Chapter 8
Launching A New Nation
 "First
in war - first in peace, and
first in the hearts of his
countrymen..."
◦ In 1799, Congressman Henry Lee
said this about George Washington.
◦ Based on this quote, how do you
think people felt about George
Washington?

The First President
◦ Inaugurated in April of 1789
 Ceremony in which the President takes the oath of office
◦ The Executive Branch
 When Washington took office the government was very small
 75 post offices, a few clerks, and 672 soldiers in the army
 Washington’s first job was to build a working government
 Congress passes laws setting up three departments for
Washington
 Treasury
 State
 War
 Each department was to be led by a secretary that Washington
would appoint
 Washington also appointed an Attorney General
◦ The first Cabinet




Alexander Hamilton – Treasury
Thomas Jefferson – State
Henry Knox – War
Edmund Randolph – Attorney General
◦ Over time, Washington met with these
men regularly for advice
 They became known as the president’s cabinet

Judicial Branch
◦ Judiciary Act of 1789 established a
Supreme Court
 3 circuit courts were also created as well as
13 district courts
 Main job of federal courts was to hear appeals
from state courts
◦ John Jay – first Chief Justice of the U.S.
Supreme Court

Judicial Branch
◦ Judiciary Act of 1789 established a
Supreme Court
 3 circuit courts were also created as well as 13
district courts
 Main job of federal courts was to hear appeals from
state courts
◦ John Jay – first Chief Justice of the U.S.
Supreme Court

An Economic Crisis
◦ Revolution left the nation deeply in debt
 We owed $52 million
 Mostly in bonds
 Many bonds were sold by the original owners to speculators
 People who invest in something risky hoping to make a large
profit
 Should the federal government pay off debts from states?
◦ No matter what, the government did not have enough
money to operate
 Washington even had to borrow money from a friend to pay
his moving expenses from Virginia to New York
◦ A National Bank
 Jefferson argued with Hamilton against this
 Jefferson said the Constitution does not give government the
power to create a bank (strict interpretation)
 Hamilton said that the “necessary and proper” clause allowed
government to do what it must to operate (loose
interpretation)
 Was a bank unconstitutional?
 Either way, congress passed a law in 1791 establishing
the bank, and the president signed it
 Even today, people debate on a loose or strict
interpretation of the Constitution.
◦ A High Tariff
 Would raise money for the government and protect American
businesses
 The tariff was never passed by congress
 The south argued that the tariff only benefited the north where
industry was and would make the south pay more for goods
which they needed

Whiskey Rebellion
◦ Congress passed a tax on all whiskey in 1791
 Many farmers turned the extra gains they had left into
whiskey and sold it for a small profit
 Farmers compared it to the taxes the British had placed on
the before the war
 Many farmers had protests and refused to pay
 In 1794 the farmers burned the house of the tax collector
and marched in the streets of Pittsburgh

Hamilton’s Plan
◦ Alexander Hamilton had a plan to solve the money
problem
 U.S. Government would pay off all state debts
 Create a National Bank to deposit government funds
 Place a high tariff on all goods coming into the country
◦ Paying the debt
 Huge problem, but it had to be done because it would build
confidence in America
 Southerners opposed the idea of paying off the state debts
 Many of them had already paid theirs
 They reached a compromise
 Southerners would endorse Hamilton’s plan if the new capital
were located in the south
◦ Washington responded quickly
 He sent the militia to quell the uprising
 13,000 troops
 The protestors scattered
◦ Very important event – Washington established the
power of the federal government

Homework: review political parties packet

Do Now: page 290 key terms

Political Parties Emerge
◦ Framers hoped that government leaders would rise
above personal interests
 People did not refer to political parties, but rather
factions
 Many leaders disliked the idea… at first
 Including Jefferson, Hamilton, Madison, and Washington
 Washington was very hostile to factions
 Despite Washington’s efforts, two political parties
began to form
 One group supported Jefferson and Madison
 The other group supported Hamilton

Republicans vs. Federalists
◦ Republicans
 Led by Thomas Jefferson





Believed the people should have the power – strong state governments
Emphasized agriculture
Strict interpretation of the Constitution
Opposed the national bank and protective tariffs
Pro-French
◦ Federalists
 Led by Alexander Hamilton
 Believed the wealthy and educated should lead – strong national
government
 Emphasized manufacturing, industry, and trade
 Loose interpretation of the Constitution
 Supported the national bank and protective tariffs
 Pro-British

Election of 1796
◦ Washington decides not to seek a third term as
president
 Sets an important precedent
◦ Republicans choose Thomas Jefferson to run for office
◦ Federalists choose John Adams (was Washington’s vice
president)
◦ In 1796 elections were different than they are today
 2nd place candidate became the vice president
◦ Adams wins the election
 Jefferson becomes his vice president
 This leads to trouble over the next four years

