THE CONSTITUTION TESTED:

THE EARLY REPUBLIC

I. Policies of First Five Presidents:a. George Washington - 1789-1797b. John Adams - 1797-1801c. Thomas Jefferson - 1802-1810d. James Madison - 1810-1818e. James Monroe - 1818-1826

II. George Washington:

A. Domestic Policy:1. the first cabinet:

a. Secretary of State – Thomas Jefferson

b. Sec’t. of Treasury – Alexander Hamilton

c. Sec’t. of War – Henry Knoxd. Attorney General – Edmund

Randolph

2. Whiskey Rebellion: To raise revenue – excise tax(a federal tax on the sale of goods made in the U.S.) on the distilling of whiskey.

Excise tax provoked on armed revolt among whiskey-Producing farmers in western Pennsylvania.

Washington sends in troops to put down revolt – showed the fed’l power to act effectively in a crisis.

Was not supported by all (ex. Jefferson)“a meat axe to kill a spider”

3. Hamilton’s Financial Plan - had the task of putting the shaky U.S. economy on a firmfooting.

a. Basic goals:1. establish credit of U.S. among thethe other nations 2. provide a strong currency3. strengthen the central gov’t.4. secure the support of the proper-tied classes.

b. Five key actions:1. repay the foreign debt2. assume unpaid debts of the states from Revolutionary War3. raise revenues through excisetaxes4. protective tariff to encouragedomestic industries5. create a Bank of the U.S. to coordinate public and privatefinancial activities.

HAMILTON‘S

PLAN

Formation of political parties: came about be-cause of differences of opinion over financial plans.

Federalists vs Democratic Republicans

What they advocated, were made up and supported were the same as the Federalists and the Anti-federalists. ( see power point on Origins of the Constitution.

Washington retired after two terms - thus setting a precedent of a Pres. only serving two terms.

Washington in his farewell address gave out two bits of advice to America:

1. stay out of foreign affairs - remain neutral2. do not have political parties

John Adam’s Presidency: 1796-1800

1. Alien and Sedition Act: 1798)

federalist majority in Congress enact Acts to limit Dem. Rep.influence and criticism.

2. Alien Act: enable President toa. Deport aliens who were thought to be dangerous of the public safetyb. increased from 5 to 14 years forcitizenship

3. Sedition Act:fine and imprison editors whocriticized the Federalist Gov’t.

Result of these two acts is the - Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions:

Thomas Jefferson and James Madison

resolutions – protested the above and claimed the right to nullify federal laws.

Is this dangerous to the country?

Election of 1800:

John Adams – FederalistThomas Jefferson – Dem. Rep.Aaron Burr - Dem. Rep.

Jefferson and Burr had the same electoral vote - election is thrown into the House of Rep.

Hamilton makes a deal with Jefferson’s followers that if he won’t dismantle Hamilton’s Plan – then Hamilton will tell his followers in the House to vote for Jefferson.

House of Rep. votes and Jefferson emerges as the winner.

To avoid tie votes in the future – we added the 12th Amendment to the Constitution (1804).

Amendment allows for the electors to cast one vote for President and one vote for Vice Pres.

Previously electors cast two votes and the top two votes got the positions.

Thomas Jefferson: 1800-1808

Louisiana Purchase: 1803Purchase Louisiana territory from France for $15million. Equals out to 3 cents an acre.

Doubled the size of America.

Jefferson’s constitutional delemma:

As a strict constructionist, he should not have purchased this territory. There is nothing in the Constitution giving the President power to increase the size of the U.S.

He agreed to use implied powers to purchase this territory.

III. FOREIGN POLICY

Foreign policies of first five Presidents were shaped by the following goals:

1. defense of the U.S. and a sovereign republic2. westward expansion3. support of the people of Latin Americain their struggle for freedom from foreign rule.4. neutrality

Washington’s Foreign Policy:

1793 – France declares war on Britain- U.S. declared neutrality

British were intercepting U.S. ships at - on way to France. Known as impressment.

In order to avoid war: Jay Treaty 1794-1795a. Gave Britain right to seize U.S. shipsb. We got “much- favored nation”statuswith Britain.

Why is this treaty a success for the U.S.?

Pinckney Treaty: 1795

Spain and U.S.

Spain was afraid that we’d side with Britain against her - and take over North American holdings.

We stay neutral and they give us the “right to deposit” in New Orleans.

Early Port of New Orleans:

X, Y, Z Affair: 1798

French begin to seize American ships.

Pres. Adams sends negotiators over to settledispute - French negotiators demand bribe before they will negotiate.

Congress in response suspended trade with France and a quasi-naval war continued.

JEFFERSON during the Napoleonic Wars –placed an embargo on goods shipped toEurope.

This embargo hurt U.S. business interests

Embargo lasted from 1807-1809.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50_iRIcxsz0&feature=related

Reasons for going to war:

1.Impressment of American sailors and seizure of American ships.2.Land hunger - desire to acquire Canada3.Indian atrocities – believed instigated by the British4.British forts and soldiers in the West

War Hawks – group of young Western and Southern Congressmen –

lead by:John Calhoun - South CarolinaHenry Clay - Kentucky

This group called for the U.S. to go to war with Britain.

By 1812 they control Congress

Declare war in June 18th, 1812

1812-1813 - disastrous campaigns for the U. S.

1813 – American attempt to invade Canada and fail. Only real success was on Lake Erie Sept. 1813,

when we defeat the British fleet.

1814- British win their war against the French1814 which will allow them to place more

troops in the U.S.

August 24-25, 1814 - The British burn Washington, D.C. and Madison flees the White House.

December 15,1814 - The Hartford Convention occurs. A group of Federalists discuss secession and propose seven amendments to protect the influence of Northeastern states.

December 24, 1814 -American diplomats agree to return to the status quo from before the war.

Treaty of Ghent:

Treaty acknowledged that the war was a draw.

1. Western boundary - Mississippi River

2. Britain stopped impressment

U.S. emerges as a world power.

January 1815 - Battle of New Orleans. Andrew Jackson scores a huge victory and paves the way to the White House. 700 British are killed, 1400 are wounded. The US only loses 8 soldiers.

The Treaty of had been signed on December 24, 1814 and ratified by the on the Senate on February 16, 1815. However, official dispatches announcing the peace would not reach the combatants until late February, finally putting an end to the war. The battle is widely regarded as the greatest American land victory of the war.

MONROE DOCTRINE - 1823

A.Western Hemisphere was closed to further colonization.

B.Any attempt of European countries to intervene in countries of LA would be seen as an unfriendly act.

C.U.S. would not interfere in Europe’s affairs.

A declaration of our neutrality.

MANIFEST DESTINY

1840’S New York journalist John O’Sullivancreated the term “Manifest Destiny”He wrote that it was the U.S. “divine mission” to spread democracy from“sea to shining sea.”

Most saw this as the expansion to the Pacific.

Insert map and chart here.