LAUNCHING THE

NATION

Inauguration – swear in

George Washington – 1st president

John Adams – VP

New York City – April 1789

precedent – example that becomes standard practice

JUDICIARY ACT OF 1789set up 3 levels of courts

district courtsfederal courtsthe Supreme Court

5 justices + Chief Justice (John Jay)

today – 9

Cabinetpresident’s advisors

Department of State – Thomas Jeffersonhandles relations with other countries

Department of War – Henry Knoxmilitary matters

Treasury Department – Alexander Hamiltonraising $ & handling gov’t finances

Attorney General – Edmund Randolphadvise gov’t on legal mattersToday – 15 positions

Economics national debt – all $ owed by gov’t

$11.7 million to foreign countries

Bonds – certificates promising to repay $with interest – extra $ in return for using $

CapitalismAdam Smith – Scottish

economistMost businesses are privately

owned & operatedCompetition & free market

determine product & price

Keep the gov’t out of it & it will work!

Hamilton’s Financial PlanRepay foreign debt immediatelyRepay bonds over time (full value)

Some southern states had little debtThis would benefit northern states

that still had debtJefferson AGAINST plan

CompromiseJefferson offered his

support IF new capital built in the South

Ergo the District of Columbia

Land donated by Maryland & Virginia on Potomac River

Pierre L’Enfantarchitect who designed WDCremoved because of his temper

Benjamin Bannekerself-educated, son of former

slave, mathematician, surveyorrecreated plan from memory finished building DC when

L’Enfant left

Strict constructiongov’t had only powers that

Constitution gives itJefferson & MadisonLoose constructiongov’t can do anything

Constitution doesn’t say it cannot do

Hamilton (Washington ?)

Hamilton established bankswanted protective tariff

tax on imported goods in order to raise funds to put into

banksestablished Bank of the United

States (1791)

Differences between Jefferson & Hamilton1) interpretation of Constitution

2) national finances

3) Jefferson favored France

Hamilton favored Britain

4) Jefferson = small, independent farmers

Hamilton = manufacturing, industrialization, cities

1793 Jefferson resigns as Sect. of State Forms Democratic-Republican Party

French Revolution was inspired by our revolution

France & Great Britain went to war

Neutrality Proclamation U.S. would not take sides in European conflict

Trouble w/ BritishTrouble w/ British

1) British were seizing Am. ships 1) British were seizing Am. ships

2) encouraging Indian raids on 2) encouraging Indian raids on frontierfrontier

Jay’s TreatyJay’s Treaty (compromise) (compromise)1) Br. pay damages to ships, 1) Br. pay damages to ships,

let US ships trade in W. Indieslet US ships trade in W. Indies2) abandon frontier forts if U.S. 2) abandon frontier forts if U.S.

pay pre-Rev. War debtspay pre-Rev. War debts

Border disputes w/ Spanish along Florida & Louisiana

Spain closed New Orleans (1784)

Pinckney’s Treaty

Feared our siding w/ G.B.

Spain recognized U.S. borders at the Mississippi and the 31st parallel

Spain granted Americans the right of deposit

(allowed temporary storage w/out fees)

DOMESTIC AFFAIRSLittle Turtle had defeated U.S.

forces in NW Territory“Mad” Anthony Wayne sent to put

down Indian uprisingBattle of Fallen TimbersIndians fasted before battleWayne waited 3 daysTreaty of Greenville – gave US

access to NW Territory

Whiskey Rebellion (Pennsylvania)

Congress taxed American-made whiskey (used as $)

Farmers refused to pay taxWashington led 13,000 troopsEnded the rebellionProved 2 things:1) Gov’t CAN enforce their laws2) Citizens cannot pick & choose

which laws they will obey

Washington’s Farewell Washington’s Farewell AddressAddress

Wanted only 2 termsWanted only 2 termsReminded us he was a Reminded us he was a president - not a kingpresident - not a king

Warned:Warned:

1) avoid political parties1) avoid political parties

2) foreign alliances2) foreign alliances

3) public debt3) public debt

UniqueTransfer of power peacefullyPrior to this by bloodBlood lines or

by shedding blood

Election of 1796 John Adams & Thomas Pinckney

(Federalists) Thomas Jefferson & Aaron Burr

(Democratic-Republican Party) not the parties of today

Adams won 71 electoral votes Jefferson won 68 electoral votes Result: only time in history to

have a president from one party & VP from another

XYZ Affair Pres. Adams sent 3 diplomats to

France to improve relations Talleyrand (Fr. Foreign Minister)

would not meet w/ them 3 French agents secret visit (X,Y,Z) Talk w/ Talleyrand for $250,000! France wanted a loan of $10 million!

“Millions for defense, but not one cent for tribute!”

ALIEN & SEDITION ACTSPassed by Federalists in

CongressAlien Act - President could

remove foreign residents if involved in plots

Sedition Act – US citizens could not speak out against gov’t

Arrested 25 Republican newspaper editors

States’ rights – states had right to ignore a law if they thought it was unconstitutional