Page 294 key terms and people

Northwest Territory:
◦ At the end of the revolution, the US won the land
north and west of the Ohio River to the Mississippi
River.
◦ The British promised to remove their forts, but A
DECADE LATER, were still there

Northwest Territory:
◦ Native Americans wanted to keep their land
◦ Several Native American groups joined
together
◦ Many Native Americans refused to sell their
land to Americans. The Americans believed
the future country depended on this land




Native Americans were attacking American
settlers.
By 1790, Washington sent troops to end the
attacks.
The Americans were defeated
The following year, Washington sent a larger
amount of soldiers, but again were defeated
◦ Over 900 soldiers were killed or wounded



Wayne was a Revolutionary War hero
He defeated the Native Americans in the
Battle of Fallen Timbers
By 1795, the Treaty of Greenville gave most
of the Native Americans’ land up to the
Americans (present day Ohio).

Most of the Americans were supportive of the
French Revolution when it began (1789)
◦ They felt the French were following in America’s
footsteps

A few years later, a period called the Reign of
Terror made the French Revolution more
controversial in the US



French revolutionaries executed 17,000 people,
including the king and queen
Federalists view: bloodthirsty monsters
Republicans(Jefferson) view: sometimes
injustices are to be expected when people are
oppressed

Homework: minimum 1 paragraph (at least 8
sentences)
◦ Decide if you are a Federalist or a Republican (look
back at page 291)
◦ Describe your beliefs
◦ Describe how you and your party feel about the Jay
Treaty

Do Now: clear your desks of everything. Take
out a blue or black pen only

US declares neutrality
◦ We wanted to trade with both



Both countries saw this as a benefit to the
other country
Both sides began stopping US ships and
seizing their cargo
British began impressment of American sailors


They purchase 75% of American exports and
supply 90% of American imports
Washington sends John Jay to London, he
returns with the Jay Treaty
◦ Americans agree to pay debts to the British
◦ British agree to pay for the American ships it had
seized, withdraw its troops from the Northwest
territory (FINALLY), and stop aiding Native Americans

Republicans:
◦ Angered because they were giving up too much in
receipt of too little

Federalists:
◦ Liked the fact that we were keeping peace with
Britain
Since Federalists controlled the Senate, Jay treaty
won approval
Read pages 295-296


No Homework!
Do Now:
◦ Please take out last night’s homework (
page 297 1 a & b)
◦ Please also have out your paragraphs from
yesterday (Choose to be a Federalist or
Republican and explain how you feel
about the Jay Treaty)
 Chapter
8 test Friday – even if
snow day tomorrow!
 Do
Now:
◦ Make sure to hand in your Farewell
Address!
◦ Page 298 key terms and people

Definition:
◦ John Adams sends 3 people to France to meet with
French officials (X, Y, Z)
◦ French officials demanded a $250,000 bribe plus a
loan for several million dollars

Cause:
◦ French were angry over America’s Jay Treaty with
Britain.
◦ French attacked US ships over this and the US
neutrality

Effect:
◦ American Reactions: “War Fever” – Federalists
wanted to declare war on France
◦ Adams’s action:
 Convinced Congress to increase size of
army and navy
 Sent new mission – Napoleon stopped
seizing ships

Define:
◦ Increased the time an immigrant had to
wait to become a citizen (14 years)
◦ President could deport any “alien”
considered dangerous

Define:
◦ Made it a crime for anyone to write or say
anything negative about the President,
Congress or government

Cause:
◦ “War Fever” made federalists and
Republicans split farther apart
◦ Federalists feared French immigrants –
suspected them of bringing dangerous
ideas

Effect: (Republican view)
◦ Sedition act targeted the republicans – it
took away their first amendment (free
speech)
◦ It violated the Constitution

Define:
◦ Written by James Madison (Virginia) and
Thomas Jefferson (Kentucky)
◦ Stated that the Alien & Sedition Acts were
unconstitutional and states could nullify a
law passed by Congress
 Nullify: deprive of legal force

Cause:
◦ The Supreme Court did not have power to
declare law unconstitutional

Effect: What happened to the resolutions?
◦ Had little immediate impact – no other
state supported it
◦ Boosted state’s rights in the future

Homework:
◦ Complete classwork – page 304 1-9, 12-14

Do Now: Please copy down the following
questions, leave room to answer completely
◦ How did Americans respond to internal and external
challenges?
◦ How did president Washington set the course for the
new nation?
◦ How did two political parties form?
◦ How did problems with France intensify the split
between Republicans and Federalists?
◦ How did the actions of Britain and France affect the US?