Transcript Chapter 10: Launching the New Ship of State Why Bill of Rights? All thirteen states had to ratify the Constitution  Nine states needed to.

Chapter 10: Launching the New
Ship of State
Why Bill of Rights?
All thirteen states had to ratify the
Constitution
 Nine states needed to “reset” the
country, canceling out the Articles of
Confederation
 Conservative document that prevented
the “mob” from controlling government
 Was a surprise to the public
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Anti-Federalists vs. Federalists
Anti-Federalists
 States’ rights
 Backcountry
dwellers
 Small farmers
 Debtors
 S. Adams, P. Henry,
Richard Henry Lee
Federalists
 Strong federal gov.
 Seaboard dwellers
 Wealthy and better
educated
 Controlled the press
(The Federalist
Papers)
 G. Washington, B.
Franklin, Madison,
Hamilton, Jay
Election of 1789
Electors cast two votes
for President
 Each elector selected
Washington w/ at least
one
 NC and RI hadn’t
ratified the Constitution
 NY had problems
deciding how electors
would be chosen
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Executive Branch (1789-1796)
George Washington
President
John Adams
Vice-President
Thomas Jefferson
Secretary of State
Alexander Hamilton
Secretary of the Treasury
Henry Knox
Secretary of War
• Cabinet not outlined in the Constitution – a “Washington Invention”
• John Jay named 1st Chief Justice of the five member Supreme Court
Congress at work…
James Madison sought to
protect the Constitution and
win over “the anti-Feds”
 What he develops becomes known as the
Bill of Rights (he is the “father of”)
 One of the first acts done by the new
Federal Government
 Judiciary Act (1789) organizes the Supreme
Court
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Alexander Hamilton
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Not a “natural” citizen (born in
the Caribbean)
Federalist / aide to Wash in AR
Arch rival: Jefferson
“Father of the National Debt”
Assumption fight and
compromise
Debt was a “national blessing”
Bank of the United States
National Debt structure
Debt owed to Foreigners
$11,710,000
Federal Debt
$42,414,000
State Debt
$21,500,000
Miscellaneous
Revenue
Customs
Duties (tariffs)
Excise Revenue (Whiskey, etc.)
Whiskey Rebellion (1794)
PA farmers not happy with tariff
 Launch an “insurrection”
 Washington personally leads militia into
PA to restore order (direct opposite of
Shay’s Rebellion)
 Represents peaceful dialogue over
violence in order to change policy
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What caused parties to form?
Arguments over the French
Revolution and American
Foreign Policy
Political Rivalries
Democrat-Republicans
 States rights (local)
 Strict construction view
 Agriculture based
 Rule of the people
 Backed France
 Support in S and W
 Jefferson and Madison
key supporters
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Federalists
Federal rights
Loose construction view
Industrial based
Avoid “mob” rule / elites
Backed England
Support in NE
J. Adams and Hamilton
key supporters
Washington’s Farewell Address
Beware of
entangling
alliances…
…because they will get
us involved in other
people’s wars.
Rating the Presidents
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More notable American
rather than President
Extremely popular at the
time
Sets the bar for what a
Pres. does
Foreign policy of neutrality
Prevents a “backslide” of
revolutionary ideals
Election of 1796
President and V.P.
come from different
parties for 1st time
 MD split the vote
between the two
 Other candidates vote
count not depicted
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President John Adams
Jay’s Treaty with England
angers D-R and France.
 Adams not well liked and comes to
power in a very close, bitter election
 Stuck between neo-Federalists led by
Hamilton (not pro-British enough) and
Jefferson’s D-R (anti-British)
 France reacts by seizing American
vessels at sea (300 by 1797)
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Quasi-War w/ France (1798-1800)
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John Marshall is sent to France to
negotiate w/ Talleyrand
X Y Z
Quasi-War brought to you by
the letters X, Y, and Z
They ask for a $250,000 bribe just to
talk to Talleyrand
 Marshall refuses and returns to America
 “Millions for defense, but not one cent
for tribute”
 Adams avoids war by appealing to new
French ruler Napoleon
 Convention of 1800 = “divorce” w/ Fr.
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Alien and Sedition Acts
Federalists during war fervor pass laws to
silence the opposition (D-R)
 Alien Act
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Naturalization from 5 to 14 yrs
 President can jail or deport in time of war
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Sedition Act
Impeding policies of the government = jail
 Attacking officials in press = jail and fine
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Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions
Reaction to the Alien and Sedition Acts
 Jefferson writes for Kentucky
 Madison writes for Virginia
 Develops the idea of “nullification”
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The States have the right to ignore laws
that the Federal Government “oversteps
it’s authority on”
 Constitutional issues were later a right the
Supreme Court “adopts” in 1803.
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John Adams
Extremely disliked at the
time / abrasive personality
 Doesn’t get caught up in
war fever and does what
was best for the country
 Splits his party and loses in
close election to Jefferson
 Election of 1800 first
peaceful transfer of power
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