George Washington establishes the first Cabinet and shapes the executive branch. Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson disagree over interpreting the Constitution, leading to the first political parties. Hamilton establishes economic plans that spark debate and opposition. Washington's presidency helps transform the new nation's founding principles into a functioning government.

1. President Washington
transforms the ideas of the
Constitution into a real
government.
George Washington
1st President of the United States

2.  State court decisions may be appealed to federal courts
 Judiciary Act of 1789
• Creates Supreme Court
• 3 circuit courts
• 13 district courts

3.  Washington Shapes the Executive Branch
 Washington elected first president of U.S. in 1789
 Executive branch is president, vice president
 Congress creates State, War, Treasury
Departments
President Washington (far right) meets with his first Cabinet:
(from left to right) Henry Knox, Thomas Jefferson, Edmund
Randolph (with back turned), and Alexander Hamilton.

4.  Alexander Hamilton becomes Secretary of Treasury
 Washington adds Attorney General
 These Department heads are Cabinet

5.  Hamilton and Jefferson in Conflict
 Hamilton:
• Strong central government led
by wealthy/educated
 Jefferson:
• Strong state, local government;
• People’s participation
 Hamilton has Northern support; Jefferson
has Southern/Western support
ALEXANDER HAMILTON
1755–1804
THOMAS JEFFERSON
1743–1826

6.  Hamilton’s Economic Plan
• U.S. owes millions to foreign countries,
• Private citizens
 Plan
• Pay foreign debt with money collected from excise
taxes and protective tariffs
• Create a National Bank
• Assume states’ debt
 Some Southern states have paid debts, against taxes to
pay for North

7.  Plan for a National Bank
 Hamilton proposes Bank of the United States:
• Funded by government/ private investors
• Issue paper money/handle taxes

8.  Disagreement over Congressional authority to
establish bank
 Debate begins over strict and loose interpretation of
Constitution
 Strict interpretation (Jefferson):
If it doesn't specifically say you can then you can't.
 Loose interpretation (Hamilton):
If it doesn't specifically say you can't then you can.

9.  The District of Columbia
 To win Southern support for his
debt plan, Hamilton suggests:
moving nation’s capital from
NYC to South
 Washington, D.C. planned on
grand scale; government seat by
1800Pierre L’Enfant
proposed a federal
capital of spacious,
tree-lined boulevards,
symbolizing the
freedom of the
young republic.

10.  Split in Washington’s cabinet leads to first U.S.
political parties
 Federalists and Democratic-Republicans
 Jefferson’s allies: Democratic-Republicans
 Hamilton’s allies: Federalists
 Two-party system established as two major parties
compete for power

12.  Protective tariff
• Import tax on goods produced overseas
 Excise tax
• Charged on product’s manufacture, sale, or
distribution

13.  Whiskey Rebellion
 Pennsylvania farmers refuse to pay excise tax on
whiskey (which Hamilton called a luxury but they
called a necessity). They used whiskey as a medium of
exchange in a barter system (like money)
 Beat up federal marshals, threaten secession, no major
loss of life
 Federal government shows it can enforce laws by
sending in militia

14.  Whiskey Rebellion:
A group of rebels
taking part in the
Whiskey Rebellion
tar and feather a
tax collector.

15.  Events in Europe sharply divide American public
opinion in the late 18th century.
French revolutionaries storm the Bastille
in Paris, France, on July 14, 1789.

16.  Reactions to the French Revolution
• Federalists pro-British
• Democratic-Republicans pro-French
 Washington declares neutrality, will not support either
side

17.  Jay’s Treaty
• Chief Justice John Jay
makes treaty with Britain,
angers Americans
• British evacuate posts in
Northwest, may continue
fur trade
• British do not agree to stop
seizing ships and sailors
United States
northern region
circa 1794

18.  Treaty with Spain
 Pinckney’s Treaty of 1795, or Treaty of San Lorenzo,
signed.
 Spain gives up claims to western U.S.
 Florida-U.S. boundary set at 31st parallel
 Mississippi River open to U.S. traffic

19.  Fights in the Northwest
 Miami tribe chief, Little Turtle, defeats
U.S. army
 Battle of Fallen Timbers
• General Anthony Wayne defeats
Miami Confederacy at Fallen
Timbers
 Miami sign Treaty of Greenville
• Give up southern 2/3 of Ohio
• Get less than actual value for land
The Miami war chief Little Turtle
negotiates with General Anthony Wayne.

20.  During his farewell address, Washington gave the
nation two pieces of advice:
1. Do not enter into permanent entangling alliances
2. Do not create political parties.
 While we ignored the second piece of advice, we
managed to stay neutral through the first several
presidents

21.  First Party-Based Elections
 Federalist John Adams elected president
 Jefferson, a Democratic-Republican, is vice president
 Result of sectionalism
• Placing regional interests above nation
John Adams
2nd President of the United States

22.  French see Jay’s Treaty as violation of alliance; seize
U.S. ships
 XYZ Affair
• French officials demand bribe to see foreign
minister
• U.S. refuses to pay
 Congress creates Navy Department
 Adams tries to Avoid War
 Undeclared naval war rages between France and U.S.
for two years

23.  The Alien and Sedition Acts
 Federalists suspicious of immigrants because
• Many are active Democratic-Republicans
• Some are critical of Adams

24.  Federalists push Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798
through Congress
 Alien Acts
• Raise residence requirements for citizenship
• Permit deportation, jail
 Sedition Act
• Fines, jail terms for hindering, lying about
government
 Some Democratic-Republican editors, publishers,
politicians jailed

25.  Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions
 Jefferson and Madison see Alien and Sedition Acts as
misuse of power
 Organize opposition in Virginia and Kentucky
legislatures

26.  Resolutions call acts violation of First Amendment
rights
 Nullification
• States have right to void laws deemed
unconstitutional
 First time the word nullification is heard and also the
first time someone threatens secession.

