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Lecture/Readings (click links):

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Inauguration of George Washington

Teacher / Student Notes:

This class will concentrate on the early days of the United States. It will cover events during the administrations of George Washington and John Adams. Topics will include Hamilton’s financial system, Whiskey Rebellion, Jay’s Treaty, French Revolution, XYZ Affair, French Quasi War, Alien and Sedition Acts, and the Revolution of 1800.

Brief Review (1400s to 1776)

Native American cultures had been developing throughout the new world for thousands of years
In the late 1400s to 1500s, Spanish exploration in the New World (made Spain rich)
Columbian Exchange would transfer plants, animals, people, diseases, ideas, and more to and from the New World
Disease would decimate the Native American population
Early 1600s, the Dutch, French, English, and other Europeans would start to colonize in the New World
1607 – Jamestown (first permanent English settlement); almost did not survive (tobacco saved the colony)
Movements in the 1700s like the Enlightenment and the Great Awakening influenced the colonists to question old ideas
1754-1763 – Seven Years War (French and Indian War) was a British victory over the French

Britain’s empire expanded greatly; too big to manage
Britain didn’t want to fight Native Americans, so restricted colonists from moving west (angered colonists)
Britain was in debt; wanted British America to help pay for the debt (angered colonists)

Sugar Act, Currency Act, Stamp Act, Townshend Acts, Boston Massacre, Intolerable Acts all led to the American Revolution
1775-1783 – American Revolution
During the American Revolution, the Articles of Confederation (the first constitution) was created
The Shays’s Rebellion proved the Articles of Confederation was too weak, so the American Constitution was created

This is the sixth lesson in a series of 30. If you are interested in other lessons like this, please visit the Lessons in Humanities TpT Store: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Lessons-In-Humanities/Category/American-Yawp-451222

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This presentation will cover the presidencies of George Washington

and John Adams.

Teacher / Student Notes:

Timeline (follows AP US History Timeline #3)

Difficult to remember all the dates and events in American history; makes it easier to ”chunk” history into different periods
Between 1754 and 1800, British America resisted British control and would ultimately fight a war for independence. After the American Revolution, a new country was formed.
1754 is the beginning of this timeline because it is the beginning of the Seven Years War – this is a major turning point in American history because it would lead to the American Revolution
1800 is when the Revolution of 1800 took place. After years of difficulties forming a new government, the peaceful transition from a Federalist president, John Adams, to a Democratic-Republican president, Thomas Jefferson, became known as the Revolution of 1800.

Presidents

The events in this lesson took place during the presidencies of George Washington and John Adams

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Hamilton & Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson (Secretary of State) believed in limited federal government and agriculture
Alexander Hamilton (Secretary of Treasury) believed in a strong Federal government, business, and industry

* President Washington favored Hamilton

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Alexander �Hamilton

Believed government’s role is to protect private property
Did not believe in equal distribution of property, that inequality was natural

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Hamilton’s Financial System

Federal government would assume the debt of all the states (believed the U.S. would be stronger if it paid all its debt)
Created a national bank – First Bank of the United States

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Pay Off Debt

Paying off debt would be the United States more respected (i.e. with integrity)
Not everybody agreed with the Federal government assuming the debt from all the states

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First National Bank

Deposit federal money in national bank
Print money backed by specie (i.e. gold and silver)
Thomas Jefferson and other “small government” advocates argued a national bank gave too much power to Federal Government, and the it was unconstitutional

Hamilton argued it was an “implied power”

George Washington approved a 20-year charter

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To pay back loans (i.e. Federal bonds), the Federal government needed to collect taxes…

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Whiskey Rebellion

Grain most valuable cash crop for farmers
To pay off war debt, Hamilton implemented tax on whiskey (first domestic tax under new Constitution)
Poor farmers (mostly in the west) were hurt by this tax
Divided the West from the East (the poor from the elites)
Western Pennsylvanian farmers rebelled
Unlike Shays’s Rebellion, the new Federal Government was able to quell the rebellion; proved the government under the new Constitution was strong

Teacher / Student Notes:

Whiskey Rebellion

Grain most valuable cash crop for farmers (cash crop = a crop produced for its commercial value rather than for use by the grower)
To pay off war debt, Hamilton implemented tax on whiskey (first domestic tax under new Constitution)

Remember, the Founding Fathers fought the British over taxes; now they are taxing the Americans

Unlike today, whiskey was for the common man (wine was for the elites)
Poor farmers (mostly in the west) were hurt by this tax
Divided the West from the East (the poor from the elites)
Western Pennsylvanian farmers rebelled

Used tactics like during the American Revolution (e.g. tarring and feathering, burning down local government buildings)

Unlike Shays’s Rebellion, the new Federal Government was able to quell the rebellion; proved the government under the new Constitution was strong
First, and only, time in American history when a sitting president (i.e. George Washington) led troops into battle

Should be noted, he led 13,000 troops to western Pennsylvania but turned around back to the capital (he turned the troops over to Henry Lee – the father of Robert E. Lee, the Confederate general during the Civil War)
Once the troops arrived in Western Pennsylvania, the rebels dispersed quickly

Interesting Note

George Washington distilled whiskey on Mount Vernon and made a lot of money

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Problems with Britain

Britain and France were constantly fighting
Britain conquered American merchants on ships in the Atlantic Ocean to force them into the British Navy to fight the French
British also kept troops in forts in the western part of the U.S. after American Revolution
British traded weapons with Native Americans who used weapons to attack American settlers

Teacher / Student Notes:

Problems with Britain

Britain and France were enemies and constantly fighting
Many Americans hated the British (remember, the American Revolution had ended less than ten years earlier)
British were impressing American merchants in the Atlantic Ocean and forcing them into the British Navy to fight the French

Often, the British were jumping on American ships to try to find runaway Brits who didn’t want to fight; but they often kidnapped Americans

British also never took soldiers from forts in the western part of the United States after the American Revolution
British also traded weapons with Native Americans in the west; the Native Americans used these weapons to kill Americans
But... Many Americans wanted to trade with Britain (i.e. it was profitable)
A debate was boiling as to whether keep friendly relations with Britain or France…

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Jay’s Treaty

Some Americans wanted to befriend Britain (even though they were the enemy) so they could trade
Some Americans wanted to support France that was in the midst of the French Revolution

Remember, the French helped the Americans in the American Revolution
The U.S. was also a republic (naturally, many felt they should support the French rebels fighting against a monarchy)

George Washington chose to sign a treaty with Britain

Teacher / Student Notes:

Jay’s Treaty

Should the Americans be allies with the British or French?
Trading with the British was profitable, but…

British were their enemies from the American Revolution
British impressing Americans in British Navy, they never left some forts in the U.S. after the revolution, they were arming Native Americans who were in return killing Americans

The French were in the midst of the French Revolution

Rebels were flighting the monarchy to set up a republic (just like the U.S. had done)
The French had helped the Americans defeat the British in the American Revolution
The Americans and French had an agreement to help each other (from the American Revolution days)

But… that agreement was with the monarchy (so, does it count now?)
And, George Washington believed the U.S. should stay out of external affairs (compare that to the United States in the 20^thand 21^st century)

George Washington (with Hamilton’s influence – not Jefferson’s) sided with Britain and signed Jay’s Treaty

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Political Parties

Jay’s treaty – Britain abandoned forts, compensated American merchants, and agreed to trade with Americans

Many Americans angry!

At first, no political parties (George Washington didn’t believe in them)
Along with other major differences, the first two political parties would emerge

Federalists
Democratic-Republicans

Teacher / Student Notes:

Political Parties

From the days of debates over the Constitution, there was a split between Federalists and Anti-Federalists
Jay’s Treaty solidified the first two political parties

Many Americans angry about choosing Britain over France

At first, there were no political parties (George Washington didn’t believe in political parties)
With many of the divisive issues at the time (e.g. big or small government? support the British or the French?), political parties naturally formed – Jay’s Treaty was the last straw

In the picture on the slide, people are burning an effigy of John Jay showing their anger over Jay’s Treaty

