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8.1 The First President

Objectives


What actions were taken to launch the new
government?
How did Hamilton propose to strengthen
the economy?
Precedent


Tradition
George Washington established
precedents that all future Presidents
would follow.
Presidential Requirements



natural-born citizens of the United
States
at least thirty-five years old
must have been resident in the United
States for at least fourteen years
President

Can be elected to 2 Terms for a total of
10 years
Cabinet

Made up of the heads (leaders) of the following
departments and the Attorney General.

State Department


Treasury Department



Secretary of Treasury - Alexander Hamilton
War Department


Secretary of State - Thomas Jefferson
Secretary of War - Henry Knox
Attorney General - Edmund Randolph
Advise the President
Judiciary Act of 1789

Established a federal court system



13 district courts
3 circuit courts
State laws remain, but federal courts
have power to reverse state decisions
National Debt

The amount of money the national
government owes.
Bonds


Paper notes
promising to repay
the money in a
certain time.
During the American
Revolution the
government sold
bonds to help pay for
the war effort.
WWII War Bond
Speculator

A person who risks their own money with the
hope of making a profit in the future.
Financial Problems


Should the government pay off its debt
to other countries?
Should the government pay off its debt
that it had borrowed from the people in
the form of bonds?
National Debt

Alexander Hamilton - pay off all debt

Pay off debt to other nations = improve the
financial reputation and respect of the country

Pay off debt it owed its bond holders.

Pay off all state debts = would provide states
with a vested interest in the success of the
country
National Debt

Opposition to Hamilton

Original bond owners had sold their bonds to
speculators at less then the face value.

Southern states had less debt then Northern
states and felt that it was unfair for them to
have to pay the same as Northern states.
“Do Now”
Write down and answer the following
questions in your notes.
Speculators often bought old war bonds at
10 cents on the dollar and later sold them
at full values, making huge profits.

1.
•
•
A speculator buys a bond worth $50.00. At 10
cents per dollar, how much did he pay for the
bond? What was his profit?
If he bought 100 bonds what would his profit
be?
Speculators profits
How much did he pay
1.
* $50.00 x .10 =?
= $5.00
What was his profit?
2.
•
$50.00-$5.00 =
= $45.00
If he bought 100 bonds what would his profit be?
3.
•
$45.00 x 100 =
=4,500.00
8.2 Early Challenges

Objectives


How did the federal government assert its
power in the West?
Why did the United States try to stay out of
European conflicts?
Neutrality


not choosing a side
The United States tried to maintain its
neutrality in the conflict between France
and Britain.
Impressment


Forcing people into military service
During Great Britain’s war with France,
Great Britain used a policy of
Impressment with American sailors.
“Do Now”

In your notes, write down and answer
the following questions.


How did the federal government assert its
power in the West?
How did the United States try to stay out of
European conflicts
How did the federal government
assert its power over the west?


In the Battle of Fallen Timbers, Washington
sent an army into Northwest territory
Army lead by Anthony Wayne defeated
Shawnee Chief Blue jacket and his army.


Defeat crushed the Native Americans hopes of
keeping their land
Treaty of Greenville 1795

Native Americans agreed to surrender most of the
land in present-day Ohio
How did the United States try to
stay out of European conflicts?

Washington issued the Proclamation of
Neutrality


Prohibited American citizens from fighting
in the French and British War
Barred French and British warships from
American ports
How did the United States try to
stay out of European conflicts?
• Washington sent John Jay (U.S. Chief Justice) to
England to negotiate a peaceful settlement to end
British Impressment of U.S. sailors
• Jay’s Treaty
– Britain agreed to withdraw from American soil
– Britain had to pay damage for ships they seized
– American ships allowed to trade with British colonies in
Caribbean
– Settled all debts from before 1776
• People not happy with Treaty
– Treaty did not deal with the British policy of Impressment
Washington’s Farewell
Address
• Warned future leaders against…
– Political Parties
– Permanent Alliances
Political Parties
• Federalist
• Alexander Hamilton
– Rule by wealthy
class
– Strong federal gov’t
– British Alliance
– National Bank
– Protective tariffs
• Democratic-Republican
• Thomas Jefferson
–
–
–
–
–
Rule by the people
Strong state gov’t
French Alliance
State Bank
Free Trade
Partisan

To favor one side of an issue
Unconstitutional


When something is unconstitutional it is
inconsistent with the Constitution.
In other words the Constitution does not
allow it.
Implied Powers


Powers that were note expressly forbidden in
the Constitution
Hamilton


Believed implied powers are powers that are to be
used to help government carry out the expressed
powers.
Thomas Jefferson & James Madison

Believed implied powers are powers that are to be
used only when they are absolutely necessary to
carry out the expressed powers
Caucus
Alien


Immigrants living in the country who
were not citizens.
1790’s many Europeans came to U.S.

Alien acts


Made it difficult for aliens (immigrants) to
become citizens
Gave the President the power to throw anyone
he wanted out of the United States
Sedition


Activities that are aimed at weakening
established government.
Sedition act

Made it a crime to criticize the government
Alien and Sedition Acts


1798 U.S. congress passed laws to
protect the nation;s security.
Laws came to be known as the Alien
and Sedition Acts.
Alien and Sedition Acts




Naturalization Act - required immigrants to be
residents of the U.S. for 14 years to be eligible for
Citizenship.
Alien Acts - Allowed the president to imprison
immigrants, or send those he considered dangerous
out of the country.
Sedition Act - Made it a crime to speak, write, or
publish “false, scandalous, and malicious” criticisms
of the gov’t.
Led to the movement to allow states the power to
overturn Federal Laws.
Nullify


To legally overturn
The Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions


Claimed that the Alien and Sedition acts
were unconstitutional
Kentucky Resolution

Gave states the power to nullify federal laws if
they were considered unconstitutional
States’ Rights


The principle that limits the federal
government to those powers clearly
assigned to it by the Constitution and
reserving to the states all other powers
not expressly forbidden to them.
Keep an eye out for the issue of States’
Rights as you read the next few
Chapters.