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Chapter 9
LAUNCHING A NEW REPUBLIC
1789-1800
Washington’s New Government
 Under the new Constitution, the first presidential
election was held in 1789.

George Washington won the election, and traveled to New
York City, the nation’s capital, to be inaugurated, or formally
sworn in, as president.
April 30,1789 at the Federal Hall
 John Adams of Massachusetts, became Washington’s vicepresident.

Congressional Decisions
Cabinet Member
Responsibilities
Alexander Hamilton
Managed the nation’s
money
Thomas Jefferson
Oversaw foreign
relations
Henry Knox
Secretary of war
Edmund Randolph
Attorney General
• Federal Judiciary Act of 1789- gave the
Supreme Court six members: a chief justice, or
judge and five associate justices. Overtime that
number has grown to nine.
• John Jay- First chief Justice
• No one knew if a
government based on
the will of the people
could really work.
• The writers of the
constitution had left
many matters to be
decided by Congress.
For example, the
Constitution created a
Supreme Court but left
it to Congress to decide
on details.
The Nation’s Finances
 War Debts
 During the Revolution, the United States had borrowed
millions of dollars from France, Spain, and the Netherlands.

By 1789 the national debt-foreign and domestic-totaled more
than $52 million.
 Hamilton’s Proposal
1.
Paying off all war debts
2.
Raising government revenues
3.
Create a national bank
Hamilton vs. Jefferson
 Tariffs- which are taxes on imported goods. Tariffs serve two purposes:
raising money for the government and encouraging the growth of
national business.
 Alexander Hamilton
Called for a national bank
 “loose interpretation” & “Elastic Clause”
 Good relations with Britain and against the French Revolution
 Strong Central Government
 Thomas Jefferson
 Against National bank
 Strict construction of the constitution.
 Favored the French Revolution
 States Rights

Political Parties
Federalists
Democratic- Republicans
Leaders: Hamilton, Adams
Leaders: Jefferson, Madison
Supporters: Lawyers, merchants,
manufactures, clergy
Supporters: Farmers, Urban workers
Beliefs:
• Strong national government
• Loose construction of the
Constitution
• Favored national bank
• Economy based on trade
Beliefs:
• Limited national government
• Strict construction of the
Constitution
• Opposed national bank
• Agricultural Economy
Federalist can be considered more supportive of business than the DemocraticRepublicans because they supported manufactures as apposed to DemocraticRepublicans who pictured America to be a rural nation of farmers. Federalist supported a
National Bank.
National Banks= Loans= Creates Business
Manufactures = NEW PRODUCTS = $$$
Challenges to the New Government
 Northwest Territory

In 1783 the Treaty of Paris had tried to resolve the claims to this area.
However, Spain, Britain, the United States and Native Americans all
had claimed parts of this area.

Strong Resistance was from Native Americans
 Washington sent troops to the Northwest territory to defend
American interest
 In 1790 and 1791 United States armies were defeated by Native
Americans

Battle of Fallen Timbers
• On August 20, 1794 Anthony (“Mad Anthony”) Wayne and his men
defeated the Native Americans in what is now Toledo, Ohio.
• Treaty of Greenville in 1795
Challenges of the First U.S Government
 Trouble in the Backcountry


In spite of the Battle of Fallen Timbers, Washington felt he had
to put another army into the field.
Hamilton pushed through Congress a taxed to be levied
specially on the manufacture of whiskey
 Whiskey Rebellion



In the summer of 1794, a group of farmers in western
Pennsylvania staged the Whiskey Rebellion against the tax.
One armed group attacked and burned the home of regional
tax collector.
Washington kept order by sending any army of 13,000 soldiers
into western Pennsylvania to put down the uprising.

Federal troops rounded up a group of about 20 accused leaders.
Problems Abroad

In 1789 a financial crisis led the French people to rebel against their
government.

Americans at first supported the French Revolution.
 In 1792 it became extremely violent and the King and Queen were executed
by 1793.
 France and Britain at War

Jefferson felt that a move to crush the French Revolution was an attack on
liberty everywhere. But Hamilton argued that Britain was the United States’
primary trading partner, and British trade was too vital to risk war.

April 1793 Washington declared that the United States would remain
neutral.

Britain made it hard by seizing ships
 Jays Treaty – Britain would pay damages of for U.S vessels.
 Pinckney’s Treaty- favorable terms with Spain
John Adams Administration
 Problems with France
 When Washington left office in 1797, relations between French
and the United States were tense.
 With Britain and France still at war, the French began seizing
and harassing U.S. ships. Within in the year France had looted
more than 300 U.S. Ships.

XYZ Affair
 John Adams blamed many problems on new immigrants
whom were sympathetic to the Democratic- Republicans.

Alien and Sedition Acts
Problems and Solutions
Problems
Solutions
Need for executive aid and
advice
Cabinet appointments
Government source of income
Taxation, National Bank
Disputes with foreign nations
Remain Neutral
Jay’s Treaty
Pinckney’s Treaty