Washington’s Presidency

1. Washington’s Presidency 1789-1797 Chapter 9, Section 1

2. Washington’s presidency starts many precedents (examples) that become traditions. • His Cabinet • Sec of War - Henry Knox • Sec of State – Thomas Jefferson • Sec of Treasury – Alexander Hamilton • Attorney General – Edmund Randolph • These are the advisors to the President, but the Constitution had not called for this body. • (implied power?) Article I Sec 8 Elastic Clause or “Necessary and Proper Clause”

3. Federal Judiciary Act of 1789 • The Congress set up the first Supreme Court system with this act. It set up 6 Justices as the • Court. It also set up lesser federal courts. Washington appointed John Jay as the Chief Justice

4. Alexander Hamilton and the National Debt • The US was in debt because of the Revolution. We owed money to France, Spain and the Netherlands + the AMERICAN PEOPLE (war bonds). To be taken seriously as a country, we need to be debt-free. His plan: • 1: paying off war debt • 2: raising government revenue • 3: establishing a National Bank. The Bank mostly stabilized the National Government by providing a safe place to keep government funds. It also issued currency $.

5. Tariffs • Tariffs are taxes on foreign goods. • Hamilton’s idea here is to raise revenue with a high tariff. Affected the South more than others since they depended on foreign trade. But, it boosted the American manufacturing base. • Hamilton wanted a stronger national gov. using a “loose” interpretation of the constitution. Jefferson’s group favored a “strict” one with very limited Gov powers. Beginnings of political parties

6. Challenges (pg 320) • Northwest Territory (Little Turtle & the British) • Native Americans wanted to unite to form a nation and the British were behind them. • Originally, they were united under Little Turtle and repelled the American troops sent to defeat them. Washington later appointed Wayne (Western Front – Revolutionary War). Wayne defeated Little Turtle’s troops in the Battle of Fallen Timbers • They Ceded land to US through Treaty of Greenville (OH, IL, MI, Indiana)

7. Whiskey Rebellion • 1794 – farmers from western PA revolted over a tax on Whiskey. • It was the backcountry vs. wealthier class, but it was rebellion. • President Washington saw this as a threat to the federal government. He sent 13,000 troops to put this down (Overkill!) • The rebellion was put down by the time the troops showed up

8. French Revolution and America • The French had aided our Revolution, we are indebted to them, right? The French people in the 1780s (inspired by the colonists) overthrew their own king. • Unfortunately, this turns EXTREMEY violent, kill the King and Queen and we become split over which side to take.

9. US, France, Britain • France and England went to war with one another. • Jefferson (France) and Hamilton (England) were split over which side to take, but the US was one of those countries caught in the middle. • US = Neutral but we depended on the trade with both countries and they saw our ships as aiding the others. • Britain started seizing our ships, so Washington sent John Jay to negotiate a treaty

10. Jay’s Treaty • The British agreed to leave the Ohio River Valley and to pay for the damages to our seized ships. However, they wouldn’t let the US into the British Caribbean trade. • The treaty was not a popular one, but it did ease relations with the British.

11. Pinckney’s Treaty The US was also having problems with its former ally Spain over control over territories in America. Three issues stand out in this treaty with Spain. • · The US got the right to use the MS River • · US ships could go through the port of New Orleans