The American Pageant

Chapter 10

Launching the New Ship of State,

1789-1800

Chapter ThemesTheme: Led by Washington and Hamilton, the first

administration under the Constitution overcame various difficulties and firmly established the political and economic foundations of the new

federal government. The first Congress under the Constitution, led by James Madison, also

contributed to the new republic by adding the Bill of Rights.

Theme: The cabinet debate over Hamilton’s financial measure expanded into a wider political conflict between Hamiltonian Federalists and Jeffersonian Republicans—the first political parties in America. Federalists supported a strong central government, a "loose" interpretation of the Constitution, and commerce (business). (Democratic) Republicans supported states' rights, a "strict" interpretation of the Constitution, and agriculture (farmers).

Theme: The French Revolution created a severe ideological and political division over foreign policy between Federalists and Republicans. The foreign-policy crisis coincided with domestic political divisions that culminated in the bitter election of 1800, but in the end power passed peacefully from Federalists to Republicans. American isolationist tradition emerges as a result of Washington's strong neutrality stance and his farewell warnings about foreign alliances.

Alexander Hamilton by Charles Wilson PealeHamilton was a true American success story: an illegitimate son of a Barbados gentleman, he immigrated to the mainland as a teenager where he enjoyed a meteoric career. Hamilton served as Washington's aide-de-camp, became a leader of the New York bar, and entered New York's social elite by his marriage into the Schuyler family. In 1803, a political enemy, Aaron Burr, killed Hamilton in a duel.

Author of many of The Federalist Papers essays and first Secretary of the Treasury, Alexander Hamilton was admired, even by bitter political opponents, for his intellectual brilliance and his political vision.

Alexander Hamilton by John Trumbull,

1792Hamilton's self-

confident pride clearly shines through in this portrait, painted at the

height of his influence in the Washington administration.

Congressional Pugilists, 1798

A cartoonist satirizes the fiercely partisan debates in Congress surrounding the Alien and Sedition Acts. (Library of Congress)

Edmond Genêt by Ezra Ames, 1809–1810Citizen Edmond Genêt's visit caused the first major diplomatic crisis in the new nation. His attempts to enlist Americans in support of the

French Revolution raised troubling questions about the international role of the United States.

George Washington by John Trumbull, miniature, 1792–1794John Trumbull, known primarily for his larger-than-life portraits of patriot leaders, painted this miniature (c. 1792–1794) of George Washington, who posed for it during his presidency.

George Washington's Inaugural Journey through Trenton, 1789

Washington received a warm

welcome in Trenton, site of

his first victory during the

Revolutionary War.

Liberty Displaying the Arts and Sciences by Samuel Jennings, 1792How do historians know... that the 1780s and 1790s marked a crucial turning point in the history of slavery and racism in the United States? Emancipation, manumission, and miscegenation laws adopted by state legislatures, coupled with debates in pamphlets and newspapers, indicate a shift in Americans' thinking.

A painting such as the one reproduced here, Liberty Displaying the Arts and Sciences, offers a unique

visual perspective on the same developments.

In 1792 the Library Company of Philadelphia, a private lending library founded in the mid-eighteenth century, commissioned the artist Samuel Jennings to produce a depiction of slavery and abolitionism showing the "figure of Liberty (with her cap and proper Insignia) displaying the arts."

The results reportedly pleased the library's directors. The painting, probably the first to celebrate emancipation, shows the blonde goddess presenting books (symbolizing knowledge and freedom) to several grateful blacks, while in the background former slaves dance joyfully around a liberty pole.

Although the theme is abolition and the African Americans in the foreground have realistic features, the portrayal of blacks in passive roles and diminutive sizes portended future stereotypes.

Thus the picture linked emancipation and the growth of racism. (Photo from The Library of Congress of Philadelphia)

Native American signature marks on Greenville TreatyIndependence sparked renewed westward migration by land hungry Americans. The federal government took steps to legitimate these incursions into Indian homelands by persuading selected chiefs and warriors of the northwest to cede all rights to vast tracts of this Ohio Valley land.

