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Constitution Launched
constitution officially ratified by all 13 colonies -
GW's Inauguration
only nominee to be elected unanimously
est. cabinet with 3 dept. sec. of state=TJ, sec. of treasury=Hamilton, sec. of war=Henry Knox -
1st tariff
a low tariff of 8%
increased revenue and protected US manufacturing -
Judiciary Act of 1789
created by 1st Congress
created effective federal courts - organized Supreme Court 1st chief justice=John Jay
also created federal district and office of attorney general -
Hamilton's Plan
funding at par - fed. gov. pays off debt of $54 million
wanted to help national credit by using trickle down system
Hamilton also urged US to assume state debts -
1st excise taxes
tax on excess products
notably whiskey - $.07 a gallon
mostly affected backcountry distillers -
Bank of the United States
proposed by Hamilton inspired by Bank of Eng.
private institution, gov was major stockholder
TJ provided opinion on matter - favored strict interpretation
Hamilton's reply - favored loose interpretation
'what the constitution didn't forbid it permitted'
"elastic clause" - implied powers -
Bill of Rights Ratified
promised to antifederalists
1st 10 amendments/revisions to constitution
written by James Madison
safeguard some of most important American rights -
Political Parties formed
split up as Federalists vs Democratic republicans (Jeffersonians vs Hamiltonians)
2 party system has existed ever since -
Neutrality Proclamation
even though Franco-American Alliance was still on the books
GW didn't want to get involved in foreign affairs/wars
Jeffersonians= pro-French Federalists= pro-Brit.
Citizen Edmund Genet sent to negotiate w/ America -went to Charleston SC to gain support from privateers - GW sent him back to Fr -
Whiskey Rebellion
Rebellion in SW PA
in response to excise tax, tough on frontier pioneers - tarred and feathered revenue officers which stopped the collections
GW' s responded by sending a 13,000 soldier army
GW's gov = strengthened and more respected bc of this -
Battle of Timbers
led by General Anthony Wayne
against the indians in Miami that Brit. basically paid to fight USA
Brit. stopped helping Indians causing them to sign Treaty of Greenville and gave parts of Old Northwest back to US -
Jay's treaty
GW sent Jay to negotiate/avoid war w/ Brit.
Hamilton sold Jay out by telling Eng. all of his negotiation points
few concession: Brit. evacuate frontier posts and pay from damages of US ships, US pay off old debts
treaty was very unpopular esp. w/ Dem. Rep. -
Pinckney's Treaty
treaty with Spain - granted everything US wanted: incl. free navigation of MI R., warehouse rights in New Orleans, and territory of western FL -
GW's Farewell Address
est. 2 term tradition (FDR only one to not - Amendment 22 1951)
advised against any permanent alliances -
Presidential Election of 1796
John Adams won
nominee for federalists=Adams (71 votes) not Hamilton bc too unpopular [federalist party=High Federalists]
nominee for Dem. Rep.=TJ (68 votes) and became VP -
XYZ Affair
Adams commissioned a diplomatic envoy , 1 of the 3 was John Marshall
the envoy went to go visit French Foreign Minister Talleyrand
didn't get to meet him - 3 go-betweens came asking for unreasonable bribes/loans
didn't want to pay so went back home to USA -
Alien Laws and Sedition Act
Federalists made these laws to oppress Jeffersonians
Alien laws - directed towards immigrants, gave president power to deport dangerous foreigners
Sedition Act - said that anyone who impeded the policies of the gov or falsely defamed officials would be fined and imprisoned - went directly against 1st amendment (freedom of speech and press) -
Virginia and Kentucky Resolution
were political statements drafted in 1798 and 1799, in which the Kentucky and Virginia legislatures took the position that the federal Alien and Sedition Acts were unconstitutional.
written by James Madison and TJ -
Convention of 1800
finally allowed to talk with Talleyrand
Napoleon=new dictator and eager to end conflict w/ US
convention ended alliance and US gov. pay damages of US ships damaged in 'quasi-war'