Chapter 6
The New Republic
Sec. 1 – Govt. & Party Politics
 New York, 1789 – George Washington inaugurated into
office
 Unanimous vote of electoral college (John Adams – VP)
 Great dignity and strong personality
 Role of new government still not determined
 Capital - NY to Philadelphia for 10 years
 New capital – District of Columbia DC; L’Enfant
designed city to display power and authority
 Washington’s administration set precedents
 Cabinet: Jefferson (State), Hamilton (Treasury), Knox
(War), Randolph (Attorney General)
Hamilton’s Plan
 Jefferson – domestic affairs; great diplomat and leader;
distrusted govt.
 Judiciary Act 1789 – Set up federal court system (13
federal courts, 3 circuit (appeals) courts and 6-member
Supreme Court); John Jay (first Chief Justice)
 Hamilton – favored strong national gov. – believed it
could accomplish great things
 Alexander Hamilton (Fed.) proposed plan to strengthen
national power & develop a commercial and industrial
economy
Hamilton’s Plan cont.
 Pay off national & state debts
 Would restore credit and establish
trustworthiness abroad
 Proposed excise taxes and high tariffs
 Placed tax on whiskey
 Hoped to pay off slowly so countries would take
continued interest in U.S. (long term investment)
 Bank of U.S. established 1791
Hamilton’s Plan cont.
Loose construction of the Constitution –
broad interpretation; could do anything
unless it said you CAN’T!
Alarmed critics (Jefferson) – strict
construction of Constitution – only those
powers stated in Constitution; no
“stretching” of powers
Believed Federalists had betrayed the
Revolution
Opponents of Hamilton’s plan
Resented federal power & new
taxes, tariffs, Bank of U.S.
Seemed like a return to the British
monarchy – alarmed people
Jefferson eventually resigned his
post
Whiskey Rebellion
 Many farmers refused to pay whiskey tax
 Followed the tradition of Stamp Act and
Shay’s Rebellion – attacked collectors
 Washington & Hamilton determined to stop
the rebellion; gathered troops and marched on
W. Pennsylvania – rebellion dissolved
 ***Showed world that govt. would enforce
the laws (unlike Shay’s Rebellion)***
Two Party System
Whiskey Rebellion highlighted tensions
Emerged into two parties:
Federalists – Hamilton, Adams; northern
merchants
Democratic-Republicans – Jefferson,
Madison; farmers
But supporters from all parts of country
Section 2 – Foreign Policy
British had kept forts – Ohio River, Great
Lakes – made U.S. mad
Gave weapons to Indians to resist our
expansion
Battle of Fallen Timbers – General
Anthony Wayne defeated Native
Americans
Treaty of Greenville - opened N.W.
Territory
French Revolution - 1789
Liberty, Equality, Fraternity
Deteriorated into a “reign of terror” where
thousands lost their lives, including King
Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette
Divided U.S.
Federalists opposed it as extremist;
anarchists who would destroy society
French Revolution cont.
Democratic Republicans supported it as an
extension of the Am. Rev., Republican
ideals; applauded its rejection of kings
Americans torn between British who ruled
the seas, or France who had helped us in
the Revolution
Chose neutrality – remained U.S. policy
for a century
Treaties with Britain and Spain
 Washington decides to improve relations with
Britain
 Jay Treaty - Removed remaining British
troops/forts in NW territory, expand trade w/GB
 Americans furious – a betrayal of France, sell-out
to British
 Pinckney Treaty – with Spain; guaranteed
shipping rights on Miss. River; established
northern boundary of Florida
Washington’s Farewell
 After 2 terms set precedent and stepped down
 Achievements: Indian defeat, western lands
opened for settlement, Whiskey rebellion
suppressed, kept nation out of war, improved
economy and foreign trade, helped pay national
debt
 Farewell Address – warned against “entangling
alliances” and political parties
Foreign Policy
 John Adams – 2nd Pres (Federalist) lacked
prestige of GW; faced growing divisions in U.S.
 Drift towards war w/France – angry over Jay’s
treaty w/Britain; began seizing Am. ships
 XYZ Affair – Adams sent officials to Paris, met
by officials demanding bribe ($250K) and loan of
$10 million; outraged Americans, “Millions for
defense but not one cent for tribute.”
