america at the dawn of the 19 th century (ssush5e)

America at the Dawn of the 19th Century

(SSUSH5e)

TIME / GEOGRAPHY

America: 1789- 1800

POLITICAL

George Washington, President

Election of 1789

John Adams, Vice- President

Alexander Hamilton (Secretary of the Treasury)

The Cabinet

Thomas Jefferson (Secretary of State, 1790-93)

The Washington Presidency (1789- 1797)

• 1789:– Elected 1st President– The Judiciary Act specified the number of Federal courts and judges.– French Revolution ignites

• 1790– Indian Intercourse Act passed

• 1791– Federal capital established in swamplands on the Potomac.– A national banking system established by the Bank Act.– The Bill of Rights take effect.

• 1792– Post Office established by Congress as a separate entity.– New York Stock Exchange organized.– Coins are minted by the government as enacted by the Coinage Act.

The Washington Presidency (1789- 1797)

• 1793– War breaks out between Britain and France.

• On April 22, U.S. declares neutrality.• 1794

– Whiskey Rebellion over excise tax in western Pennsylvania. Federal troops called to suppress the armed rebellion.

• 1795– The Jay Treaty ratified. British troops required to withdraw from the U.S.– Pinckney's Treaty with Spain opened navigation on Mississippi River.– Washington posed for Stuart's portrait, which is now on the one dollar bill.

• 1796– Washington delivered his Farewell Address.

ECONOMIC & SOCIAL

Alexander Hamilton (Secretary of the Treasury)

Hamilton v. Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson (Secretary of State, 1790-93)

Hamilton’s Plan

• Following the War, America was buried in war debt

• Hamilton looked to a 3 prong plan to alleviate American suffering and restore its economy:

Hamilton’s Plan

• Based on Britain’s national bank• Private corporation using Government’s money to stimulate the

economy

2. Create a National Bank

• Government subsidizing of manufacturing• Protective Tariffs

3. Stimulate American Manufacturing

• Federal Government should assume sizable state debts• “A national debt if not excessive will be to us a national blessing; it will

be a powerfull cement to our union.”

1. Raise Federal Debt

Hamilton’s Plan

• Hamilton’s plan required funding…

• 25% Tax on Whiskey – Paid by Grain farmers– Raised the price of Whiskey– Tax was hard to collect

The Whisky Rebellion

The Whisky Rebellion• Pennsylvania farmers and distillers refused to pay the tax

• July 1794– 5,000 protestors plan to march on Pittsburgh– President Washington and Hamilton lead 13,000 troops to put down

protest

• Jefferson saw this as a repetition of Shays’ Rebellion

• John Neville– Tax Collector– May 1794

• Neville Reported 75 farmers and distillers for tax evasion• 500 protestors burned Neville’s home

INTELLECTUAL

America’s 1st Political Parties

Federalist PartyFollowed ideas of Alexander HamiltonWanted a stronger Federal Government“Loose Constructivism”

Democrat-Republican PartyFollowed ideas of Thomas JeffersonWanted a weaker Federal Government“Strict Constructivism”

America’s 1st Political Parties

Loose ConstructionismThe Constitution implicitly allows many unwritten actions

America’s 1st Political Parties

Strict ConstructionismThe Federal Government can only do the things the Constitution explicitly says that it can do.

The Adams Presidency (1797- 1801)

• 1796– E Pluribus Unum: "Out of Many, One" added to American coins.

• 1797– Three anonymous French trouble makers brought France and the U.S.

to the brink of war in what became known as the XYZ Affair.

• 1798– Federalists support the highly unpopular Alien and Sedition Acts. They

would later be repealed.

• 1800– U.S. capital relocated to Washington, D.C. from Philadelphia.– Jefferson defeated Adams.– Congress established Library of Congress.

The “X,Y,Z” Affair• Diplomatic scandal that almost caused another war between

the United States and France.

• France was, at the time, at war with Great Britain. – A treaty between Britain and the U.S. failed to guarantee France the

right to ship with the U.S.

• France sent to the United States three diplomats (X, Y, and Z) with outrageous demands. – 50,000lbs sterling

– $12 million loan from the United States

– $250,000 personal bribe to the French foreign minister

– formal apology for comments made by John Adams

The Result:

Undeclared War between US & France

The Adams Presidency (1797- 1797)

• Four separate laws constituted what is commonly referred to as the "Alien and Sedition Acts"– Naturalization Act- repealed and replaced the Naturalization Act of 1795 to

extend the duration of residence required for aliens to become citizens of the United States from five years to fourteen years.

– Alien Act - authorized the president to deport any resident alien considered "dangerous to the peace and safety of the United States." It was activated June 25, 1798, with a two year expiration date.

– Alien Enemies Act- Authorized the president to apprehend and deport resident aliens if their home countries were at war with the United States of America (France). This Act still exists today.

– Sedition Act - Made it a crime to publish "false, scandalous, and malicious writing" against the government or certain officials. It was enacted July 14, 1798, with an expiration date of March 3, 1801 (the day before Adams' presidential term was to end).

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