Bill of Rights• The first amendments

(add-ons) to the Constitution

• 1st priority of the new Congress

• Anti-Federalists had demanded these additions

• James Madison wrote & proposed 12

• 10 ratified and added in 1791 that guarantee the basic rights of the people

•Amendment 10 was the most important to the Anti-Federalists

Judiciary Act of 1789

• Written to organize the Judicial Branch of the United States

• Article III was left very short on purpose

• Organized the Supreme Court to have 6 Justices

• Also organized Federal District & Circuit Courts

• Created the office of the Attorney GeneralJohn Jay – 1st

Chief Justice

Revenue Act of 1789

• The U.S. had a lot of debt• Congress decided to pay it off through

the use of tariffs• Set the 1st national tariff at 8% to earn a

revenue for the national government

The State Department

• Congress also needed to deal with problems with foreign nations– Britain, Spain, & France

• Established the State Department to deal with them

• 1st Federal Agency established• Thomas Jefferson was the 1st

Secretary of State

Mr. President• Elected Unanimously• President from 1789

– 1797– 3 new States will enter

the Union– VT (1791), KY (1792), &

TN (1796)

• Took oath of office on April 30, 1789 in NYC

• John Adams would be the VP

Establishment of the Cabinet

• Washington knew he was not the most brilliant man

• Appointed men with expertise in areas to become part of the cabinet

• Would advise Washington• Set precedent that each President would

have a cabinet, but is not part of the Constitution

Secretary of State -- Thomas Jefferson Secretary of the Treasury -- Alexander HamiltonSecretary of War -- Henry Knox Attorney General --Edmund Randolph

Political Parties• No political parties existed within the

U.S. until Washington’s Presidency• Disagreements over the interpretation

of the Constitution & the power of the national government would lead to political parties

• Since then, the U.S. has been dominated by two party system

• But the two parties have not been the same two parties since Washington’s administration

Federalists• Led by Alexander

Hamilton• Wanted a fiscally

sound and strong nationalistic government

• Had a strong following in the North

Democratic-Republicans

• Led by Thomas Jefferson• Sometimes referred to

as the Jeffersonian-Republicans

• Opposed a strong national government & Hamilton’s financial plans

Interpretation of the Constitution

• Loose v. Strict– Federalists wanted a loose interpretation of the

Constitution – you can read between the lines– D-R wanted a strict interpretation – what it says is what it

mean – it is not open to interpretation

• The Elastic Clause – Article 1, Section8, Clause 18– Gave Congress the “Necessary & Proper” power to pass

laws– Federalists would use this to support their loose

interpretation of the Constitution

Dealing with the DEBT• Report on the Public

Credit (1790) plan given to Congress to fix the debt

• National government would assume all state debts

• Opposed by the D-Rs• Created a huge debate

throughout the nation• Eventually led to a

compromise: – Government would assume

debt– South would get Washington

D.C. as the capital

Battle for a National Bank (1790-1791)

• Hamilton also wanted to create a national bank to handle the monetary needs of the country

• Problem: Government not given this authority in the Constitution

• Hamilton used the Elastic Clause to support his views

• Jefferson strongly opposed• Washington approved and the Bank was

created in 1791 with a 20 year charter

Excise Taxes

• Hamilton’s main way to raise revenue was through tariffs but also wanted excise taxes

• Excise Tax: taxes placed on specific goods produced within a country

• In 1791 several excise taxes created– Most notably on Whiskey

The Whiskey Rebellion (Pennsylvania 1794)

• Backcountry PA distillers hit hard by 7¢/gallon tax

• Whiskey was used as money• “Whiskey Boys” began to

harass tax collectors• By 1794 talks of secession

had begun• Aug 1794, Washington led

the army to put the Rebellion down

• Domestic tranquility was ensured

The French Revolution

• Country split on how to feel about this Revolution

• D-Rs: pleased– Saw it as an extension

of the American Revolution

• Federalists: worried– Saw mass hysteria

and mob violence as a threat to themselves

The Problem for the U.S.

• In 1793, it became a world war being fought between ALL of the major European powers– most importantly Britain who was the main

trading partner of the U.S.

