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Testing
the New Government
Hamilton-Burr Duel WebQuest
The Beginning
The First Elections
George
Washington was the first President to be elected after the Constitution
had been ratified.
The First Executive
Thomas Jefferson was Secretary of State and Alexander Hamilton Secretary
of the Treasury in the new government.
The Presidential Cabinet is exclusively part of the executive branch of
government; however, the Senate (legislative branch) approves all Cabinet
officers chosen by the President, similar to the Senate approving federal
judges (judicial branch) chosen by the President.
Washington usually met with the Cabinet members individually. Only later
did Presidents begin to meet with their Cabinet members as a group.
The office of Postmaster General was also created by Congress and was
considered part of the Cabinet. Washington appointed Samuel Osgood as the
first Postmaster General.
A Strong Court System
The Supreme Court was the highest court created by the Constitution.
The Supreme Court, as organized by the Judiciary Act of 1789, had one
Chief Justice and five Associates. The act also set up 13 District Courts
and three Circuit Courts.
The Economy
Hamilton's Economic Plan
War Debt: Alexander Hamilton insisted on paying foreign debt and domestic
debts so the United States would establish future credit.
Federal assumption of state war debts led foreign countries to look to
the national government for authority rather than the state governments,
an important sign of growing strength for the new nation.
A National Bank: The purpose of the Bank of the United States was a place
to deposit government money, to lend money to government and private citizens,
and to provide a sound currency.
The Bank of the U.S. was resented by southern and western farmers for
its tight credit policies and by smaller banks for its competition. Loan
policies favored eastern business interests.
A Tariff Proposal: The tariff issue is important throughout American history.
As tariffs protect American business, they raise the cost of imported goods
to consumers. This has caused many political battles.
The main purpose of a protective tariff is to encourage industries in
the United States.
A Whiskey Tax: Farmers in Pennsylvania refused to pay taxes because they
thought the taxes were unfair.
Opposition to Hamilton's Plan
Political parties that developed over differences in interpreting the
Constitution were Federalist and Democratic-Republican.
The Federalists, led by Alexander Hamilton, favored a strong national
government, interpreted the Constitution broadly (loose construction),
believed that people of wealth and education should hold office, and that
the economy should be based on industry and trade as well as agriculture.
The Democratic-Republicans, led by Thomas Jefferson, favored the rights
of states and interpreted the Constitution strictly (strict construction),
they believed the average people should lead the country, and that the
economy should be based on agriculture, with industry and trade less important.
Foreign Affairs
Staying Neutral
War in Europe threatened United States neutrality because the war was
between France and Great Britain.
The European war affected American trade as the United States tried to
continue trade with both Great Britain and France, but the British seized
American ships.
The Jay Treaty and the Pinckney Treaty
John Jay and Thomas Pinckney negotiated treaties with Great Britain and
Spain.
What the U.S. gained through Jay's treaty was the British agreed to abandon
frontier forts. Pinckney's treaty set the southern boundary of the U.S.,
guaranteed navigation rights on the Mississippi River, and gained the right
of deposit in New Orleans.
The right to use the Mississippi and the port of New Orleans was important
to Americans because it was cheaper to move goods long distances by water
than land.
Washington's Farewell
Advice Washington gave in his Farewell Address was to avoid permanent
foreign alliances.
The ideas expressed in the Farewell Address became the cornerstone of
American foreign policy, especially toward Europe, until World War II.
The Adams Presidency
The Election of 1796
John Adams , a Federalist, became President after George Washington.
The XYZ Affair
The United States was involved with France in the XYZ Affair
The relationship between France and the U.S. became worse in Washington's
second term. The French did more damage to American shipping than the British
did. President Adams sent a peace commission to France to work something
out. Three American commissioners were met by three people from the French
government. The French demanded a loan for France and a bribe before allowing
official talks with the French government to begin. The commissioners refused
and returned to the U.S. When news of the affair became known, many Americans
were angered. Congress increased money for the military, and it seemed
only a matter of time before war would break out.
The Convention of 1800
The relationship between France and the United States was improved when
Napoleon came to power. At this convention commissioners from the U.S.
negotiated a treaty and an alliance between the two countries and prevented
war.
The Alien and Sedition Acts
The purpose of the Alien and Sedition Acts was to stop the Democratic-Republicans
from gaining too much power.
The acts authorized imprisonment or expulsion of "dangerous" foreigners
and the fining and jailing of anyone who wrote, said , or printed anything
false, scandalous, or malicious about the government.
The Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions
The resolutions protested the Alien and Sedition Acts and stated they
were unconstitutional. Written by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, they
believed in state's rights and the right of states to declare laws null
and void.
Election of 1800
Thomas Jefferson, a Democratic-Republican, won the presidential election
of 1800.
Jefferson in Office
The "Revolution of 1800"
The biggest change in government made by Thomas
Jefferson as President
was government costs were cut.
Marbury vs. Madison
Marbury v. Madison was the case in which the Supreme Court first declared
an act of Congress unconstitutional.
The case of Marbury v. Madison established the policy of judicial review.
The
Louisiana Purchase and Exploring Louisiana
Louisiana was purchased from France.
Meriwether Lewis and William Clark led an expedition into Louisiana after
its purchase in 1803.
The Louisiana area purchased from France in 1803 extended from the Mississippi
River to the Rocky Mountains.
The physical size of the United States doubled through the Louisiana Purchase.
Some New England Federalists criticized the Louisiana Purchase because
they believed the land had cost too much and the West would gain in political
power at the expense of New England.
The Decline of the Federalists
A Northern Confederacy Plan: A group of Federalists plotted to withdraw
from the Union and set up a Northern Confederacy. Alexander Hamilton, the
leading Federalist, rejected this idea. The plan eventually failed due
to Alexander Hamilton's active campaigning against Aaron Burr's run for
the governorship of New York. Burr, a former Democratic-Republican, had
recently changed to the Federalist party and promised to support the Northern
Confederacy.
Burr-Hamilton Duel (Duel
WebQuest):
Burr challenged Hamilton to a duel in response to Hamilton's insults during
the political campaign. Hamilton was shot and
died the next day.
The Election of 1804: Jefferson, a Democratic-Republican, won a second
term as President of the United States. The Federalist party lost control
of Congress and most of their earlier support.
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