Now what do we do?

 

  1. New York convention
    1. George Washington is unanimously elected President (the only time in our history), and John Adams is named Vice-President
    2. James Madison becomes Washington’s chief advisor, he was allied with Jefferson and Hamilton

                                                               i.      Washington’s goal is to establish respect for the position of President.  He felt that there should be some royal type trappings associated with the office

                                                             ii.       Washington keeps his title simple “Mr. President”

    1. The Departments of Treasury, State, and War are formed – they and the postmaster report directly to the President.  Only the President can fire his department heads, although the Senate must confirm them.
    2. Washington had little to do with Congress – he did not try to influence the law making process, nor did he veto much.

                                                               i.      Madison, Hamilton, and Jefferson guided Congress

                                                             ii.      As head of Treasury, Hamilton had great influence over the funding of the country

  1. Bill of Rights
    1. Madison initially opposed the Bill of Rights – he was afraid that a listing would limit the rights of the people
    2. The 9th and 10th A. reserved future rights to the people and States
    3. The Judiciary Act of 1789 created a federal court system, and allowed the Supreme Court to review State decisions
  2. Domestic policy – Hamilton vs. Madison
    1. The new government would take on the debts of the old gov’t.  Would establish faith in the new gov’t
    2. Hamilton insists that all debts be paid in full, even those owed to Americans.  Hamilton also wanted to accept the debts of the States.
    3. Madison would pay the true value of the war debts so as not to reward speculators
    4. Hamilton felt the US should concentrate on industry and commerce – helping the wealthy and the NE

                                                               i.      He felt this would maintain credit for the national gov’t – investors would not want the gov’t to fold

                                                             ii.      He wanted to establish a national bank which could issue paper money

                                                            iii.      He wanted to increase tariffs to raise money for the gov’t

    1. Madison and Jefferson opposed Hamilton’s ideas – they said the Constitution did not allow for his plans (strict vs. loose interpretation.)

                                                               i.      Madison and Jefferson defeated Hamilton’s tariff plan

                                                             ii.      Both felt a strong federal government would limit individual liberties

                                                            iii.      Jefferson disliked cities and merchants, he felt that farming was a virtuous lifestyle

    1. These two groups tried to defeat each others plan – was a precursor to political parties
  1. Foreign affairs
    1. Spain and England almost go to war in 1790

                                                               i.      Jefferson felt that the US should remain neutral and bargain with both countries

                                                             ii.      Hamilton felt that US merchants depended on Britain’s business so the US must side with them

                                                            iii.      War was averted, Hamilton had made secret promises to the British (not known at this time)

    1. In 1793 France and Britain go to war again

                                                               i.      Jefferson had supported the French Revolution in 1789 – he felt that a little rebellion was a good thing – it keeps a government honest

                                                             ii.      Hamilton was appalled by the brutality of the revolution and the resultant mob rule

                                                            iii.      Washington declared the US would be neutral and would keep promises made to the old French gov’t

                                                           iv.      British ships raided and seized US ships trading with the French Indies

                                                             v.      Britain encouraged Native Americans to attack the US west

                                                           vi.      Washington sent John Jay to England to negotiate

1.      Jefferson recommended Jay threaten England with loss of neutrality

2.      Hamilton told British we had no intent of following up on Jefferson’s threat (he was right)

3.      Jay’s only achievement was that he obtained Mississippi from the Spanish

    1. The US army defeats Native Americans in Ohio – this pushes the British out of their western forts
    2. Spain is looking for a friend and offer the US unlimited trade on the Mississippi River and both nations agree to protect each other’s possessions from Indian attack.
  1. Birth of political parties
    1. The founding fathers felt that parties were detrimental to the nation – they would look out for the interests of the party rather than the interests of the country
    2. Southern farmers and congressmen began to gather around Madison and started referring to themselves as a “republican party” or the Democrat-Republicans (not the same as today’s Republicans)
    3. Hamilton supporters began to refer to themselves as Federalists

                                                               i.      Two newspapers the Gazette of the United States (Hamilton) and National Gazette (Madison) were formed to cover politics

                                                             ii.      Social groups at the local level began to form behind either the Democratic party or the Federalists

    1. Washington spoke out against these political clubs – many of them disbanded immediately
    2. Hamilton continued to try to marshal power by speaking out against that “other” party
  1. Election of 1796
    1. Washington gave the Federalists the advantage by delaying stating whether he would run again (Adams was the Federalist candidate)
    2. Madison and his supporters did not want to put a candidate up against Washington if he chose to run
    3. Hamilton used the unwieldy electoral college rules of the time to try and remove Adams from the Presidency and put his friend Thomas Pinckney into the Presidency (p. 164)
    4. Adams won the election, but Jefferson came in 2nd and became the Vice-President
    5. Adams was aware of what Hamilton had done
  2. Adams’ Presidency
    1. Adams tried to keep himself above the party differences, but the relationship between Jefferson and Adams quickly deteriorated
    2. Adams felt he could not fire Washington’s cabinet members (who all answered to Hamilton)
    3. France began to impound US ships headed toward England
    4. Adams sent a 3 man delegation to France and began to build up a military force

                                                               i.      Talleyrand, the French foreign minister tried to bribe the delegation (he hired go-betweens identified as W X Y and Z)

                                                             ii.      The US press wrote of the XYZ affair and US-French relations deteriorated to the point of war

                                                            iii.      Hamilton said we should prepare an army to fight France and rely on England to patrol the sea

                                                           iv.      Adams disagreed and created the Department of the Navy to end total reliance on England

                                                             v.      Washington was asked to command the army again, Hamilton was named a General

                                                           vi.      Hard-line Federalists wanted to declare war on France

                                                          vii.      Adams moved slowly, and when Napoleon Bonaparte became leader he ended the dispute with the US

  1. Alien and Sedition Laws
    1. Jefferson and his followers started to form an organization to oppose Hamilton and the Federalists
    2. High Federalists considered any opposition to the Presidency to be treasonous (public reason) – they were afraid that Jefferson would gain poser and win the next election (private reason)
    3. Federalist leaders passed the Alien laws

                                                               i.      Aliens seeking citizenship had to live in the US for 14 years before becoming a citizen (immigrants tended to be Republican)

                                                             ii.      Only citizens could vote

                                                            iii.      Any alien that the Pres. considered dangerous could be deported without a trial

    1. Sedition Law

                                                               i.      Anyone who opposed any measure of the gov’t could be fined or imprisoned

                                                             ii.      The law was set to expire on March 3, 1801 – the same day the next Pres would be sworn in

    1. Several republicans were imprisoned under these blatantly unconstitutional laws
    2. Madison led a fight against the laws in state courts – Kentucky and Virginia declared them unconstitutional

                                                               i.      This was the first discussion of whose courts would prevail – Federal or State

                                                             ii.      11th Amendment is passed to limit power of the federal courts

  1. Election of 1800
    1. Republican newspapers violated the Sedition Act and spoke out against the Federalists
    2. The Federalists had passed an unpopular tax to pay for the building of the armed forces
    3. Jefferson and his Vice-Presidential candidate tie for the election (causes the 12th Amendment to be passed – electoral college voting for Pres and VP separately)
    4. Election is thrown into the House of Representatives

                                                               i.      Hamilton tries to give Burr the Presidency over his enemy Jefferson, but he fails

                                                             ii.      Jefferson becomes the 3rd President