Treaty of Greenville

In the Treaty of Greenville, the United States

formally accepted the principle of Indian

sovereignty, by virtue of residence, over all lands the

native peoples had not ceded. (National

Archives)

The document pictured here provides a sample of the eleven hundred signatures obtained in the

Greenville Treaty of 1795, a treaty that ceded almost two-thirds of present day Ohio and portions of Indiana. Many tribes protested such treaties on the grounds that the signers were not legitimate spokesmen for their people. (Library of Congress)

Property Protected, a la FrancoiseIn the background, John Bull (England) watches from on high, while other European nations discuss the situation.

This cartoon, drawn during the XYZ

affair, depicts the United States as a

maiden being victimized by the five

leaders of the French government's

directorate.

Signing of the Constitution of the United States by Thomas Pritchard Rossiter, 1867In 1867, Thomas Pritchard Rossiter painted his Signing of the Constitution of the United States, honoring a group of statesmen that included James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and George Washington, who presided over the Constitutional Convention.

Thomas Jefferson, absent because of his duties as ambassador to France, referred to the fifty-five delegates who crafted the Constitution as a gathering of "demigods."

Sketch of Stockbridge Indian serving with the American ArmyLike other Native Americans in locales long dominated by whites, the Stockbridge Indians of western Massachusetts

contributed substantially to the patriots' military effort.

Tax collector scene from Whiskey RebellionIn 1794, the new federal government passed an excise tax on whiskey made from surplus American grains. Farmers in western Pennsylvania rose up in protest against what they considered an unfair assault on their livelihood. Using tactics straight out of the pre-Revolutionary War era, including tarring and feathering the "revenooer" assigned to collect the taxes, the "Whiskey Rebels" challenged the federal government's authority.

President Washington met this challenge by

assembling an army of almost 13,000 men to

put down the Whiskey Rebellion. Critics

declared the president's response excessive.

Do you agree? (Library of Congress)

Washington Taking the OathGeorge Washington was the most admired man in eighteenth-century America. Even before the Constitution was ratified, his name was widely proposed for the presidency. "Of all Men you are best fitted to fill that Office," wrote one friend, and indeed, Washington was unanimously elected to serve as the first president of the United States.

Barges, decorated in patriotic themes, accompanied him as he crossed the Hudson River. In this painting, the artist captures the enthusiasm and patriotism of the crowd that has gathered to see the general take the oath of office. (Library of Congress)

Along the route from his home at Mount Vernon, Virginia, to his inauguration at New York City, Washington was greeted by cheering crowds, bands, and parades.

Presidential Election, 1800The Democratic-Republicans, with their candidates Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr, won the electoral votes of the southern states, while the Federalists, the party of John Adams and Charles Cotesworth Pinckney, received votes primarily in New England.

The parties split the votes of the

middle states, but the Democratic-

Republicans dominated the

electoral-vote count there and

won the election.

CHAPTER SUMMARYThe fledgling government faced

considerable difficulties and skepticism about its durability, especially since

traditional political theory held that large-scale republics were bound to fail. But

President Washington brought credibility to the new government, while his cabinet, led by Alexander Hamilton, strengthened its

political and economic foundations.

The government’s first achievements were the Bill of Rights and Hamilton’s financial system. Through effective leadership,

Hamilton carried out his program of funding the national debt, assuming state debts, imposing customs and excise taxes, and establishing a Bank of the United States.

The bank was the most controversial part of Hamilton’s program because it raised basic constitutional issues. Opposition to the bank from Jefferson and his followers reflected more fundamental political disagreements about republicanism, economics, federal

power, and foreign policy.

As the French Revolution evolved from moderation to radicalism, it intensified the

ideological divisions between the pro-French Jeffersonians and the pro-British

Hamiltonians.

