Building the Federal Building the Federal GovernmentGovernment

Building the Federal Building the Federal GovernmentGovernment

Focus Question• How did debate over the role of

government lead to the formation of political parties?

The New Leaders• Washington took his oath as part of the

official swearing-in ceremony, or inauguration

• Elected 1st President of the United States• One French diplomat who witnessed the

inauguration reported in awe “He has the soul, look, and figure of a hero united in him”

Washington’s Government

• Established precedents for how to govern

• Precedent is an act or statement that becomes an example, rule, or tradition to follow…” So help me God”

The New Leaders• 1789, Washington made a

precedent by creating the departments of War, State and the Treasury

• Called the Cabinet• Washington selected officials to

head the major departments of the executive branch

The New Leaders• Thomas Jefferson – Department of

State• Alexander Hamilton – Secretary of

Treasury• Henry Knox – Secretary of War• Edmond Randolph – Attorney

General

Treasury Secretary Hamilton

• Brilliant, dynamic lawyer• Advocated a strong central

government

Hamilton’s Program

• Secretary of Treasury

• Huge debt after the Revolutionary war

• Proposed a plan to help the economy and strengthen the national government

Hamilton’s Program• Federal government

will assume state debts

• Controversial because some states had already paid debt

• If Southern States approve then

Hamilton’s Program• Federal capital

will relocate to Potomac River – stimulate the economy of Virginia

• Congress approved the plan

Hamilton’s Program

• U.S. government charter a national bank

• Strengthen the federal government

Hamilton’s Program• Creditors would look

to the nation for payment rather than individual states

• The central bank would collect tariffs and repay debt with interest

Hamilton’s Opponents

• James Madison and Thomas Jefferson

• Concerned that Hamilton’s policies would hurt the common person

Secretary of State Jefferson

• Maintained contacts with foreign governments

• Collected information about world affairs

• Communicated with U.S. officials living overseas

Thomas Jefferson - Republican

• Thomas Jefferson - Republican

• Objected to interference of the national government in the economy

• Assumed the strength of the economy in its agricultural productivity

Foreign Policy Issues• Conflict between Britain and France

threatened to break apart the new American nation

• Federalists oppose the war• Washington and his successors managed

to steer a neutral course (until the War of 1812). 

Foreign Policy Issues• War with French

and Britain• US is neutral, or not

taking sides• British seized US

trading ships and supported Native American in the NW

Political Parties Emerge• Hamilton’s

economic program continue to grow

• The Whiskey Rebellion

• Direct tax on whiskey

Whiskey Rebellion• “taxation at the

source,” meaning the Government collects the tax from the producer, not the consumer.

Whiskey Rebellion• Whiskey was then often used as a form

of currency on the cash-strapped frontier.

• Made the whiskey tax unfair to the western farmer-distillers

Whiskey Rebellion• “Whiskey Rebellion” of 1794 in

southwestern Pennsylvania• President Washington, accompanied by

Alexander Hamilton, led 12,000 troops to put down the rebellion.

Whiskey Rebellion• The successful

suppression of the Whisky Rebellion helped establish the power of the Federal Government

Jeffersonian Republicans

• Federalists and Republicans

• First two political parties • Key issue --Power and

size of the federal government

• Federalists- followed Hamilton’s ideas of strong central government

Jeffersonian Republicans

• Republicans- favored Jefferson’s idea of strong state governments

• limited central government and agrarian economy

• No relation to the republican party today,

Daily QuizDaily QuizDaily QuizDaily Quiz

Who supported the federal government to

take on the states’ debts

• Alexander Hamilton

officials to head the major departments of the executive branch

•Cabinet

an act or statement that becomes an example, rule,

or tradition to follow

Precedent

Who objected to the interference of the

national government in the economy

• Jeffersonian Republicans

Whiskey Rebellion occurred in response to

• Hamilton’s debt plan

Treaty between the US and Britain aimed at

expanding trade between the two

countries

• Jay’s Treaty

Name the first two political parties in the United States.

Federalists and

Republicans

Federalists v Jeffersonian Republicans

• Create a T-chart outlining the difference in the Federalists and Jeffersonian Republicans