The Federalist Era 1789-1800
• Book Ends: Washington’s Inauguration to
•
•
•
Jefferson’s Election
Theme: Stabilized the nation, fixed the
weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation
Major Events: Whiskey Rebellion, French
Revolution abroad, XYZ Affair
Formation of Political Parties, Federalists and
Democratic-Republicans
Essay hint
• Some historians have argued that the US
Constitution was a radical departure from
the Articles of Confederation.
• Support, modify, or refute this contention
using specific evidence.
I. Domestic Affairs
George Washington
The First Executive Branch
George Washington
President
Thomas Jefferson
Secretary of State
Alexander Hamilton
Secretary of
Treasury
Henry Knox
Secretary of War
1st Congress
• Adopted the Bill of
•
•
Rights
Judiciary Act 1789, set
up federal court
system, empowered to
rule on
constitutionality of
state courts
Passed Hamilton’s
Financial program
(Beard Thesis?)
What caused political parties to
form in the early republic, 17891800?
Hamilton’s Financial Plan
1. Funding National debt at Par
2.
(paying back all the money
they said they would) to
establish good credit
Assumption of State Debts
•
Unfair to South, so a Compromise located
and built the nation’s capital in the South,
Washington DC
3. Tariffs (tax on imports to raise
4.
5.
revenue to pay off war debt)
Excise Tax on Whiskey
National Bank to promote
business
Memory aide: (Befat is not a real term and should
never be used in an essay!)
• B ank
• E xcise tax on whiskey
• F unding the national debt
• A ssuming the state debts
• T ariff
Who was Alexander Hamilton?
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0aX8
Jy1tME&safe=active
• Rap
Battle for the National Bank:
Provisions:
• Federal Treasury would deposit its surplus revenues in the
bank and print urgently needed paper money providing a
stable national currency.
Opposition:
• Jefferson strongly opposed the bank
on strict interpretation of the Const.
• Hamilton argued loose construction
– “elastic clause” (Implied Powers)
– Provided for passing any laws "necessary & proper“ to carry
out the powers vested in the various governmental agencies.”
• Bank issue sparked division
The Whiskey Rebellion (1794)
• SW Penn. backcountry
•
•
•
folks hard hit by
Hamilton's excise tax.
Torched buildings,
tarred & feathered
revenue officers, tax
collections came to a
halt
Washington led army
of 13,000 to crush
rebellion, no opposition
Significance: Showed
federal gov. could
handle uprisings and
Const. worked
• "...if the laws are to be so trampled upon
with impunity, and a minority...is to
dictate to the majority, there is an end put
at one stroke to republican
government...for some other man or
society may dislike another law and
oppose it with equal propriety until all
laws are prostrate, and everyone will
carve for himself."
• - George Washington's observation about
the Whiskey Rebellion
Today on Divorce Court
Birth of
the
Party
System
• Founding Fathers in 1787 did not envision the
existence of political parties. (Federalists &
Anti-Federalist were not formal parties, but
factions)
• By 1792-1793, two well-defined groups had
crystallized:
i. Hamiltonian Federalists
ii. Jeffersonian Republicans
Federalists
• Believed in gov. by the
upper class
• Distrusted the common
people, “Mobocracy”
• Supported a strong central
government
• Encouraged business and
manufacturing
• Pro-British in foreign policy
Jeffersonians
(Democratic-Republicans, or
Republicans)
• Advocated the rule for the
•
•
•
common person
Biggest appeal was to the
middle and lower class: yeoman
farmers, laborers, artisans, and
small shopkeepers.
Economy: Promoted an agrarian
economy
Pro French in foreign policy
Hamilton and Jefferson Disagree
(What a surprise !!! More disagreement)
II. Foreign Affairs
Foreign Policy
• French Revolution # 1 issue from 17921815, eventually became a world war
(Reign of Terror => Napoleon)
• Washington's Neutrality
Proclamation (1793)
– Proclaimed U.S. neutrality toward the war
between Britain and France, set foreign policy
precedent for next 125 years
Citizen Genet, 1793
• French envoy/
•
profiteer undertook to
entice U.S. profiteers to
outfit French ships and
supply the French war cause;
he recruited Americans
Washington demanded his
withdrawal & Genet was
replaced.