Washington’s Neutrality Proclamation angered Republicans, who wanted America to

aid Revolutionary France. Washington’s policy was sorely tested by the British, who routinely violated American neutrality. In

order to avoid war, Washington endorsed the conciliatory Jay’s Treaty, further outraging

the Republicans and France.

After the humiliating XYZ affair, the United States came to the brink of war with France, but Adams sacrificed his political popularity and divided his party by negotiating peace.

These foreign-policy disagreements embittered domestic politics: Federalists

passed the Alien and Sedition Acts, to which Jefferson and Madison responded with the

Virginia and Kentucky resolutions

The American PageantChapter 10

•The first ten amendments to the United States Constitution are commonly known as

– 1. the separation of powers.– 2. the Bill of Rights.– 3. freedom of religion, freedom of speech, and

freedom of the press.– 4. the necessary and proper clauses.

•The first ten amendments to the United States Constitution are commonly known as

– 2. the Bill of Rights.– See page 192.

•Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton believed that federal fiscal policies should be designed to favor

– 1. the wealthy.– 2. farmers and western frontiersmen.– 3. the states.– 4. wage-earning ordinary citizens.

•Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton believed that federal fiscal policies should be designed to favor

– 1. the wealthy.– See pages 193–194.

•Hamilton raised the first revenues to finance the federal government through

– 1. a national sales tax.– 2. making a profit on the issuance of federal

currency and bonds.– 3. an income tax and a tax on interstate

commerce.– 4. a tax (tariff) on imports and an excise tax

on items like whiskey.

•Hamilton raised the first revenues to finance the federal government through

– 4. a tax (tariff) on imports and an excise tax on items like whiskey.

– See pages 194–195.

•Alexander Hamilton believed that the Bank of the United States was constitutional because of

– 1. the president’s inherent powers to administer federal finances.

– 2. the “necessary and proper” clause of the Constitution.

– 3. the Constitution’s stipulation that the federal government had excusive powers to create money and guarantee its value.

– 4. the clause declaring Congress’s power to protect copyrights and patent protections.

•Alexander Hamilton believed that the Bank of the United States was constitutional because of

– 2. the “necessary and proper” clause of the Constitution.

– See page 195.

•The crushing of the Whiskey Rebellion was significant because

– 1. the rebels were in danger of creating a revolutionary Pennsylvania federal government that might secede from the Union.

– 2. Hamilton’s financial plan could not succeed without the revenue from the tax on alcohol.

– 3. it demonstrated that the new federal government had the power and will to defeat challenges to its authority.

– 4. it demonstrated that the new U.S. army and marines were capable of fighting a guerilla war in the West.

•The crushing of the Whiskey Rebellion was significant because

– 3. it demonstrated that the new federal government had the power and will to defeat challenges to its authority.

– See page 196.

•The first American political parties arose out of the conflict over

– 1. the suppression of the Whiskey Rebellion.– 2. Thomas Jefferson’s opposition to Hamilton’s

creation of the Bank of the United States.– 3. the conflict over British support for

American Indian attacks in the West.– 4. the legitimacy of John Adams’s presidency

after the close, contested election of 1796.

•The first American political parties arose out of the conflict over

– 2. Thomas Jefferson’s opposition to Hamilton’s creation of the Bank of the United States.

– See page 196.

•Regarding the French Revolution, the Jeffersonian Republicans basically believed

– 1. that despite its excesses it was a necessary victory for the cause of human liberty.

– 2. that the overthrow of the king was legitimate but that the revolutionary terror discredited the whole event.

– 3. that the United States should join with France in a revolutionary alliance to overthrow the world’s remaining monarchies.

– 4. that the revolution was legitimate but that its anti-Christian dimensions made it unacceptable to Americans.

•Regarding the French Revolution, the Jeffersonian Republicans basically believed

– 1. that despite its excesses it was a necessary victory for the cause of human liberty.

– See page 199.

•George Washington’s Neutrality Proclamation of 1793 indicated that the fundamental basis of American foreign policy would be

– 1. isolationism and realism.– 2. commitment to international security and global

peacemaking.– 3. a commitment to international alliances and the

balance of power.– 4. a willingness to commit American forces abroad

wherever the cause of liberty was threatened.

