The New Nation

The Federalists Era

The Washington Administration

• The Unwritten Constitution: during the nation’s first years, policies and procedures for running the government efficiently came about. These have become traditions, and are referred to as the “unwritten constitution”

• The Cabinet: - The President appoints individuals to run certain parts of the Executive Branch– the first 3 were the Secretaries of State,

Treasury, and War– together, these positions are known as the

President’s “Cabinet”

• The Two Term Tradition: Based on Washington’s precedent, the office of the President was informally limited to two terms only

President Obama’s CabinetThe Cabinet includes the Vice President and the heads of 15 executive departments — the Secretaries of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Housing and Urban Development, Interior, Labor, State, Transportation, Treasury, and Veterans Affairs, as well as the Attorney General.

Foreign Relations• Jay’s Treaty: A U.S. agreement with

Great Britain – U.S. agreed Britain could stop U.S. shipments to France, in return for a “most-favored nation” status in trading with Britain

• Proclamation of Neutrality: Washington’s precedent of having the U.S. try to stay out of alliances with foreign powers – he urged the nation to remain as independent as it could. He warned against “entangling alliances”.

Economic Stability• Hamilton Financial Plan• Why: the nation needed economic

stability and an ability to raise funds and pay debt

• Bank of the United States (B.U.S.): the central bank of the United States– dominated by New Englanders– its creation was an example of “implied

powers”

• Excise Taxes:• - a tax on certain products• - Hamilton wanted a tax on Whiskey

• Assumption:• - Hamilton urged the new government to

pay off all debt from the Revolutionary War.• - he said this would give the nation good

credit and status withboth Americans and foreign nations

Washington’s Farewell Address

When leaving office, President Washingtonwarned Americans about the followingissues:• getting too involved with other counties’

issues – “entangling alliances”• the states sectionalizing and dividing the

nation• political parties becoming too important

and divisive

The Adams Administration(1797-1801)

Alien and Sedition Acts• laws were passed making it harder for foreigners

to become Americans (14 year residency)• also made it against the law to print anything

against the U.S. government

Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions:• reaction against the Alien and Sedition Acts• states could declare federal laws invalid if they

were unconstitutional

Election of 1796 and 18001796• Won by the Federalists (John Adams-President)• allowed the policies of Washington and Hamilton

to continue and strengthen the nation1800• The “Jeffersonian” Republicans won – bringing

the possibility of huge changes to the government and possible challenges to the U.S. Constitution

• This election marked the first peaceful transition of power between two opposing groups in the history of the world. It set a precedent for the future of our civilized government.

Case Study: The Marshall Court

• As Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, John C. Marshall presided over some very important cases that established the Court as being equal in power to the other two branches of federal government and granted it the ability to interpret Constitutional law.

• Marbury v. Madison: important because it gave the U.S. Supreme Court the right of “ judicial review” (Judicial review is the power to decide whether laws passed by Congress were constitutional or not)

• McCulloch v. Maryland: extended the policy of “loose interpretation” of the constitution strengthening the federal government over the states

• Gibbons v. Ogden: similar to McCulloch v. Maryland’s results on interpretation – this time about the federal government’s ability to regulate interstate commerce

Democratic-Republicans

• often called “Jeffersonian” Republicans at first

• opposed most of the policies and philosophy of the Federalists

The Jefferson AdministrationLouisiana Purchase: • Why: to create lands for expansion westward

and gain control of the Mississippi River• The purchase: $15 million • Lewis and Clark: sent to explore the new

territory and search for a passage to the Pacific

• Results: the size of the U.S. doubled• starts the theory of manifest destiny – the idea

that the United States should expand from coast to coast

Embargo Act• In retaliation for British acts against U.S.

shipping, Jefferson proposed and Congress passed the Embargo Act of 1807

• This banned trade with other countries

• Ended up hurting the U.S. more than it punished Britain – repealed in 1809

• Strict vs. loose interpretation: the argument over whether the constitution should be interpreted strictly (do only what the document says) or loosely (allows for “implied” interpretation of powers)

The Madison Administration

War of 1812Causes:• continued British harassment of U.S. shipping on

the seas and the practice of impressment- the capture of US citizens and forcing them to serve in the British military