Jay’s Treaty (1794)
• Averted war with Britain
• 1. British renewed their pledge to
•
•
•
remove their posts from U.S. soil (as in
1783)
2. British consented to pay damages
for recent seizures of American ships
and US pay pre-Revolution debts to
British Merchants
3. British refused stop impressments
Significance: Most important immediate
cause for formation of the DemocraticRepublican party.
Jay’s Treaty
“Damn John Jay!
Damn everyone that won’t
damn John Jay!
Damn everyone that won’t
put lights in his window
and sit up all night damning
John Jay!
Pinckney Treaty of 1795
• Granted free
navigation of
the Mississippi
River to the
U.S. including
right of deposit
at the port city
of New
Orleans from
Spain
Washington’s Farewell
Address, 1796
• Stay away
from political
parties and
foreign
entanglements
Electoral Votes-1796
John Adams
(Federalist),
1796-1800
• "Quasi-War" with
•
•
France
French started to
seize American ships
as a reaction to Jay’s
Treaty
Full-blown war
seemed imminent;
Adams kept U.S.
out by the
Convention of 1800,
greatest
accomplishment, yet
hurt him politically
XYZ Affair, 1797
• Adams sent a delegation to Paris to discuss the
•
•
•
•
conflict
U.S. delegates secretly approached by three
French agents, "X,Y, & Z"
French demanded a large loan and a bribe of
$250,000 for the privilege of talking to French
foreign minister Talleyrand.
Negotiations broke down
War hysteria swept the U.S.
– “Millions for defense, but not one cent for tribute”
Alien and Sedition Acts, 1798
• Purpose: Federalists passed a series of
•
•
•
oppressive laws in 1798 that would reduce the
power of Jeffersonians and silence anti-war
opposition
Alien Acts- Raised residence requirements for
U.S. citizenship from 5 yrs to 14 yrs.
Sedition Act-Anyone who impeded the policies
of gov or falsely criticized its officials, including
the president, would be liable to a heavy fine
and imprisonment. (Free speech, 1st Amend?)
(Political, expired on March 4, 1801)
• Career was an example of emerging
•
•
•
•
•
partisanship
Spat tobacco juice on Federalist
Roger Griswold
After Lyon was not expelled from
Congress, Griswold attacked Lyon
with a cane
Lyon later wrote an article criticizing
President Adams' 'continual grasp
for power' and his 'unbounded thirst
for ridiculous pomp, foolish
adulation, and selfish avarice.‘
Jailed for sedition, he spent the
winter in a jail in Vermont and was
denied heat and a window that
would close and constantly was
taunted, but won his re-election
campaign for the House
Only man ever to win a
Congressional election while in jail.
Matthew Lyon
Virginia and Kentucky
Resolutions, 1798
• Jefferson and Madison were the secret authors
• Republicans believed States had right to nullify
•
•
•
unconstitutional laws passed by Congress, Alien
and Sedition acts were unconstitutional
Nullification: States had right to nullify
unconstitutional laws passed by Congress
Compact theory – states made the Union and
can leave when wants, final authority
Significance: Later used by Southerners to
support secession
Let’s practice
• http://www.raleighcharterhs.org/faculty/b
newmark/APUSH%20quizzes/Whichpolitic
alparty.htm
•Evaluate the relative
importance of
domestic and foreign
affairs in shaping
American politics in
the 1790’s.
Intro
• Background info on political parities
– Framers of the Constitution did not foresee
political parties arising
– Factions: Federalists & Anti-Federalists
• Thesis statement
– The primary cause for the rise of Federalist
and Republican political parities in American
politics in the 1790’s was the divide over
allegiance between Britain and France, while
disagreements over Hamilton’s financial
program further exasperated domestic
tensions.