•George Washington’s Neutrality Proclamation of 1793 indicated that the fundamental basis of American foreign policy would be

– 1. isolationism and realism.– See page 199.

•The Sedition Act of 1798 declared that– 1. anyone criticizing the president or other federal

officials could be fined or imprisoned.– 2. foreign immigrants in the United States could be

held in prison without the writ of habeas corpus.– 3. those who engaged in open rebellion against the

federal government could be attacked by the U.S. army as enemies of the United States.

– 4. that the Jeffersonian Republican Party was illegal until the war with France was settled.

•The Sedition Act of 1798 declared that– 1. anyone criticizing the president or other

federal officials could be fined or imprisoned.

– See page 205.

•Thomas Jefferson’s “Kentucky resolutions” essentially declared that

– 1. western states like Kentucky should not remain part of the federal Union.

– 2. individual states had the right to “nullify” or refuse to obey unconstitutional federal laws.

– 3. state Supreme Courts should be the final judges of what laws were or were not constitutional.

– 4. that the federal government had not power or right to tax individuals under the Constitution.

•Thomas Jefferson’s “Kentucky resolutions” essentially declared that

– 2. individual states had the right to “nullify” or refuse to obey unconstitutional federal laws.

– See pages 206–207.

When the new government was launched in 1789,

 A the nation's population was doubling about every

twenty-five years.

  B most people lived in the fast-growing cities.

 C most people lived west of the Allegheny

Mountains.

  D New York was the largest city in the nation.

 E Great Britain refused to establish diplomatic

relations with the United States.

A. the nation's population was doubling about every twenty-five years.

Regarding central authority, early Americans saw it as all of the following except

  A something to be ultimately eliminated.

  B something to be distrusted.

  C something to be watched.

  D something to be curbed.

  E a necessary evil.

  A something to be ultimately eliminated.

The new Constitution did not provide for the creation of a(n)

  A Electoral College.

  B vice president.

  C Supreme Court.

  D cabinet.

  E federal court system.

  D cabinet.

One of the major criticisms of the Constitution as drafted in Philadelphia was that it

  A was too long and detailed.

  B was far too short and required more detail.

  C failed to guarantee property rights.

  D failed to provide a mechanism for amendment.

  E did not provide guarantees for individual rights.

E did not provide guarantees for individual rights.

5.The Bill of Rights was intended to protect __________

against the potential tyranny of _________________________.

  A) the prerogatives of Congress, the president  B) the army and the navy, the national government  C) the South, the northern majority  D) individual liberties, a strong central government  E) civilian authorities, the military

D) individual liberties, a strong central government

6.All of the following are guarantees provided by the Bill

of Rights except  A) the right to vote for all citizens.  B) freedom of speech.  C) freedom of religion.  D) freedom of the press.  E) right to a trial by a jury.

A) the right to vote for all citizens.

The__________ Amendment might rightly be called the “states' rights” amendment.

  A) First  B) Sixth  C) Ninth  D) Tenth  E) Eighth

  D) Tenth

.Alexander Hamilton's financial program for the

economic development of the United States favored  A) agricultural interests.  B) trade with France.  C) the wealthier class.  D) the poor.  E) the middle class.

C) the wealthier class.

.Hamilton believed that, together, his funding and

assumption programs would

 A) gain the monetary and political support of the

rich for the federal government.  B) restore the principles of state sovereignty.  C) be the quickest way to pay off the national debt.

 D) guarantee the fairest treatment of the original

holders of government bonds.

 E) keep taxes low and therefore create a feeling of

loyalty to the new federal government.

A) gain the monetary and political support of the rich for the federal government.

10.

As Secretary of the Treasury, Alexander Hamilton's first objective was to

  A) help the wealthy.  B) bring more industry to the United States.  C) see that more agricultural products were exported.  D) bolster the national credit.  E) put the country on the gold standard.

