CHAPTER 7 Launching the New Republic, 1788-1800 1.Which points in Hamilton’s economic program were most controversial and why? 2.What was the impact of

CHAPTER 7

Launching the New Republic, 1788-1800

1.Which points in Hamilton’s economic

program were most controversial and why?

2. What was the impact of the French Revolution on American politics?

3. What principal issues divided Federalists and Republicans in the election of 1800?

4. On what basis were some Americans denied full equality by 1800?

Constitutional GovernmentTakes Shape, 1788-1796

Implementing Government

1789 – George Washington

becomes president; John

Adams becomes vice president

Although there technically weren’t any political parties yet – many consider them both to be Federalists

Washington was inaugurated in the capital city

(from 1788-1790) of New York

Constitutional GovernmentTakes Shape, 1788-1796

The Federal Judiciary and the Bill of RightsThe Judiciary Act of 1789 set up the federal court

system

In 1791, the Bill of Rights (First 10 Amendments) were ratified

Hamilton’s DomesticPolicies, 1789-1794

Establishing the Nation’s Credit Alexander Hamilton (Sec. of the Treasury) issued to Congress his Reports on the Public Credit (1790)

National Debt = $54 million + $25 million debt owed from the states

His plan:

•Pay off the $12 million of foreign debt ASAP•Keep the debt owed to Americans (to unite the wealthy to the government)•Pay off the interest to this debt with import taxes and an excise tax on whiskey•“Fund” this debt through bonds and Western land sales

• The poor (in need of money) already cashed in their bonds for less value• The rich who kept theirs stood to gain – the rich get richer

•Assume the state debts (mostly already paid only by the South)• This benefited the “irresponsibility” of the procrastinating North• To make this happen and appease the South, Hamilton agreed to move the

nation’s capital to the South (Philadelphia – then later to Washington D.C.)


Creating a National BankHamilton wanted to create a National Bank:•Depository for federal tax revenue•Loan $ to the government•Issue national currency•Regulate state-chartered banks•Provide credit to expand our nation’s economy

Thomas Jefferson (Sec. of State) and James Madison (Congressman) disapproved…•The rich would invest and gain interest – the rich getting richer•The needy poor would take out loans and pay interest – the poor would pay the rich!

Jefferson and Madison argued to G. Washington that it was unconstitutional because the Constitution didn’t say that a National Bank could be created = STRICT INTERPRETATION

Hamilton argued that it was constitutional because the Constitution said that Congress can enact all measures that are “necessary and proper” = LOOSE INTERPRETATION

Washington agreed with Hamilton, Congress barely passed the measure, and in 1791 Washington signed the bank bill for a 20-year charter


Emerging PartisanshipAlthough there were no formal political parties… two distinct parties began to

emerge…

Federalists: Republicans:

Rich Poor

Northerners Southerners

Easterners Westerners

Pro-British Pro-French

Hamilton, Washington, and Adams Jefferson and Madison

1792 – Washington and Adams are reelected as president and vice president


The Whiskey RebellionHamilton’s excise tax on whiskey is becoming excessively burdensome on

western Pennsylvanian farmers who have to convert their grain to alcohol for more efficient transportation.

1794 – Western Pennsylvanians havehad enough and revolt against U.S.Marshalls serving court summons.

Washington gathers 13,000 militiamenwho quickly suppress the rebellion

The old ways of rebellion are over andpeople must obey the new Constitution

The United States in a Wider World, 1789-1796

Spanish Power in Western North America

More of the same for Spain… missions, trading, forts,and wiping out the Native Americans with disease


Challenging American Expansion, 1789-1792The area between the Appalachian Mountains andthe Mississippi River were wanted by the Indians,the Spanish, the Americans, and theBritish (who couldn’t just let it go)

To help their claims, America added Vermont(not in the West), Kentucky, and Tennesseeas states


France and Factional Politics, 17931789: The French Revolution broke out…

Americans were split on their support

• After the French declared war on Spain and Britain,the South and West wanted a French victory tohopefully get the Spanish and British to stopinspiring the Indian resistance in the West

