THE FEDERALIST ERA

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THE FEDERALIST ERA

• Carol Jean Cox

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FEDERALIST ERA 1790's - 1800

• Federalists Versus Anti-federalists
• Issues Facing the New Government
• Hamiltons Financial Program
• Debate on the Interpretation of the Constitution
• Emergence of a Two Party System
• Decline of the Federalists

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FEDERALIST ERA 1790's - 1800

• Federalists - people who were in favor of a
  strong central government
• Federalists in full power
• Congress Supreme Court were Federalists
• George Washington - first President 1790
• no election- unanimous for Washington
• no elections for first few Presidents
• A majority of the founding fathers became
  involved in the government

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FEDERALIST ERA 1790's - 1800

• Federalists
• Federalists--gt first election - caucus (group)
  nominates a President
• Washington stepped down after 2 terms
• Adams served 4 years (1796-1800)
• Anti-Federalists
• Anti-Federalists --gt those against a strong
  federal government
• Republicans (Jeffersonians)
• later Democrat/Republicans
• historical beginnings of Democrat Party

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FEDERALIST ERA 1790's - 1800

• Issues Facing the New Government
• U.S. weak
• no navy - little army - Indians to deal with
• problems on the international scene
• e.g. Britain, Spain
• Owed money
• 55 million
• 11 million owed to other countries
• Most owed to Americans from Revolutionary War

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FEDERALIST ERA 1790's - 1800

• Issues Facing the New Government
• Not really a united country
• European - wait see attitudes
• noted failure of Article Government
• wondered about the President for four years

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FEDERALIST ERA 1790's - 1800

• Hamiltons Financial Program
• Hamilton- Washingtons aide in the Revolutionary
  War
• now Secretary of Treasury
• an elitist- aristocrat - slave owner
• rich governor of Massachusetts
• problem/issue - how to raise revenue
• tariff - tax on imports
• foreign company pays tax

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FEDERALIST ERA 1790's - 1800

• Hamiltons Financial Program
• Excise Tax - (luxury tax) Fed. Gov. Tax
• jewelry, cigarette, liquor,
• governments of states obligated to collect
• not a state tax
• Sale of Western Lands
• Northwest Territory
• all lands to Mississippi

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FEDERALIST ERA 1790's - 1800

• Hamiltons Financial Program
• Assuming State Debts (credibility)
• central government will take over state debts
• states owed money to their citizens and from
  and Cont. Congress Articles Gov.
• why assume debts?
• because citizenry will take stock in it
• creditors will look to central government
  (congress) in future for financing
• solidifies Fed. Gov in eyes of citizens

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FEDERALIST ERA 1790's - 1800

• Hamiltons Financial Program
• Government coins money
• dollar came from Spanish
• Funding
• creating a new debt to pay off the old debt
• Government issues 3, 4 notes like savings bonds
• whenever cashed in 3
• collect at 3 - trade them for 6 with extension
  of time
• few of veterans from Rev War still had bonds
• Buys time to raise funds

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FEDERALIST ERA 1790's - 1800

• Hamiltons Financial Program
• TROUBLE Virginia said not vote for assuming
  loans because they had paid off debts.
• Compromise - capital near Virginia
• VA MA gave up land for Washington D.C.
• technically it was in the south

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FEDERALIST ERA 1790's - 1800
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FEDERALIST ERA 1790's - 1800

• Hamiltons Financial Program
• NATIONAL BANK - Bank of the U.S.
• What to do with money?
• Depository for Federal government revenue
• Bank chartered for 20 years (1791)
• (battle for bank when it comes up for renewal)
• Start with 10 million
• 1/5 Federal Government Funds
• Remainder from Private Funds

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FEDERALIST ERA 1790's - 1800

• Debate of the Interpretation of the Constitution
  1791
• Anti/fed point of view -
• Jefferson/Madison (strict interpretation)
• (Jefferson in Paris during constitution)
• said Mr. Hamilton no provision for central bank
• concerned too powerful
• Federalist position
• Hamilton is a staunch federalist
• loose interpretation
• Leads to the emergence of political powers

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FEDERALIST ERA 1790's - 1800

• Emergence of a Two Party System
• Reasons for the division creation of 2 parties
• Financial Reasons
• funding, assuming, tariffs excise taxes
• Sectional Differences
• North- Maryland (north)
• South - Virginia (south)
• West - territories to be states
• different views of tariffs North/South
• west - statehood area improvements

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FEDERALIST ERA 1790's - 1800

• Decline of the Federalists
• (issues causing)
• Indians Causing Problems
• Federalists not dealing with effectively
• Republicans criticize
• French Revolution (Bloody)
• Federalists not decisive
• more criticism from Republicans

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FEDERALIST ERA 1790's - 1800

• Decline of the Federalists
• Whiskey Rebellion
• Western Pennsylvania REGULATORS
• Lower class not happy w/ another tax
• used guns MOB ACTION
• set off by the excise tax on whiskey
• whiskey most lucrative product of area
• tax collectors shot at - intimidation
• Response - Washington on horse leads 15,000
  troops
• show of force to intimidate
• to show strength of central gov. (not weak)
• set things in motion for decline of
  Federalists

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FEDERALIST ERA 1790's - 1800

• Decline of the Federalists
• Alien Sedition Acts (1798)
• Alien act - increased time for citizenship
• affects lots of immigrants because of Europe rev.
• law to decrease the support of the immigrants
• for the anti-fed side to decrease opposing
• party's power
• Sedition Act - a crime punishable by fine
  Imprisonment to speak against the Fed. Gov.
• (George Wash. favored this though not in power)
• 5 journalists imprisoned for federalists
• 25 went to trial

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FEDERALIST ERA 1790's - 1800

• Decline of the Federalists
• Democrat/Republicans respond
• (Madison/Jefferson - fire up pens anonymously)
• wrote Kentucky Virginia Resolutions 1798
• states can choose to make null and void any
  law passed by the Federal Government
• states prerogative - states rights
• similar to the Summary of the Rights of
• British America
• denouncing Sedition Act
• emphasizing states/rights

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FEDERALIST ERA 1790's - 1800

• Decline of the Federalists
• Election Of 1800
• Federalists (Adams) vs. Republicans (Jefferson)
• Popular vote with electoral college
• Jefferson - President
• Hamilton/Burr conflict - duel kills Hamilton
• Epithet (Summary)
• Federalist Era 1790 -1800
• dominance of single political party
• application of constitution powers in
• favor of a strong central government
• favored the merchants/commerce

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FEDERALIST ERA 1790's - 1800

• Decline of the Federalists
• "Federalists served as a halfway house
• between European past and American future.
• Henry Adams
• (great grandson of John Adams noted writer )
• European Elite ---gt American Democracy
• SHIFT OF POWER CAME WITH JEFFERSON

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FEDERALIST ERA 1790's - 1800

• Federalists Versus Anti-federalists
• Issues Facing the New Government
• Hamiltons Financial Program
• Debate on the Interpretation of the Constitution
• Emergence of a Two Party System
• Decline of the Federalists

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THE FEDERALIST ERA

• Carol Jean Cox