Early Republic: Washington and
Adams Administrations
1789-1800
George Washingon
• Reading—
http://millercenter.org/president/washington
April 30, 1789 in New York City, overlooking Wall Street
“Executive Branch Department” turned into “cabinet”
departments
Sec. of State—Thomas Jefferson
Sec. of the Treasury—Alexander Hamilton
Sec. of War—Henry Knox
(See Table on page 182)
Bill of Rights
• Bill of Rights—
• http://billofrightsinstitute.org/foundingdocuments/bill-of-rights/
• Meaning-• http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/article/e
xplaining-bill-rights
Judiciary Act of 1789
• The only federal court mentioned in the
Constitution is the Supreme Court; however,
Congress was given the right to create “lower
courts” and the number of SC justices.
• They set the number of justice at 6 and
created lower federal courts. (13 district and
three circuit courts of appeals)
Hamilton’s Plan
1. Pay off the national debt and assume
(assumption) war debts of states (deal with
Jefferson and moving the nation’s capital to the
South)
2. Develop industries and collect revenue through
high tariffs and internal taxes (Whiskey
Rebellion)
3. Create national bank for depositing funds and
printing bank notes in order to stabilize U.S.
currency (privately owned). The bank sparked
debate over “loose” versus “strict” construction.
Political Parties Emerge
• See chart in Pageant page. 186. 198 and
AMSCO page 116 (Not Honors)
Foreign Policy
1. French Revolution
2. Proclamation of Neutrality (1793)
3. “Citizen” Genet Affair
4. Jay Treaty (1794)
5. Pinckney’s Treaty (1795)
Washington’s Proclamation (1793)
http://avalon.law.yale.edu/18th_century/neutra
93.asp
Domestic Concerns
1. Indians—Battle of Fallen Timber Chief Little
Turtle) Treaty of Greenville
2. The Whiskey Rebellion—
3. Settling New Land—Vermont 1791, Kentucky
1792, Tennessee 1796
Washington’s Farewell (1796)
• The Address—
• http://avalon.law.yale.edu/18th_century/was
hing.asp
John Adams
• Reading—
• http://millercenter.org/president/adams
• XYZ Affair
• Alien and Sedition Acts
• The Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions