Washington

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