
– America had to pay a tribute, or
protection money, to local rulers.
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• Pirates
attacking an
American ship
along the
Barbary coast
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French Revolution & Neutrality
•
•
•
•
French Revolution began in 1789.
Monarchy was overthrown
French Republic was established
European nations (Great Britain) went to war with the
new French Govn’t b/c
– they feared that the idea of Revolution would spread.
• France asked for U.S. help b/c of the Treaty of Alliance
of 1778.
• Pres. Washington wanted the U.S. to stay neutral, b/c
they weren’t strong enough for a war
• April 1793, Pres. Washington issued a Proclamation of
Neutrality.
– U.S. recognized the new French Govn’t, but would not help
either side.
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The taking of the Bastille (the
beginning of the French Revolution)
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Washington meeting with French ambassador
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Challenges to Neutrality
• British & French began seizing U.S. merchant
ships.
• The British also impressed (kidnapped)
American sailors and put them in the British
Navy.
• John Jay was sent to London to make peace.
• The Jay Treaty was signed in 1794
– Americans didn’t like the treaty b/c it didn’t say
anything about the seizing of American ships
• The treaty did show the Spanish that the U.S. &
Great Britain would work together.
– This led to Pinckney’s Treaty signed between U.S. &
Spain. It said:
• U.S. southern border would be 31 degrees.
• Spain granted use by the U.S. of the port of New Orleans
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Impressment of American Sailors
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The Issue of Impressment
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Washington’s Farewell
• After two terms, Pres. Washington decided to
step down as U.S. President
• He created an Executive Branch that was much
stronger than anyone ever dreamed
• He set a precedent by stepping down after two
terms.
• In his farewell speech he warned against:
– The creation of political parties
– The division between the northern and southern
states. (Sectionalism)
– Do not get involved in European affairs
– Do not make permanent alliances
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Political Parties Form
• Alexander Hamilton led the Federalists
• Thomas Jefferson led the DemocraticRepublicans
• These were the first two political parties in
the U.S.
• A Political Party is a group of people with
similar ideas and beliefs about
government.
• Constitution doesn’t mention political
parties
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Federalist
A. Hamilton
Hamilton
Adams
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Democratic-Republicans
Jefferson
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Madison
34
Different Viewpoints
• Federalist Views
– Hamilton wanted a strong central govn’t
– Represented mainly the wealthy
– Wanted a loose interpretation of the
Constitution.
• Democratic-Republican Views
– Jefferson wanted a weak federal government
– Favored the lower classes (small farmers)
– Wanted to limit national govn’t and strengthen
state govn’t.
– Believed in a strict interpretation of the
Constitution
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Election of 1796
• Federalists nominated John Adams for President
and Thomas Pinckney for Vice President.
• Democratic-Republicans nominated Thomas
Jefferson for President and Aaron Burr for Vice
President.
• Candidates were chosen by their party at a
Caucus, or private meeting.
• When the Electoral Votes were counted, John
Adams had 71 votes and Thomas Jefferson had
68.
• Adams became President and Jefferson became
Vice President
– The two were from different political parties and did
not agree on anything.
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• John
Adams
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Adams’ Presidency
• Adams had a tough presidency b/c of the
division between the two parties
• His largest problem was keeping neutrality with
France.
– French ships continually attacked American ships
– the French tried to influence the American
Presidential election in 1796 to give it to Jefferson .
– Adams wanted to avoid war and sent three men to
negotiate peace
• French Foreign Minister, Charles Maurice de
Talleyrand, sent three delegates to meet them.
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XYZ Affair
• The French delegates offered a peace treaty only if:
– the U.S. paid Talleyrand a bribe of $250,000 and a loan of
$10 million
• This became known as the XYZ Affair
– the French delegates were known as X, Y, & Z.
• The U.S. waged an undeclared naval war with
France.
• Adams debated asking for a declaration of war to
defend U.S. honor. He decided to wait
• New French leader Napoleon Bonaparte was at war
with Great Britain and wanted the U.S. as an ally
• At the Convention of 1800, France and the U.S.
agreed to peace
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XYZ Affair
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• Charles
Maurice de
Talleyrand
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Alien & Sedition Acts
• When Adams made peace w/ France, many
Federalists were angry.
• They wanted war and Adams lost the support of his
party.
• In 1798 Federalists passed four laws to stop the
growth of the Democratic-Republicans
– Naturalization Act – increased time to become a citizen
from 5 to 14 years (new citizens were DemocraticRepublicans)
– Alien Act –President could imprison or deport dangerous
foreigners (silenced French refugees)
– Alien Enemies Act –deport aliens from nations at war
with U.S.
– Sedition Act – made it a crime to criticize the U.S.
government
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Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions
• Madison & Jefferson saw the Alien & Sedition
Acts as a direct attack on the Bill of Rights
• They wrote two statements that were approved
by Kentucky and Virginia.
• These Resolutions said that each state could
choose if laws were unconstitutional and choose
to obey them or not.
• This was called states’ rights (or compact throry
of government)
• Federalists believed that the Supreme Court
decided whether a law was constitutional or not
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Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions (1798)
This Assembly declares, that it views the
powers of the federal government, as
resulting from the compact, to which
the states are parties; as limited by the
plain sense and intention of the
compact; as no further valid…they are
authorized by (only) the agreements
enumerated in that compact…
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Compact Theory of Government
Water cannot rise above its source
Kentucky
Virginia
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Federalists Lose Power
• The Alien & Sedition Acts made the
Federalists look tyrannical to the people
• Hamilton and others wouldn’t support
Adams for reelection in 1800
• Thomas Jefferson ran for Pres. for the
Democratic-Republicans. Aaron Burr ran
for Vice President.
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Fighting in Congress over
the Alien and Sedition Act
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Election of 1800
• Federalists John Adams & Charles Pinckney
received 65 & 64 votes
• Jefferson and Burr received 73 votes each
• Burr wouldn’t back down.
• Vote went to the House of Reps.
• Hamilton was Speaker of the House and he
hated Burr.
• Jefferson became Pres. & Burr Vice Pres.
• The tie led to the 12th amendment:
– electors specify on the ballot who they voted for Pres.
& Vice Pres.
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• Aaron Burr
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Federalist Legacy
• Federalist lost power after election of 1800
• The Federalist did leave a lasting lagacy:
– Successfully created a working government
– Put the U.S. in good financial shape
– Created the new capital named after Pres.
Washington who died in 1799.
• John and Abigail Adams were the first family to live in the
White House.
• On Adams last night in office he appointed many
federal judges (hold lifetime terms) to office.
These were called Midnight Judges.
– Chief Justice John Marshall
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• John
Marshall
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• America circa
1800
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