Launching the New Nation

1. Launching a New Nation
Chapter 8

2. Washington takes Office



Revolution left many
devastated but
colonies gained
independence.
One general in
particular proved to
be important:
GEORGE
WASHINGTON.
He was inaugurated
on April 30, 1789

He was anxious and
knew that his
actions would set a
precedent.

3. Washington takes Office

Congress and the
President had to put
together a working
government.
 The Congress passed
laws to set up three
departments for the
Executive Branch (The
President)


The Department of
the Treasury,
Department of State
and Department of
war
Each was headed by
a person chosen by
the President

4. Washington takes Office





The President appointed
an attorney general to
advise him on legal
issues
Alexander Hamilton:
Secretary of Treasury.
Thomas Jefferson:
Secretary of State.
Henry Knox: Secretary of
War.
Edmund Randolph:
Attorney General
 Today the
Presidents advisors
are known as the
Cabinet.

5. Washington takes Office

Judiciary Act of
1789: set up
Supreme Court of 6
justices.
 3 circuit Courts and


13 district courts
Federal courts to
hear appeals from
the state court
John Jay: First Chief
Justice of the
Supreme Court

6. Washington takes Office

After the Revolution
the federal
government owed
$52 million
 Who was going to
pay the debt?

7. Washington takes Office

Alexander Hamilton, the
Secretary of Treasury
came up with a plan to
solve the problem.
 US government:
Agreed to pay all
federal and state
debts.

Open a national
bank for depositing
government goods.

Start a high tax on
imported goods.

8. Washington takes Office

Hamilton wanted to
prove to other countries
that the US would pay
back their debts
 Southern states: “We

don’t need to pay the
federal debt, we paid
our state debt.”
If Southerners helped
pay debts:

Capital would be in the
South.

Is the Capital in the
South??
What does this mean?


9. Washington takes Office

National Bank: would
hold funds and issue
paper money.



Thomas Jefferson:
fought against the bank
saying it was
Unconstitutional.
The bank was created
1791
Hamilton imposed a tariff
on goods.

It would raise money for
the government

10. Washington takes Office

In 1791, Congress
started a tax on
whiskey.
 This was supposed
to raise money for
the government.
Result:
 Farmers refused to
pay!
 Beat up federal
marshals.
 Government sends in
troops.

11. Washington takes Office

In 1794, officials in
western PA tried to
collect taxes



The Farmers rebelled
and burned down the
home of the tax
collector
This gained popularity
and a mob marched
throughout Pittsburgh
and was known as the
Whiskey Rebellion
Washington sent the
militia to break it up

12. Activity: Form A Cabinet
 Congratulations!
 Directions:
You are now
president and must - Create a list of at
form a cabinet.
least 4
departments you
 Get into your
would create.
groups.
- Describe their jobs.
- Include: title,
mission,

13. The Birth of Political Parties

The writers of the
Constitution did not
believe that political
parties were going to
develop
 1790: Jefferson and
James Madison formed
on political party and
Alexander Hamilton
formed the other

14. The Birth of Political Parties




Democratic - Republicans:
federal government was
growing too strong under
Washington.
Power should be at the state
level
Federalists: Strong central
government to make the
country work.
The country was torn.
Hamilton claimed that
Washington was a federalist
 Newspapers claimed that
Federalists wanted to betray
the constitution and bring
back the king

15. The Birth of Political Parties



Federalists: favored
a national bank and
tariff, close ties with
England
Republicans: did
not want a bank or
tariff and wanted
ties with France.
1796: George
Washington would
not run for a third
term, this set a
precedent

16. The Birth of Political Parties




Republicans: Thomas
Jefferson
Federalists: John
Adams
1796: President and
Vice president did not
run together.
Person who got the
most votes became
president and the
person who got the
second most was vice
president



Adams became
president and
Jefferson became vice
president
What issues would this
present?

