The First Five Presidents Notes

US 1.7c

George Washington served 1789-1797 two terms

As President

• First President under US Constitution• Established many new precedents for how the president goes

about his job• Cabinet included Thomas Jefferson -Sec. of State and Alexander

Hamilton – Sec. of Treasury• Federal court system was established with the Judiciary Act of 1789• Bill of rights were added to the Constitution• Presided over plans for a new capitol city along Potomac river in

Md. And Va.• Tended to favor conservative ideas (Hamilton). Supported

Hamilton’s assumption plan.

George Washington served 1789-1797 two terms

• Lead troops in Whiskey rebellion in 1794• Continued fight against Native Americans in the

northwest territory • Battle of Fallen Timbers, defeated tribes in Nw. territory

allowed for expansion into Ohio country• Worked to keep US out of the European war between G.

Britain and France after the French Revolution.• Supported John Jay’s treaty with Great Britain. Unpopular

treaty did not stop British impressments of US sailors• Supported Pinckney’s Treaty with Spain which opened to

port of New Orleans to US customers

The Federal City

Benjamin Banneker 1731 - 1806

• Free African American who surveyed the land for the new Capitol

• Took over design job when Pierre L’Enfant (the French architect) quit.

• Reproduced maps from memory and carried out the design of the city

• Published an almanac for 10 years making the difficult astronomical and tide calculations himself

The Federal City

John Adamsserved 1797- 1801 one term

As President (Federalist)• Two party system emerged while

Adams was President• Adams was part of the conservative

Federalist party• XYZ affair occurs with France, many

Federalist want to declare war on France

• US begins build up of Army and Navy, fights with France but does not declare War

• Alien and Sedition Acts passed to suppress opposition to the government’s actions

John Adams 1735-1826

Thomas Jeffersonserved 1801-1809 two terms

As President (Republican)• Elected in controversial election of 1800• Major change in Govt. ideas and practices.

Cuts govt. size and spending. Ends taxes, govt. income come from customs duties and land sales

• Judiciary Act of 1801 allows J Adams to appoint many Federal judges, Jefferson fights with them over view of govt.

• Marbury v. Madison – Supreme court case that establishes precedent of Judicial review, allows court to declare a law unconstitutional

• Louisiana Purchase- buys Louisiana from France for $15 million dollars, doubles size of US

• Lewis and Clark sent to explore new territory

Thomas Jefferson (1743- 1826)

James Madisonserved 1809- 1817 two terms

As President• Madison became President during

a period of war between France and Great Britain. Both nations were violating neutral rights of the US. And the US responded with the unpopular Embargo Act, decided not to trade with either nation.

• The US finally decided to declare war on Great Britain because of the British abuses of US rights.

• Many people in the New England states were opposed to “Mr. Madison’s War”

James Madison (1751- 1836)

War of 1812War of 1812• Spring 1812- war declared• 1812 -1815 British blockade the American

coast• 1813 OH Perry defeats the British navy on

Lake Erie• 1813 WH Harrison defeats the British and

American Indians at the Battle of the Thames. Removes British from the NW territory

• 1814 British army captures and burns Washington DC but is defeated at Baltimore

• 1814 Americans win battle of Lake Champlain

• Dec. 1814 Treaty of Ghent ends war, nothing changes except US gains respect from European countries

• 1815 Jackson defeats British at New Orleans

Map of War of 1812

James Monroeserved 1817- 1825 two terms

As President• Winning the War of 1812 brought out

great feelings of nationalism in the US• The Federalist party’s opposition to the

War of 1812 ended their existence• The “Era of Good Feelings” describes

the time when we had only 1 political party and there was little political fighting

• Toward the end of Monroe’s terms sectionalism grew and ended the peacefully political times

• Monroe issued a warning to European nations to not create any new colonies in the western hemisphere known as the Monroe Doctrine

James Monroe (1758 – 1831)