THE FEDERALIST ERA

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THE FEDERALIST ERA

• From Washington to Monroe

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• The Federalist Era
• 1. George Washingtons Administration 1789-1797
• a. first election- voting for the new
  government
• 1. after ratification, or vote of approval,
  for Constitution,
• elections were held
• 2. Electoral college group of presidential
  electors chosen
• by the states, voted for 2 people for
  Executive Branch.
• a. person with most votes became Pres-
  Washington
• b. person with next number became
  VP- John Adams
• 3. Congress or Legislative Branch
• a. House of Representatives voted by
  people
• b. Senators were elected by state
  legislatures until 1913
• (17th Amendment -people elected their
  senators)
• c. passed the Bill of Rights during their
  1st session.

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George Washington
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• Judicial Branch interprets the nations laws
• a. Judiciary Act of 1789 passed by Congress
• 1. created Supreme Court of USA
• a.one Chief Justice and 5 associate
  justices
• (today- there are 8 associates and one
  Chief-
• total of 9 )
• b. Supreme Court had POWER over state
• laws in determining their
  constitutionality
• c. First Chief Justice John Jay
• 2. created lower federal courts (3 circuits
  and
• 13 district courts)

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Olde City Hall, Phila, Pa Home of the First
Supreme Court
John Jay Chief Justice of Supreme Court
First Supreme Court Passing the Judiciary Act
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• b. First cabinet (advisors of president
  departments)
• 1. State, War, Treasury (1st 3), Attorney
  General
• a. Secretary of State- Thomas Jefferson
• 1. in charge of foreign affairs
• b. Secretary of War Henry Knox
• c. Secretary of Treasury Alexander Hamilton
• d. Attorney General Edmund Randolph

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Vice President John Adams
Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson
Secretary of Treasury Alexander Hamilton
James Madison
Secretary of War Henry Knox
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• c. Domestic Challenges (domestic home in USA)
• 1. National debt money a government owes
• because it borrowed it (today 14
  TRILLION)
• a. During American Revolutionary War,
  nation
• borrowed millions from other
  countries- so
• did the states
• 2. Alexander Hamiltons plan
• a. called for federal government to pay for
  all
• debts owed (nation and the states)
• b. South opposed because they paid their
  debts,
• and now their tax money would pay
  others
• (This included Thomas Jefferson James
  
• Madison, both Southerners)

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• 1. Compromise with Hamiltons plan
• a. Jefferson agreed to payment of state
  debts
• IF capital of US moved to South (from
  PHL)
• 1. relocated to new District of
  Columbia-
• special territory that belonged to
  NO state
• c. National Bank Hamilton proposed 4 duties
• 1. handle Federal government money
• 2. collect tax money
• 3. issue paper money
• 4. give out loans for growth of businesses

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• a. Problems How to raise money
• 1. excise tax tax placed on goods made,
  sold
• and used in this country
• a. Angered farmers on Western frontier
• because they turned their crops into
  whiskey
• b. Whiskey Rebellion farmers refused
  to pay-
• fought with govt agents. People
  killed
• 1. first test of new government
• 2. Washington, angry, sent in militia
  to end it.
• 2. tariffs taxes placed on manufactured
  goods
• from other countries

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• 3. Rise of Political Parties
• a. Due to disagreements between Hamilton and
• Jefferson - groups split into political
  parties
• b. political party group of people with
  similar
• ideas and beliefs about government
• 1. Federalist Party led by Hamilton,
  supported
• most of decisions made by Fed.
  Government
• a. mostly wealthy people in North
• 2. Democratic-Republicans- led by Jefferson
  and
• Madison- supported rule by people,
  strong state
• governments
• a. mostly regular people, farmers and
  Southerners
• c. Both used newspapers to push their points

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• d. FOREIGN Affairs (dealing with other nations)
• 1. Proclamation of Neutrality 1793
• a. French Revolution new Fr. Govt
  wanted us to
• abide by our alliance signed in 1778,
  and help them
• against British
• 1. Great Britain/Spain went to war vs.
  new revolutionary
• govt in France/ French had beheaded
  the king
• 2. Washington wanted to be neutral/we
  traded with Eng.
• a. So, he recognized the new French
  government
• 1. told them US would be neutral
  since alliance was
• signed with the king, who was
  dead.
• 3. Result- England and France start
  seizing our ships
• a. England starts impressing, or
  kidnapping, our
• sailors
• b. Americans upset- peace mission
  sent to England

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• 2. Jays Treaty 1794 (USA and GREAT BRITAIN)
• a. John Jay, Chief Justice, leads mission to
  Eng.
• 1. England, was afraid of losing our
  profitable trade
• b. Treaty Provisions
• 1. England would withdraw from forts in
  our
• Northwest territory/allow American
  ships to
• trade in British West Indies
• 2. We would pay private debts
• 3. DID NOT Stop England from seizing
  ships or
• impressing sailors- but gives US
  peace and
• time to grow stronger as a nation

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• 3. Pickneys Treaty (US and SPAIN) 1795
• a. Spain, nervous about our peace with Eng,
  also signs a treaty
• with USA
• b. Thomas Pickney, gets Spain to agree to
  allow American
• ships on the lower Mississippi River/use
  of New Orleans
• e. Washingtons Farewell Address 1796
• 1. warned against involvement in foreign
  affairs
• 2. warned against political parties
  rivalries between North
• and South
• 3. Election of 1796 1st time parties picked
  candidates
• a. Federalists- John Adams for Pres, Thomas
  Pickney- VP
• b. Demo-Rep Party -Thomas Jefferson-Pres,
  Aaron Burr
• -VP
• c. Adams, Federalist wins Presidency,
  Jefferson wins VP!!

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• 2. John Adams Administration 1797-1801
• a. Domestic affairs
• 1. Alien Act 1798 gave President the
  right to
• imprison or deport (send out of the
  country) any
• foreigner if considered dangerous
• 2. Sedition Act 1798 made it a crime to
  write or
• speak critically against Pres, Congress,
  Fed. Govt
• or Fed. Laws
• a. angers Jefferson and Madison, who
  felt this
• violated Bill of Rights
• b. wanted it to be declared
  unconstitutional

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• c. brought states rights vs. Fed govt rights
  to a head
• 1. Federalists wanted a strong Federal
• government with loose construction of the
  
• Constitution
• 2. Demo-Republicans believed in strict
• construction of the Constitution limiting
  
• authority of fed. Government to powers
  listed
• in the document
• 3. This and Adams making peace with France
• caused the Federalists to lose power

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• b. Adams Foreign Affairs
• 1. XYZ Affair- to avoid war with France due to
  the
• Jay Treaty (peace with Britain)
• a. Adams sent John Marshall, Charles C.
  Pickney,
• and Elbridge Gerry to France
• 1. France demanded a bribe and 10 million
• to sign a treaty via their agent Charles
  Talleyrand
• a. Americans FURIOUS- Adams considers
  declaring
• war on France
• b. Frances new leader, Napoleon
  Bonaparte, was already
• at war with Britain, and DID NOT want
  war with US.
• c. Talleyrand meets with US agents again
  signs treaty of
• peace with US