• trade restrictions between Britain and the U.S.• Southern and Western “War Hawks” encouraged

war to allow for expansion westward• concerns over Native-American activities on the

western borders

Events of the War of 1812

• Burning of Washington D.C.: British troops entered and burned the White House and Capitol

• Star Spangled Banner : written during the attacks on Baltimore by Francis Scott Key

• New Orleans: General Andrew Jackson defeated larger British Army, became a national hero

Results of the War of 1812

• the U.S. won the war but it did not change many existing conditions

• the victory gave the country more prestige overseas

• caused an increase in U.S. national pride and patriotic feelings

(nationalism)

The Monroe Administration

Era of Good Feelings: name given to the time after the War of 1812 when there were few political conflicts and the new nation had much support

1) Nationalism (War of 1812):

victory over Britain caused new feelings of national pride and support for the new country by Americans

2) One Party:• by opposing the War of 1812, the Federalists

lost power and then ceased to exist as a party• the Republicans had, for a time-being, little

competition for their policies

3) The American System: Henry Clay’s plan to strengthen America:

• creation of the Second Bank of the United States• passage of tariffs to protect U.S. industry and

businesses• improve internal transportation routes to connect

the nation together better (Erie Canal, National Road, development of Railroads)

Monroe Doctrine

• the U.S. bravely declared that the Western Hemisphere was off-limits to European powers. In return, the U.S. promised to stay out of European colonial affairs.

The Jackson Era Jacksonian Democracy:

• National conventions: instead of members of Congress choosing Presidential candidates (caucus system), national nominating conventions began –opening up the process to more of the common citizens

• Secret ballot: early forms of today’s secret

ballots began under Jackson’s Presidency

• No property requirement: by the mid-1820’s, most states had eliminated the ownership of property as a requirement for voting, many more Americans could then participate

• Spoils system: - Jackson supported the idea of appointing loyal party supporters to office

• Veto Power – Jackson used the checks and balance’s power to veto more than all previous presidents combined

The Bank War

• Background: most southern and western states opposed the idea of a national bank. Jackson felt he had a responsibility to the people to bring an end to it

• What happened: when the issue came up to extend the provisions of the national bank for another 20 years, Jackson vetoed it and pulled federal money from it, ending it

• Pet Banks • (Wildcat Banks) Jackson took deposits from the B.U.S.

(Federal banks) and placed them in state banks – thus killing the Bank of the United States

The Nullification Crisis: a battle of a

state’s right to not obey a federal law

• Tariff of 1828: - a tax was placed on all imports into the country

• this caused an increase in the price of manufactured products

• states hurt most by this called it the “Tariff of Abominations” (South Carolina)

• States rights argument: - led by John Calhoun, South Carolina argued that a state had the right to “nullify” (make void) any federal law that they saw as unconstitutional

• they said that since they originally agreed to form a nation, they also then had a right to break away from or ignore the nation’s laws.

• The Force Bill: Congress gave Jackson power to use any means necessary to enforce South Carolina to pay the tariffs.

• resolution: Jackson eventually lowered the amount of the tariff and South Carolina withdrew its nullification of the tariff

Social/Economic Issues

With the stability, and expansion of a new nation, and the beginnings of the

Industrial Revolution, many socio-economic changes came about in the

U.S. and new issues arose.

Women’s Rights

• the 1830’s marked an increase in women actively speaking out about the inequality of men and women.

• Seneca Falls, NY:• led by Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia

Mott, this convention marks the beginning of the Women’s Rights Movement

• They created a document declaring that all men AND women are considered equal

Public Schools

• the first public schools were created at this time• the idea of having an educated population was

seen as good for the nation• these were paid for by taxes and became

mandatory in most places• Horace Mann• his model was followed in many places around

the nation: teachers would be trained, students divided up into grade levels, usually about 10 months of the year

Mentally Ill / Prison Reform

• mentally ill patients were often just cast into prisons

• Dorthea Dix

• she led the movement to create state run hospitals for the mentally ill

Abolition • Abolition = to get rid of slavery

• Underground Railroad:• a series of safe houses to hide escaped slaves as the fled North to

free states of Canada

• Harriet Tubman:• she led 19 trips along the Underground Railroad to free slaves

• William Lloyd Garrison• white abolitionist leader that was influential in the development of the

abolition movement– The Liberator - Boston based newspaper started by William Lloyd

Garrison– The North Star – another abolitionist newspaper – started by

former slave Frederick Douglass