The Federalist Era,
1789-1800
Launching the New
Government
The First Federal Elections
Picking the first
president
The new Congress
James Madison
The Bill of Rights
John Adams
George
Washington
Filling out the government
Washington’s
Cabinet
Henry Knox:
Sec. of War
Edmund
Randolph:
Att.
General
Thomas
Jefferson:
Sec. of
State
Alexander
Hamilton:
Sec. of the
Treasury
John Jay: First Chief
Justice (SCOTUS)
Alexander
Hamilton’s
Financial
Program
“Report on
Public Credit”
•Assumption and
creation of national debt
“Report on the •Proposed congress
national bank” charter a bank
“Report on the •Proposed a federal
currency
Mint"
•Program to encourage
“Report on
Manufactures" domestic industry
Political Views: Hamilton versus Jefferson
Passionate Politics
Partisanship without Parties
The New Politician:
mobilized voters and created
political organizations
Expansion of the Press
Democratic-Republican
Societies
Cultural Politics
Peter Porcupine
Federalist William Cobbett “Peter
Porcupine,” scribbles attacks and insults.”
Republican political cartoon.
Conflicts at Home and
Abroad
The French Revolution in America
The revolution became
symbol for both
Republicans and
Federalists
Liberty and the Guillotine
Jay’s Treaty, 1795
Treaty agreed to compensate
America for cargoes sized in
1793-1794 and to vacate forts in
the Northwest territory
John Jay
Pinckney Treaty (1795):
Secured America’s right
to navigate the
Mississippi River and
use New Orleans (also
settled boundary of
Florida)
Map of Spanish Interests in America
The Whiskey Rebellion
Rebellion over
Hamilton’s hated
tax on Whiskey
in 1794.
Call up Militia
immediately
(F)
Negotiate,
but have
militia ready.
Repeal the
tax to avoid
confrontation
(R)
Washington chooses the
negotiate, but called the militia
after negotiations failed
The Presidency of John
Adams, 1796-1800
Washington’s Farewell
Attacked the growing factions
and partisanship
Advised Americans steer clear
of permanent alliances with
foreign nations
Election of 1796
The XYZ Affair and Quasi-War with
France
Quasi-War: An
undeclared naval
war with France
from 1798-1800
XYZ Affair (1796): Three French
officials demand bribe from Americans
to begin negotiations
The Alien and Sedition Acts
Alien Acts (3 separate laws): Increased government
deportation powers/Made it harder to become a
citizen
Sedition Act: criminalized protesting the
government/criminalized speech or expression
criticizing the government or its actions.
The Election of 1800
Jefferson’s opponents portrayed
him as an atheist who drew radical
ideas from the French Revolution. In
this image the American eagle tries
to prevent Jefferson from throwing
the Constitution into the flames
emanating from the altar of Gallic
(French) despotism.