D) bolster the national credit.

11.

All of the following were part of Alexander Hamilton's economic program except

  A) the creation of a national bank.  B) funding the entire national debt at “par.”  C) vigorous foreign trade.  D) protective tariffs.  E) paying only domestic debts but not foreign debts.

 E) paying only domestic debts but not foreign

debts.

12.

Alexander Hamilton believed that a limited national debt

  A) would do great harm to the nation's economy.  B) might lead to military weakness.

 C) could persuade individuals and nations not to lend

money to the United States.

 

D) was beneficial, because people to whom the government owed money would work hard to make the nation a success.

 E) could help his economic plans but not his political

plans.

D) was beneficial, because people to whom the government owed money would work hard to make the nation a success.

13.

Alexander Hamilton's proposed bank of the United States was

  A) rejected by the House of Representatives.  B) supported by Thomas Jefferson.

 C) enthusiastically supported by George

Washington.

 D) based on the “necessary and proper,” or “elastic,”

clause in the Constitution.  E) never fully enacted.

D) based on the “necessary and proper,” or “elastic,” clause in the Constitution.

14.

The Whiskey Rebellion of 1794 arose in southwestern Pennsylvania when the federal government

  A) levied an excise tax on whiskey.  B) tried to prohibit the sale of whiskey.  C) allowed the import of foreign whiskey.  D) halted the export of American whiskey.  E) tried to prohibit the manufacturing of whiskey.A) levied an excise tax on whiskey.

15.

Alexander Hamilton's Bank of the United States was modeled on the

  A) Bank of England.  B) Swiss National Bank.  C) Bank of France.

 D) national bank that existed in the United States

prior to the Constitution.  E) National Bank of the Netherlands.

A) Bank of England.

16.

Opposition by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison to the financial plan of Alexander Hamilton resulted in

  A) the formation of permanent political parties.

 B) Hamilton's dismissal from the cabinet by

George Washington.

 C) politics drifting too far out of kilter with the

wishes of the people.

 D) the rejection of Hamilton's plan by

Washington.

 E) their dismissal from the cabinet of George

Washington.

A) the formation of permanent political parties.

17.

Jeffersonians believed in all of the following except

  A) opposition to a national debt.  B) agriculture as the ideal occupation.  C) every adult white male's right to vote.  D) freedom of speech.  E) central authority should be kept to a minimum.

C) every adult white male's right to vote.

18.

Thomas Jefferson appealed to all of the following groups except

  A) small shopkeepers.  B) the underprivileged.  C) the middle class.  D) the upper class.  E) artisans.

D) the upper class.

19.

Federalist advocated rule by

  A) the majority.  B) the “best” people.  C) farmers.  D) industrial workers.  E) native born citizens only.

B) the “best” people.

20.

The Virginia and Kentucky resolutions were written in response to

  A) the XYZ affair.

 B) Thomas Jefferson's presidential candidacy in

1800.  C) the Alien and Sedition Acts.  D) the compact theory of government.  E) the Federalist papers.

C) the Alien and Sedition Acts.

21.

President Adams sought a peaceful solution to the undeclared war with France in order to

  A) ensure his chances of reelection in 1800.

 B) align himself with the Hamiltonian wing of the

Federalist party.  C) save the Franco-American alliance of 1778.  D) prevent the outbreak of a full-scale war.  E) keep trade with France in place.

D) prevent the outbreak of a full-scale war.

22.

The immediate cause of the undeclared war between the United States and France was

  A) the XYZ affair.  B) the Genêt mission.  C) the Neutrality Proclamation.  D) Washington's Farewell Address.  E) Jay's Treaty.

A) the XYZ affair.

23.

John Jay's 1794 treaty with Britain

  A) increased George Washington's huge popularity.

 B) provided further evidence of American support

for France.  C) alienated America from Spain.

 D) created deeper splits between Federalists and

Democratic-Republicans.  E) led to the election of Thomas Jefferson.

E) led to the election of Thomas Jefferson.