Foreign Affairs
• British (Federalist) vs. French (Republican)
• Washington (Fed)
– Not side with French, Neutrality Proclamation,
Citizen Genet
– Jay’s Treaty- British
• Adams (Fed)
– XYZ Affair
– Quasi Naval War with France
Domestic Affairs
• Washington (Fed)
– Hamilton’s Financial Program (Befat)
– Bank #1, loose vs. strict constructionist
– Whiskey Rebellion
• Adams (Fed)
– Alien & Sedition Acts
– Virginia & Kentucky Resolutions
Conclusion
• Washington’s Farewell Address: Stay away
from Political Parities and Foreign Alliances
• Revolution of 1800- Jefferson
• Hartford kills off Federalists
• Era of Good Feelings, 1815-1824, one
party rule
• To what extent was the
election of 1800 aptly named
the “Revolution of 1800”?
Respond with references to
TWO of the following areas:
–Economics
–Foreign Policy
–Judiciary
–Politics
Economics- Moderate
• Before: Hamilton’s Financial Program (Befat)
• Cut debt down in ½, Gallatin. slashed Navy &
Army budgets
• Revoked excise taxes,
• Agrarian economy, buys LP land for them
• Embargo Act, 1807- Rise of manufacturing
• Long Run: Clay’s American System
– Bank
– Internal Improvements
– Tariff, protectionist
Foreign Policy- Yes, big change
• Before 1800, Fed Pro-British w/ Jay’s
Treaty, Anti-French, XYZ Affair, Quasi-War
• After 1800, more anti-British
• Pro-French- Louisiana Purchase, Macon’s
Bill # 2
• War 1812
– Impressment
– Chespeake Incident- Embargo Act- NonIntercourse Act
– Invaded Canada
Judiciary-
No Revolution, Marshall (Fed) Court in charge
• Adams, midnight judges, stuffed the court
• Jefferson attacked the courts, Samuel Chase
• Marshall promoted federalist rights of a strong central
•
•
gov. and business
TJ would prefer States nullify, Vir & Kent Res.
Marshall Cases:
– Marbury v. Madison, judicial review
– McCulloch v. Maryland- implied powers
– Gibbons v. Ogden- right to regulate commerce
– Fletcher v. Peck- right of contract
– Dartmouth v. Woodward- right of contract
Politics- Yes
• Peaceful transfer of power from Federalist
• Federalist die off, Hartford Convention,
never have a President again
• TJ-Madison-Monroe
• Controlled Congress too
• Era of Good Feelings- One party rule
Essay hint
• Although the power of the national
•
•
•
government increased during the early
republic, this development often faced serious
opposition. Compare the motives and
effectiveness of those opposed to the growing
power of the national government in TWO of
the following:
Whiskey Rebellion (1794)
Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions (1798-1799)
Hartford Convention (1814-1815)
• How effective was the Constitution at solving
•
•
the problems of the Articles of Confederation
at governing a new nation? Please limit your
answer from 1781 to 1800.
Evaluate the relative importance of domestic
and foreign affairs in shaping American politics
in the 1790’s.
Analyze the contributions of TWO of the
following in helping establish a stable
government after the adoption of the
Constitution
George Washington
John Adams
Thomas Jefferson
Essay hint
• Although the power of the national
•
•
•
government increased during the early
republic, this development often faced serious
opposition. Compare the motives and
effectiveness of those opposed to the growing
power of the national government in TWO of
the following:
Whiskey Rebellion (1794)
Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions (1798-1799)
Hartford Convention (1814-1815)
• Some historians have
argued that the French and
Indian War marked a
turning point in British
imperial policy toward the
American colonies.
Support, modify, or refute
this contention using
specific evidence.
• Some historians have
argued that a high tax
burden on the colonists
caused the Americans to
rebel in 1776. Support,
modify, or refute this
contention using specific
evidence.
•Some historians have
argued that the
American Revolution
was not revolutionary
in nature. Support,
modify, or refute this
contention using
specific evidence.
•Some historians have
argued that the US
Constitution was a
radical departure from
the Articles of
Confederation. Support,
modify, or refute this
contention using specific
evidence.