27.  The United States expands its borders during
Thomas Jefferson’s administration.
 Election of 1800:
• Jefferson beats Adams, but ties running mate
Aaron Burr
 House of Representatives chooses president:
• Hamilton intervenes with Federalists to give
Jefferson victory
 Reveals flaw in electoral process;
• Twelfth Amendment passed
 Electors cast separate ballots for
president, vice president
Thomas Jefferson
3rd president of the
United States

28. The Election of 1800 is sometimes called the
Revolution of 1800 because it is a peaceful
transition of power from one party to an
opposition party.
Convention of 1800: ends naval war with
France and restores trade. Also ends U.S.
alliance with France.

29.  Simplifying the Presidency
 Jefferson replaces some Federalists with Democratic-
Republicans
 Reduces size of armed forces; cuts social expenses of
government
 Eliminates internal taxes; reduces influence of Bank of
the U.S.
 Favors free trade over government-controlled trade,
tariffs

30.  Federalist John Marshall is chief justice for more than
30 years
 Adams pushes Judiciary Act of 1801, adding 16 federal
judges
 Appoints Federalist midnight judges on his last day as
president
 Jefferson argues undelivered appointment papers are
invalid

31.  Marbury v. Madison
• William Marbury sues to have papers delivered
 Judiciary Act of 1789 requires Supreme Court order
 Marshall rules requirement unconstitutional
 Judicial review
• Supreme Court able to declare laws
unconstitutional
Chief Justice John Marshall
“ If . . . the courts are to regard the constitution, and
the constitution is superior to any ordinary act of the
legislature, the constitution, and not such ordinary
act, must govern the case to which they both apply.”

32.  The Louisiana Purchase
• Louisiana returned to France;
Jefferson fears strong French presence
• Jefferson buys Louisiana Territory
from Napoleon
• Jefferson doubts he has constitutional
authority
• Louisiana Purchase doubles size of
U.S. and gives U.S. total control of the
Mississippi River and New Orleans.
1805 Map of Louisiana by
Samuel Lewis;
courtesy the Library of Congress

33.  Lewis and Clark
 Jefferson appoints Lewis and Clark to lead
Corps of Discovery:
• Explore new territory, find route to Pacific
• Gather information about people, plants,
animals
 Native American woman, Sacajawea, serves as
interpreter, guide
Supplies for the journey west.

34.  British and French Rivalries
 British blockade or seal French ports to prevent ships
from entering
 Britain and France seize American ships, confiscate
cargoes

35.  Grievances Against Britain
 Impressment
• Seizing Americans, drafting them into British navy
• Chesapeake incident further angers Americans
 Jefferson convinces Congress to declare embargo, or
ban on exports
 Embargo, meant to hurt Europe, also hurts U.S.
 Congress lifts it, except with Britain and France

36.  Tecumseh’s Confederacy
 William Henry Harrison makes land deal
with Native American chiefs
 Shawnee chief Tecumseh tries to form
Native American confederacy:
• Tells people to return to traditional
beliefs/practices
• Presses Harrison, negotiates British help;
many tribes don’t join
The Great Spirit gave this great
land to his red children.”
TECUMSEH

37.  The War Hawks: Western and Southern Congressmen
 War Hawks
• Want war with Britain because natives use British
arms and they wish to gain land in Canada and
Florida.
War Hawk Henry Clay
of Kentucky
War Hawk
John C Calhoun
of South Carolina

38.  President Madison chooses war, thinks Britain is
crippling U.S. trade/economy
 U.S. army unprepared; early British victories
 Oliver Hazard Perry defeats British on Lake Erie
 Native Americans fight on both sides; Tecumseh killed
in battle
 British blockade U.S. ports along east coast

39.  British raid/burn towns along Atlantic
coast
 British burn Washington D.C.
 Americans win battle for Fort McHenry
(Baltimore) and Star Spangled Banner
is written by Francis Scott Key.
A lawyer named Francis Scott Key watched as
Fort McHenry withstood 30 hours of
bombardment from the British. The sight of
the flag still raised at the end of the battle
inspired him to first write "The Star-Spangled
Banner".

40.  The Battle of New Orleans:
• General Andrew Jackson gains
national fame and defeats superior
British force at Battle of New Orleans
after treaty to end war has been
signed.
Andrew Jackson leading
the American forces to
victory over the British
during the Battle of New
Orleans in a painting by E.
Percy Moran, ca. 1910.

41.  Treaty of Ghent, peace agreement signed in 1814
• Declares armistice or end to fighting;
• Does not resolve all issues.
• No land is exchanged.
 1815, commercial treaty reopens trade between Britain
and U.S.
 1817, Rush-Bagot agreement limits war ships on Great
Lakes

42.  1818, northern boundary of Louisiana Territory set at
49th parallel
 Agree to jointly occupy Oregon Territory for 10 years
 American manufacturing benefits and grows
 American nationalism is increased.