 Undeclared war, fired on, seized ships
 Adams keeps us out of major war w/France
Alien and Sedition Acts
Alien – Pres. could imprison or deport
immigrants who criticized govt.
– Most immigrants supported Dem-Rep.(why?)
Sedition – Made it a crime for citizens who
published or said anything false,
scandalous about the govt.
Silenced much Republican opposition with
this
VA and KY Resolutions
Response to A & S acts – Rep. believed
they violated Constitutional right to free
speech
VA & KY Resolutions declared the
Sedition Act unconstitutional
Nullification is a defiance of federal power
Growing tensions in U.S. – State power vs.
Federal power is a sign of things to come...
Election of 1800
Jefferson wins election against Adams
Aaron Burr, running mate got same
number of votes
Went to the House to decide
Hamilton (congressman) preferred
Jefferson so swayed vote to him
Later Burr killed Hamilton in a duel for
slandering him
Section 3 - Jefferson
 Election of 1800 a “revolution” in government
principles according to Jefferson
 Known now as Jeffersonian Republicans or
Republicans (NOT the modern Republican party)
 Reduced military, streamlined government
bureaucracy, increased trade, sale of western
lands
 More common style than the aristocratic
Federalists, but Jefferson was wealthy, educated
and refined
The Marshall Court
 John Marshall new Chief Justice
 Helped build prestige and power of Court
 Established judicial review in Marbury v.
Madison – courts can determine constitutionality
of laws
 Established federal authority over state authority
– Gibbons v. Ogden, McCulloch v. Maryland
 Loose constructionist - increased power of court
tremendously; not stated anywhere in
Constitution
Louisiana Purchase - 1803
 Napoleon sold all French claims to U.S. for $15
million – Louisiana Purchase
 Jefferson concerned over the purchase and
spending public funds
 Contradicted his principles about govt. power but
signed anyway; doubled size of the U.S.
 Lewis & Clark expedition; 2 years, reached
Pacific; helped by Sacajawea
Foreign Troubles
 British began kidnapping American sailors to
serve in British military – impressment (at war
with France); interfering with trade also
 Embargo of 1807 as punishment – outlawed trade
w/ foreign countries
 New Englanders hated embargo; bankrupted
merchants, hurt farmers who couldn’t export
 Embargo backfired
 Hurt his 2nd term, retired to Monticello unpopular
Section 4 – War of 1812
More battles w/Native Americans;
Americans believed GB supplying weapons
Tecumseh defeated at Tippecanoe
War Hawks – Clay and Calhoun called for
war against GB (impressments of American
sailors) to restore national honor
Federalists don’t want war with GB (why?)
War of 1812 cont
War breaks out 1812
Early defeats for Americans
Disastrous invasion of Canada
Navy did surprisingly well though
Battle of Lake Erie – victory for U.S.
Andrew Jackson crushed Creek Indians of
Alabama, killed Tecumseh, invaded
Florida and defeated Seminole Indians
War of 1812 cont.
Major attacks by British (including New
Orleans)
Burned White House (Madison flees –
Dolly saves picture of George) & Capitol
Ft. McHenry (Baltimore) – Francis Scott
Key wrote Star Spangled Banner
Americans win on Lake Champlain
Cont.
 Treaty of Ghent – ended war 1815
 Not all supported war (Federalists) – capital
burned, treasury depleted, trade stopped due to
blockade (“Mr. Madison’s war”)
 Andrew Jackson’s important battle of New
Orleans – two weeks after treaty! Created
illusion that this had led to British defeat
 Hartford Convention 1814 – Federalists had
looked weak & defeatist in opposing war; wanted
to consider leaving nation (secession)
Post War - results
 Surge of national pride (nationalism)
 Nation grows – settlement spreads west
 End of Federalist party (for favoring GB)
 Settlers going into Florida too, conflicts with
Seminoles; fugitive slaves heading to Florida
 Spain cedes Florida to U.S. – Adams – Onis
Treaty of 1819; US now larger/stronger
 War showed the nation would endure