• The Northeastern merchantssupported Britain and hermoney (via trade)

• French ambassador Genet gotsome Americans to fight withthe French

• In 1793, Washington issued astatement of U.S. neutrality


Diplomacy and War, 1793-1796The British didn’t like America’s “friendliness” tothe French, so they began seizing our ships, impressing our crewmen, and inciting the OhioValley Indians

“Mad Anthony” Wayne won the Battle of FallenTimbers which led to the Treaty of Greenvilleopening up the Ohio Valley for U.S. settlement


Diplomacy and War, 1793-1796 Jay’s Treaty (1795): Got the British to abandon their

American forts (weren’t they supposed to after theRevolution?)

… but, it didn’t mention British impressment of our seamen

Pinckney’s Treaty (1796): Settled the northern border of Spanish Florida and Spain opened up the Mississippi

River (and New Orleans) to the Americans

Parties and Politics, 1793-1800

Ideological Confrontation, 1793-1794The Federalists were suspicious of the people having too much power

(democracy) due to events like the French Revolution and the Whiskey Rebellion

The Jefferson Republicans trusted the people, but feared having the government run by just a few elite individuals

Hamilton Washington Adams

Jefferson Madison


The Republican Party, 1794-1796Newspapers grew in circulation and printed much political mudslinging

Washington decided not to run in 1796 and gave his farewell address…• Political parties are bad for the U.S.• Stay out of foreign entanglements (European politics)


The Election of 1796With a 71-68 majority in electoral

Votes, John Adams (Federalist)

becomes our second president

With the second-most electoral votes,

Thomas Jefferson (Republican)

becomes our second vice president


The French Crisis, 1798-1799In response to the British-friendly Jay’s Treaty, the French began seizing

American ships. This eventually led to what becomes known as the…

XYZ Affair

This caused Adams to arm our ships and build up our military as we fought an undeclared Quasi-War against France.


The Alien and Sedition Acts, 1798The Federalist Congress passed these acts in 1798 for our protection…Mainly they were used to weaken and/or silence the Republican partyThe Sedition Act was to expire in 1801 (in case the Feds lost the 1800 election)

Virginia and Kentucky (anonymouslysupported by Madison and Jefferson)wanted nothing to do with these acts!


The Alien and Sedition Acts, 1798

A summary of John Adams’ presidency


The Election of 1800Noteworthy election because…• First time political parties have played a major role• First time we had a major power shift in the executive branch• We didn’t collapse as a nation into a civil war• There was a tie

Economic and Social Change

Producing for MarketsAfter the Revolutionary War, Americans began to produce goods for sale

(market economy) rather than just for themselves (subsistence)

Most would work from home instead of “going to work”, sometimes referred to as the putting-out system


White Women in the RepublicAfter the Revolutionary War, the roles for white women didn’t advance too

much…

• Got to pick their husbands or use pregnancy to force the issue

• Granted more divorces

• Had fewer kids The concept of Republican Motherhood avowed that white women should be educated… but only to raise their children as virtuous little citizens


Land and Culture: Native AmericansNative Americans had it bad…• Land was often taken/stolen from them• Disease and fighting killed off huge portions of their tribes• U.S. government tried to “civilize” them• Many became addicted to alcohol• Their culture was slowly being destroyed


African-American StrugglesThe advancements made by blacks after the Declaration of Independence were

short-lived as life worsened (politically, economically, and socially) for all blacks

Whites were anxious after the successfulHaitian slave revolution and the attemptedrevolution in Richmond, VA (Gabriel’sRebellion) in 1800

There were a few “successes” such as Benjamin Banneker and the creation ofThe AME church

1793 – Eli Whitney’s cotton gin makesslavery a profitable investment in the South

Documents

CHAPTER 7 Launching the New Republic, 1788-1800 1.Which points in Hamilton’s economic program were most controversial and why? 2.What was the impact of