• U.S. still obligated to France because of the Franco-American Alliance of 1778

• D-Rs favored honoring the alliance• Federalists supported Britain

Washington’s Neutrality Proclamation (1793)

• Washington believed the country is not militarily prepared to fight another war

• Issued the Neutrality Proclamation saying the U.S. would not choose sides, but would stay out of it

• U.S. still traded with both sides

Jay’s Treaty (1794)• Britain still occupies forts in

Northwest Territory & menacing U.S. in the Caribbean

• John Jay sent to London to create a treaty to ease tensions

• Terms:1. Britain agrees to leave the forts2. Britain agrees to pay damages to American ships in the Caribbean3. Britain refuses to agree to stop harassing the U.S.4. The U.S. must pay all debts still owed to Britain

Pinckney’s Treaty (1795)• Dealt with Spain• Terms:

1. Established a boundary between the U.S. & Spanish Florida2. Allowed the U.S. free navigation rights of the Mississippi River3. Allowed the U.S. the use of the port of New Orleans

His Farewell Address (1796)

• After 2 terms Washington refused a third term

• Wrote a letter to the American public to say goodbye

• 2 important ideas included:1. End Partisanship – there

should be NO political parties2. Warned against permanent

foreign alliances

Washington’s Precedents

1. Have Advisors & form a Cabinet2. Executive can choose his own

Cabinet3. Two-term Limit for Presidents

- not broken until FDR in 19404. No permanent alliances

- 1949 NATO

Adams v. Jefferson

• D-R Candidate was Thomas Jefferson

• Federalist Candidate was John Adams

The Decision

• Adams won 71-68 in the Electoral College

• Because only one ballot was cast, whoever was in 2nd place became VP

• Jefferson ended up as VP

Mr. Adams as President

• Served only 1 term from 1797-1801• Followed precedents set by

Washington

Relations with France

• France very upset about Jay’s Treaty– Saw it as a precursor to an alliance with

Britain

• France wanted the U.S. to honor the Franco-American Alliance of 1778

• France began to attack U.S. ships and seizing American cargo

• 300 ships and $20 million of cargo was lost

XYZ Affair (1797)• Delegation sent to France to

meet with French Foreign Minister Charles Talleyrand

• Three French delegates X, Y, & Z demanded $12 million loan & a cash bribe just for a meeting

• Americans insulted & came home

• Report published & started Anti-French sentiment at home

Quasi-War (1798-1800)

• U.S. began an undeclared war against France

• Was purely navel – fought mainly in the Caribbean

• Adams had to quickly expand the 3 ship navy & an army of 10,000 men was authorized

Convention of 1800• France did not want another

enemy• Napoleon now in charge

– Forced Talleyrand to try to create a treaty with the U.S.

• Adams sent a delegation and a treaty was signed

• Terms:– Ended Franco-American

Alliance– All ships seized by both sides

would be returned

Alien and Sedition Acts (1798)

• Purpose: Silence & reduce opposition from the D-Rs about the Quasi War with France

• Alien Acts: raised residence requirements for citizenship from 5 to 14 years– Most immigrants were D-Rs

• Sedition Act: it was a crime to publish “false, scandalous, and malicious writing” about the government or its officials– Direct violation of the 1st Amendment

• Laws expired in 1801

Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions (1798)

• D-Rs convinced the Acts were unconstitutional

• Problem: Who decides the Constitutionality of laws?

• Jefferson & Madison anonymously write the VA & KY Resolutions

• Premise: States had the right to nullify unconstitutional laws passed by Congress

• Importance: Southerners later used this argument to support secession from the Union

Adams v. Jefferson

• D-R Candidate was Thomas Jefferson

• Federalist Candidate was John Adams

The Decision• Adams lost

– Federalists angry about Convention of 1800

– Unpopular Alien & Sedition Acts

– Debt increased • Problem: Jefferson tied

with Aaron Burr• House of Reps had to

break the tie• Hamilton persuaded

Federalists to back Jefferson

The Revolution of 1800

• Peaceful transition of power between two political parties

The Federalists Legacy

1. Built enduring political and financial foundations for the new government

2. Diplomats kept the U.S. out of war and signed advantageous treaties with Br, Fr, & Sp.

3. Preserved democratic gains of the Revolution

4. Opposition resulted in creation of two-party system