1. Quote of the Day
“Do you want to know who you are? Don't ask. Act! Action will delineate and define you.”
Thomas Jefferson

2. The Presidency of George Washington

3. Issues Facing the New Government

4. What do we do!!!??? We have no executive branch! We have no courts!
We are deeply in debt!

7. George Washington 1789 - 1797 No political party affiliation
Won 100% of electoral vote in both elections
Established precedent of only serving 2 terms as president

8. First we create the executive branch!

10. Alexander Hamilton Washington’s Treasury Secretary
Wanted to build a financially strong and independent US, especially for American industry and businesses

12. Thomas Jefferson Washington’s Secretary of State
Former governor, congressman, and ambassador to France
Wanted to protect states’ rights, US-French relations
Resigned from the cabinet in 1793 due to his disagreements with Hamilton

13. Henry Knox Washington’s Secretary of War
Tasked with building America’s ability to defend itself
Memorization device: Ft. Knox (in Kentucky) is named after him; forts are used in WAR)
Supposedly died from swallowing a chicken bone

14. Next, we create the courts! (Judicial Branch)

15. The Judiciary Act of 1789 Passed by the First Congress
Established the Federal Court system
Made clear that the Supreme Court was the highest court in the U.S.
President Washington appointed John Jay to be the first Chief Justice

16. John Jay First Chief Justice (1789-95) Federalist
Sent to England in to negotiate Jay’s Treaty (more on that in a later)
Resigned from the court in 1795 to become governor of New York

17. And we have to get out of debt!!!!

18. Hamilton’s Economic Plan
Most states had many debts left over from the Revolution
Hamilton wanted the US to assume the states’ individual debts
US would pay these debts by taxing whiskey and imported goods
Hamilton also wanted to establish a national bank

19. This plan will launch America’s first political parties. Why????

20. Constitutional opposition to Hamilton’s Plan
Thomas Jefferson argued government did not have the constitutional power to create a bank (a strict interpretation of the Constitution)
Hamilton argued that the “necessary and proper” clause (Elastic Clause) allowed the government to do what was necessary to perform its functions (loose interpretation)

21. Southern opposition to Hamilton’s Plan
Taxes on imported goods would hurt southern farmers
Many southern states had already paid their war debts
South agreed to support Hamilton’s plan only after North agreed to move the capital from New York City to a site on the Potomac River (Washington DC)

22. Frontier opposition to Hamilton’s Plan
Didn’t like tax on whiskey because that was how many frontiersmen made their living
This opposition led to the Whiskey Rebellion of 1794

23. Whiskey Rebellion
Pennsylvania farmers refused to pay whiskey tax and took up arms
Pres. Washington responded by leading the US Army in putting down the rebellion
Federal government demonstrated it could enforce its laws

24. Lets get back to the birth of the two party system!!!!

25. Federalists vs. Democratic-Republicans
Led by Alexander Hamilton
Favored strong national government
Favored large landowners and merchants
Favored tariffs and government regulations that supported business
Loose interpretationists
More popular in the North
Pro-business
Favored neutrality in the war between Britain and France
Democratic-Republicans
Led by Thomas Jefferson
Favored strong state governments
Favored small farmers
Favored a “laissez-faire” approach where government did not regulate the economy
Strict interpretationists
More popular in the South
Pro-farmers
Favored France in their war against Britain

26. HBO Clip