First Congress

4 main issues for the first Congress 1. Raise revenue to support the new

government 2. Creation of a Bill of Rights 3. Setting up the executive office 4. Organizing the Federal Judiciary

Revenue Act of 1789 – first tax imposed by Congress – 5% tax on imports

Bill of Rights

James Madison did not believe a Bill of Rights was necessary ( already liberties in ConstitutionNo Habeas CorpusNo Ex Post FactoTrial by Jury

However made a promise to Virginia if they ratified the constitution

December 15 1791 Bill of Rights were added ( Amendments 1-10)

Bill of Rights 1. Freedom of Religion, Press, Assembly, Petition and

Speech 2. Right to Bear Arms 3. No Quartering of Soldiers 4. No illegal search or seizure 5. Due Process 6. Right to a Speedy Trial 7. Trial by Jury 8. No cruel and unusual punishment 9. These are not the only right given to people 10. Any power not given to the National government is

given to the State

Executive Office

Creation of the Cabinet – President needed help – 4 Cabinet department

1. War – Henry Knox 2. State – Thomas Jefferson 3. Treasury – Alexander Hamilton 4. Attorney General – Edmund Randolph

Judiciary Act of 1789

Established the Federal Court System 6 Supreme Court 13 District Courts 3 Courts of Appeals Gave Supreme Court the right to

determine what is constitutional or unconstitutional ( Judicial Review)

Domestic Policy

National Debt – job of Alexander Hamilton to get US government out of debt.

1. Owed France 11 million 2. National debt to merchants, soldiers

and Revolutionary War bonds – 27 million

3. Assumed all of the States debt – 25 million

Hamilton Debt Plan 1. Assume the debt and the interest of the

States 2. Rich people would assume debt for

favors from the government Madison disliked plan

Virginia had already paid off its debt Did not want to reward rich people

Finally assumed with the agreement that the new capital of the US would be in its current location of Washington DC

Creation of the National Bank (BUS) Hamilton created a National Bank with

10 million dollars2 million invested by US government8 million invested by private investors

Would allow the US government more control of the medium of exchange and interest

BUS

Jefferson opposed the BUS because the Constitution rejected the idea of governmental corporations (strict interpretation)

Elastic Clause – Washington and Congress agreed that the BUS was necessary and proper to get US out of debt

Many wealthy people domestically and foreign invested in the Bank

Spark Manufactures

Hamilton urged congress to put a higher tariff on imported technology

Wanted US to be less dependent on European goods

Congress rejected Hamilton’s views because the US was an agricultural nation not a technological

Whiskey Rebellion

Congress put a tax on Whiskey to help spark the Governments income

Affected very few American, however the ones that it affected were mainly Jefferson supporters

7,000 Men met in Pittsburg, PA to rebel against the US Government

Washington sent 14,000 men, rebellion was put to rest without a fire – showed strength of New Nation

Political Parties

Democratic-Republicans v. Federalist Jefferson and Madison believed that

Hamilton was giving to much power to the rich – called their new group Democratic-Republicans

Hamilton believed that Jefferson and Madison were trying to sabotage the new Government – called his group Federalist

French Revolution American supported the people of France

against the monarchy, however US stayed neutral

French people won war and started to declare war on other European Countries

Citizen Edmond Genet came to American in claims that America most go to war with France because of the Treaty of Alliance signed during the Revolutionary War

US stayed out of the Wars because we didn’t want to loose our #1 trade partner in England

Jay Treaty

Even though the US stayed out of the European Wars, we were trading with both sides

England started to capture our trade ships.

John Jay was sent to London to discuss 4 points

Jay Treaty 4 points 1. British seizures of American trade ships

in the West Indies – we wanted to trade with anyone

2. British soldiers that still occupied lands in the Northwest Territory – violation of the Treaty of Paris of 1783

3. Hoped for a commercial treaty 4. Compensation for the slaves that were

taken after the war

Jay Treaty

1. British soldiers would leave the Northwest Territory

2. Trade would ease up with Britain 3. American had to repay the pre-

revolutionary war debt before they would talked about releasing seized ships

4. No compensation for slaves

Jay Treaty Although the treaty was not popular with most

American, it kept us out of a war we were not ready for.

Democratic-Republicans in the house did not want to pay the funds to England

They wanted to see all the notes of the treaty, however Washington refused setting up the principle of Executive Privileges

Money was finally given to England because US made a treaty with Spain to be able to use the Mississippi River

Division in Congress

The Jay Treaty showed a division in Congressional voting called- Partisian

Democratic-Republicans vs. Federalist- power in Congress switched back and forth until the 7th Congress in 1801 when the Democratic-Republics took control

Washington’s Farewell Address

Washington set up a precedent of a President only serving 2 terms (22nd Amendment)

Warned the nation of a few things 1. Enter into commercial relationships with

foreign countries not political 2. Independent relations stay out of packs 3. Warned US to be careful with political

parties.

Election of 1796

Federalist – John Adams/Thomas Pinckney

Dem-Rep – Thomas Jefferson/Arron Burr

John Adams wins, however Thomas Jefferson gets 2nd amount of votes and becomes the Vice President of the US.

Creation of the 12th Amendment -

XYZ Affair Jay Treaty increased the relationship with

England, however now France started to seize American ships

Adams sent representatives to talk to the Prime Minister of France, but was stopped by an agent that demanded money to talk to the Prime Minister (250,000)

Adams started to increase military spending. Adam gave all the notes to Congress but left out

the French agents, only called them XYZ Treaty of Alliance was now revoked

Alien and Sedition Acts

Federalist controlled congress and started to make laws that would control the Dem-Rep

Naturalization Act – increased the time that a person needed to be in the US before they could become a citizen

Alien Act- allowed the detention of immigrants if at war with their country

Sedition Act- can not speak, write and gather information against the country

Virginia and Kentucky Resolution Jefferson and Madison was afraid of

being accused of the Sedition Act. They believed in the States had the right

of Nullification and therefor were allowed to say what they wanted

They issued the Virginia and Kentucky Resolution as a forum to say what they wanted about the government

Convention of 1800

Adams sent William Vans Murray to France to talk to Napoleon1. We wanted payment for the seized ships2. We wanted out of the Treaty of Alliance

We got out of the Treaty, never got payments for the ships

Civilizing Indians

Indian Trade and Intercourse of 1793 We gave Indian land and live stock and

taught them how to farm and raise animals.

Problem with Plan 1. Women farm in Indian culture 2. They allowed livestock to run free

rather than to pen them.

Gabriel Rebellion Gabriel, an enslaved blacksmith created a

plan to recruit slaves and seize Richmond, Va and force them to give slaves their freedoms

Heavy rainfall delayed the rebellion and gave other slaves time to warn their white masters

The rebellion was stopped and Gabriel and 24 other slaves were hung

The Slaves that turned them in gained their freedom.