17. Troubles at home and Abroad



British soldiers: still in the
North West Territory after
war.
Native Americans: tried to
keep their lands too.
American leaders:
believed that the future
depended on settling
western lands.
 The officials tried to force

the natives to sell their
land
They succeeded in buying
most of Kentucky and part
of Tennessee

18. Troubles at home and Abroad

Washington: sent
troops to end the
native attacks on
settlers.
 Natives: defeated the
military twice before
Washington sent
General Anthony
Wayne.

Wayne: won
against the Natives
at the Battle of
Fallen TimbersNamed this
because of all the
fallen trees

19. Troubles at home and Abroad

1789: French
Revolution begins.
 Most Americans:

supported the French at
first because it was
similar to what they
went through.
But then the French
Revolution got much
more violent with the
“reign of terror”

17,000 people,
including the king and
queen were killed.

20. Troubles at home and Abroad

1793: France and
England were at war,
Washington wanted to
remain neutral.




America: trade with
both sides.
France and England
began to stop
American ships and
seize their cargo.
Britain: began
impressment of sailors.
Hamilton: urged the
president to stay
friendly with Britain
because the US
depended on them for
imports

21. Troubles at home and Abroad

John Jay: went to
London to form a treaty
with Britain.




Treaty said: US would
pay its debts to British
merchants and the
British would pay for
the ships it has seized
British would also
withdraw from the
Northwest Territory.
British refused to
recognize the US right
to trade with France
and would not stop
impressment
Jay’s Treaty was
approved by the senate

22. Troubles at home and abroad
 Pinckney’s Treaty:
 1795: United States and Spain
have control over the Mississippi
River.
 Thomas Pinckney: travels to
Spain and creates a treaty in
which America gains control of the
Mississippi.
 Why is this important for the new
nation?

23. Troubles at home and Abroad

1796: Washington
decided to retire, he
left pieces of advice:
 He warned against

political parties and
thought they would
divide the nations.
He warned to stay
away from alliances
with other nations.

24. Troubles at home and Abroad

He said that the nation
should remain neutral
and not get involved with
European affairs –
Proclamation of
Neutrality.

Things Washington
accomplished
 The Unites States
now had a Federal
Government
 The economy was
improving
 Washington had
avoided war
 The British had
been forced to leave
the Northwest

25. The Presidency of John Adams

When Adams
became president,
the French were
angered by US
neutrality
 Jay’s Treaty with
England only
increased tensions

26. The Presidency of John Adams

In 1797, Adams sent
three men to FranceThey were met with
French agents
demanding that the US
pay a bribe of $250,000
 They also wanted


several million dollars
The Americans refused
The Bribe became
public and the French
agents names were
kept secret

This was called the
XYZ Affair

27. The Presidency of John Adams

Because of the XYZ
Affair, Federalists
demanded that
Adams ask
Congress to declare
war on France
 Adams asked

Congress to increase
the size of the Army
and rebuild the Navy
He also created a
separate department
of the Navy

28. The Presidency of John Adams


Between 1798 and
1800, the US fought an
undeclared naval war
with France
To avoid real war,
Adams sent a new
mission to France


Napoleon Bonaparte,
Frances leader, was
fighting a war in
Europe and agreed to
stop seizing American
ships.
Although Adams had
avoided war, his own
Federalist Party
disapproved with him

29. The Presidency of John Adams

The Mistrust in France
led to a mistrust of
Immigrants
 The Alien Act was

passed saying that a
person had to live in the
US for 14 years before
becoming a citizen,
instead of 5 years
The Sedition Act was
passed putting a limit
on free speech
It was a crime to
speak out against the
President, Congress
or Government

30. The Presidency of John Adams

The Republicans
denounced the Alien
and Sedition Acts.
 The Problem was
that the Supreme
Court was not fully
established and did
not know how to
make a law
unconstitutional.

31. The Presidency of John Adams

James Madison and
Thomas Jefferson led
the campaign toward
the power of the
Supreme Court
 They said that states



had the right to declare
laws unconstitutional
The Sedition Act
expired in 1801
After this, the Supreme
Court could nullify the
laws passed by
Congress
The differences between
states rights and federal
rights became a problem
after this.