Federalists – strong Federal Government, National Bank, support for Britain
Democratic-Republicans – small Federal Government (give power to states and people), no National Bank, support for France

Note of Interest

Though George Washington didn’t identify with a party, his polices were more Federalist (for example, he listened to Hamilton over Jefferson)
Federalists and Democratic-Republicans were not the same as the Federalists and Anti-Federalists during the debates over the ratification of the Constitution

But, many Federalists joined the Federalist Party, and many Anti-Federalists joined the Democratic-Republican Party

Not everybody though; for example, James Madison was a Federalist during the Constitution debates, but joined the Democratic-Republican Party

Can’t compare the first two political parties, Federalists and Democratic-Republicans, to today’s Republican and Democratic Party (parties would change and evolve over the next 200 years; issues would also be different

Andrew Jackson often credited with being the first Democrat president(1829); but some credit the Democratic-Republican Party as the first Democratic Party (making Thomas Jefferson the first Democrat)
Abraham Lincoln was the first Republican president (1861)

Other names for Democratic-Republicans include: Republicans (not to be confused with today’s Republicans), Jeffersonian-Republicans

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French Revolution �(1789-99)

A few years after French soldiers returned from the American Revolution, the French Revolution began
Rebels fighting to dismantle the monarchy and install a republic
At first, Americans supported the French Revolution; later, it didn’t due to its incredible brutality (e.g. Reign of Terror where many opponents in France were being beheaded)

Teacher / Student Notes:

French Revolution

After a few decades (starting in 1789 and going into the 1800s), France would go from a monarchy to a republic to a dictatorship (i.e. Napoleon) back to a monarchy
The French Revolution changed France to a republic; King Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette would be beheaded
The French Revolution became radical (e.g. reign of terror where thousands were publicly beheaded, calendar and religion changes, etc.)
At first, many Americans supported the revolution (France had helped the U.S. in the American Revolution, and Americans supported a republic over a monarchy)
Federalists tended to not want to help the French in the French Revolution (and, because George Washington leaned toward the Federalists, they didn’t)
The Democratic-Republicans wanted to help in the French Revolution
As the war got more radical, more and more Americans did not support the French Revolution

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French Ambassador, Citizen Genêt, asked George Washington to go against Spain in Florida – Washington refused

So, Citizen Genêt went to the public to try to encourage support for the French Revolution

After hearing about the death toll in France and French agents like Citizen Genêt in the United State, Americans did not support the French Revolution and were suspicious of French within the U.S.
Because of Jay’s Treaty, France attacked American ships in the Atlantic Ocean

Relations Between U.S. and France Deteriorate

Teacher / Student Notes:

Relations Between U.S. and France Deteriorate

Citizen Genêt came to the U.S. as an ambassador trying to win support from George Washington and the American public for the French Revolution

Citizen Genêt was very influential and convincing; when Washington did not agree to help, Genêt went to the public trying to rile them up
The title “citizen” was given to French people during the French Revolution; it basically meant they were equals (which lost its meaning during the Reign of Terror)

French agents in the United States and the horrors of the French Revolution caused many Americans to stop supporting the French Revolution, and a fear of French in the United States grew
France was angry the U.S. signed the Jay’s Treaty with Britain; in retaliation, they attacked American ships in the Atlantic Ocean

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After George Washington, John Adams became president

The country was deeply divided

In response to French attacks on American ships, John Adams sent envoys to France

Envoys were known as X, Y, and Z
Upon arrival, they were bribed by local authorities

This greatly insulted the United States

XYZ Affair

Teacher / Student Notes:

XYZ Affair

People feared there would be trouble during the first election (1796) after George Washington, but a peaceful transfer of power occurred

Interesting note: George Washington could have been president for more terms, but he stepped down. This set up a tradition of presidents never serving more than two terms until Franklin Delano Roosevelt who died during his fourth term. After Roosevelt, an amendment was created limiting presidential terms to two

John Adams (Federalist) would become the second president – he was not as popular as George Washington
In response to French attacks on American ships, he sent envoys to France to speak to the government– in documents, they were known as X, Y, and Z
Upon arrival, they were bribed by local authorities, said they could only meet leaders if they paid money

