Download George Washington/ John Adams

The Presidencies of
George Washington and
John Adams
 Delegates
of the Electoral College
unanimously elected George Washington
as the first president in 1789.
 During this time the runner up became
the Vice President, thus John Adams was
our first Vice President.
• His view of the position - "My country has in its
wisdom contrived for me the most insignificant
office that ever the invention of man contrived or
his imagination conceived."
 Establish
a cabinetbody of department
heads who serve as the
President’s key advisors
and representative in
certain areas.
 Vice
President – John
Adams
 Secretary of State –
Thomas Jefferson
 Secretary of War –
Henry Knox
 Secretary of Treasury
– Alexander Hamilton
 Attorney General –
Edmond Randolf
 (We have 15 today)
 Hamilton’s
job as
treasurer was to set in
order the nations
finances and stabilize
the nations economy.
 He was a firm
believer in a strong
central government
and favored this new
republic to be led by
well-educated elite.

At this time the nation
was deep in debt
(Revolutionary War) and
the value of the new
currency was low.
 The
Plan –
• Take on state debts
• To raise revenue – tax
whiskey and
implement tariffs.
• Tariffs would not only
raise revenue but also
protect businesses
here in America.
• Establish a national
bank
 Bank of the United States
HAMILTON


If the national government
took on state’s debt, then
creditors would have an
incentive to support the
national govt. (to get their
money)
Believed they had
Constitutional right to form
a national bank under the
necessary and proper
clause
JEFFERSON & THE SOUTH

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
South almost paid off their
debts – now feared they would
have to keep paying to pay off
northern debt.
Believed in a strict
interpretation of the
Constitution; govt. only held
powers stated in the
Constitution. (no national
bank)
Feared imposing tariffs would
encourage other countries to
do the same on their goods
 To
gain support from the south for his
economic plan, Hamilton suggested to move
the nations capital to the south.
 This idea pleased many southerners,
including Madison and Jefferson, believing
that if the capital is in the south, then it
would be more sympathetic to southern
needs.
 Thus Washington DC is born!

Who was the only president to never live there?
The basic beliefs
between Hamilton and
Jefferson were so large,
that it split the cabinet
and fueled growing
divisions in national
politics.
 The Key Issue: the
power and size of the
federal government in
relation to state and
local governments.

FEDERALISTS

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

Strong national government
Fear of mob rule
Loose interpretation of the
Constitution
Favored a national bank
Economy based on
manufacturing and
shipping
Supporters: lawyers,
merchants, manufacturers,
clergy
Leaders: Alexander
Hamilton and John Adams
DEMOCRATIC - REPUBLICANS




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
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Limited national
government
Fear of rule by one person
or a powerful few
Strict interpretation of the
Constitution
Opposed a national bank
Economy based on farming
Supporters: farmers, trades
people
Leaders: Thomas Jefferson
and James Madison
 Most
whiskey
producers during this
time were small
frontier farmers.
 Most would take their
excess corn and
distill it into whiskey!
 Farmers
in western
Pennsylvania refused
to pay the tax.
• Hamilton’s whiskey tax
 They
beat up federal
marshals in
Pittsburgh and
threatened to secede
from the Union.
Washington organized
a military force that
marched into
Pennsylvania and
halted the resistance.
 Showed that the new
government had the
power to enforce its
laws.
 However, many started
to view Hamilton’s form
of government as too
tyrannical, thus
flocking over to
Jefferson.

https://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=8lxF0-HAhs8
After beheading their
monarch, France
declared war on all
monarchies including
Great Britain.
 What should the U.S.
do?
 1. We are a new nation
already struggling to
support ourselves
economically.
 2. The French helped
us in our Revolution. –
Also against monarchy

 This
issue also further separated the
political parties.
 Federalists wanted to support the British
while Jeffersonian Republicans wanted to
side with the French.
 George Washington decided that the new
nation could simply not afford it.
 Made a Proclamation of Neutrality –
U.S would support neither side.
Thomas Jefferson,
already at odds with
Hamilton and his
policies, decided to
resign his position as
Secretary of State.
 Despite our declared
neutrality, England
intercepted US ships
believed to be bound
for France. This hurt the
US’s ability to operate
effectively on the high
seas.

 John
Jay went to London to settle a few
disputes with the British, came back with a
treaty that many believed heavily favored
the British and the French viewed it as an
alliance.
• British left the forts around the Great Lakes, however
they could continue the fur trade in the area.
• US promised to pay private prewar debts to British
merchants
• US granted favored trading status to England.
 Washington
decided to retire to Mount
Vernon rather than seek a third term as
President.
 Because Washington only served two terms,
Presidents following him serve up to two
terms. (Until Roosevelt anyway)
 Washington’s Farewell Address:
• Stated he was not running for a 3rd Term
• Warned about political parties and foreign
involvement.
 John
Adams wins by only 3 electoral votes.
 Thomas Jefferson is therefore his Vice
President.
 While Adams and Jefferson were close friends
during the Revolutionary war, their current
political beliefs created a major divide
between them.
 The
French were very
upset with Jay’s
Treaty and started
seizing American
ships.
 In order to improve
French relations,
Adams sent 3
diplomats to France.
 The
plan was for these delegates to meet
with the French foreign minister, Talleyrand.
 Instead, three low-level officials met them
and demanded a $250,000 bribe as
payment to see Talleyrand, and stated that
France was not responsible for damages
done by French privateers.
 This was a slap in the face to America.
 John Adams referred to these men as X,Y,
and Z. Therefore the whole incident became
known as the XYZ Affair.



The XYZ Affair provoked a
wave of anti-French
feeling within America
and most wanted war.
In 1798, Congress created
a navy department and
authorized American
ships to seize French
vessels.
While never officially
declaring war, for the next
two years a naval “war”
raged between France
and the United States.
 During
this time many Federalists feared
that French agents were everywhere,
plotting to overthrow the government.
 Therefore new arrivals were viewed with
suspicion, especially those who held French
sentiments.
 What didn’t help the situation was that the
majority of people who lashed out at the
Adams administration, for being too proBritish, were mostly foreign born.
 In
response, Congress
passed a series of laws
known as the Alien and
Sedition Acts.
• Government can arrest
any foreigner that
seems untrustworthy
• Requirement for
American citizenship
went from 5 years to 14
years residence. – Once
they become a citizen
then you can vote.
 “There
is no need to invite hordes of Wild
Irishmen, nor the turbulent and disorderly of all
the world, to come here with a basic view to
distract our tranquillity."
 Sedition
Act - Fines and imprisonment
could be used against those who "write,
print, utter, or publish . . . any false,
scandalous and malicious writing"
against the government.
 To
the Jeffersonian Republicans, this was
a clear violation of freedom of speech.
 Both Madison and Jefferson wrote
resolutions that were adopted by Virginia
and Kentucky. Both asserted the principal
of nullification.
• States had the right to nullify any act of Congress
that they deemed unconstitutional.
 No
other state
adopted similar
declarations.
 However this debate
over states rights
versus federal
authority would
continue up to the
Civil War.
“The powers delegated by the proposed Constitution to the federal
government are few and defined. Those which are to remain in State
governments are numerous and indefinite.”