This was a great insult to the United States; relationships with the United States worsened

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Due to worsening relationships between the French and the U.S., Americans continued to fear an attack by the French
Southerners feared French navy located in the Caribbean would attack them and free the slaves starting a revolt
Northerners (who were mostly Federalists) already favored trading with Britain over supporting France
An unofficial war would be fought between the French and the United States in the Atlantic Ocean

French Quasi-War

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With the problems with the British and French, paranoia spread throughout the states
Alien Act – foreigners who posed a threat would be deported
Sedition Act – citizens engaged in false, scandalous speech or writing would be prosecuted
Adams felt this was justifiable considering the circumstances

The meaning of free speech was not fully agreed upon in the 1790s
Some argued free speech didn’t mean citizens could �insult the government, that doing so actually made �society unstable

Alien and Sedition Acts

Teacher / Student Notes:

Alien and Sedition Acts

1790s were unstable and the country was divided
The U.S. had problems with Britain and France
Americans feared the French would attack the mainland; a war was fought on the Atlantic Ocean (French Quasi-War)
John Adams felt it perfectly acceptable to pass the Alien and Sedition Acts
Democratic Republican printers and congressmen who criticized John Adams were arrested
These acts were controversial, especially the Sedition Act – the 1st Amendment was under attack
Alien and Sedition Acts were very unpopular

These acts helped to make John Adams a one-term president

In response, James Madison and Thomas Jefferson passed the Kentucky and Virginia Resolution = Federal Government was limited to the powers expressed in the Constitution, and states could declare a federal law unconstitutional

Discussion Question

What is free speech?

Should citizens be able to say whatever they want?

Is censorship of any type ever acceptable?

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In the early years in the United States under the new Constitution, there was a great fear of changing presidents (especially from one party to another party)
Usually transfers of power included violence
Many people feared the election of 1800 would end in violence or war
The Revolution of 1800 was a peaceful transfer of power

From John Adams (Federalist) to Thomas Jefferson (Democratic Republican)

Revolution of 1800 (Election of 1800)

Teacher / Student Notes:

Revolution of 1800

Historically, when power transferred from one party to another, it was done through violence or war
There was great fear in 1796 and 1800 of some type of war when changing president
1796 wasn’t a problem because it was going from George Washington, who was in effect a Federalist who voluntarily stepped down, to John Adams, another Federalist
1800 was more worrisome; it went from John Adams, a Federalist who wanted to be president for four more years, to Thomas Jefferson, a Democratic Republican
But… the transfer of power was peaceful (a revolution means change; doesn’t have to include violence)

Comparison to Today

For different reasons, the election of 2020 caused fears similar to the fears during the election of 1800.

Interesting Note

Thomas Jefferson went from allies as early Founding Fathers, to enemies and competitors in politics, to friends later in life
They both wrote to each other in their golden years – John Adams was in Massachusetts while Thomas Jefferson was in Virginia
One July 4, 1826 (exactly 50 years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence), they both died
Legend claims that Adams’s last words were “Thomas Jefferson still survives.”

Little did he know that Jefferson had died earlier that day

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Right at the time John Adams left office and Thomas Jefferson took office
Marbury v. Madison established the U.S. Supreme Court’s right of judicial review — the power to strike down a law as unconstitutional.

Marbury versus Madison

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Teacher / Student Notes:

Final Thoughts

The early years of the new nation were tumultuous. The Articles of Confederation were a failure, but the new Constitution was stronger and would last until this day. The 1790s saw problems with foreign nations including the British and French. Controversies over who to support divided the country. At that time, the United States wanted to stay out of external affairs. This, of course, would greatly change in the 20^th and 21^st century. Under John Adams, constitutional rights like freedom of speech and freedom of press were under attack. He would ultimately lose the Election of 1800 because of the Alien and Sedition Acts.

The new president would be Thomas Jefferson, the creator of the Declaration of Independence. He was a Democratic Republican who believed in small government. But… would his presidency keep the government small or expand it?

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