Unit VII. A New Government

The Early Years of the United States of America 1789-1796

Objectives

• Identify at least three South Carolinians involved in the first Congress

• Identify the four departments created by the Congress

• Explain the differences in the interpretation of the Constitution specifically between Hamilton and Jefferson

• Identify the first President of the US

The First President

• 1789-George Washington was unanimously elected president

• He was re-elected in 1792• 1796 he set a precedent of only

serving two terms as president• The precedent lasted until 1940

when Franklin D. Roosevelt won a 3rd term

Electoral College

• The EC chooses the president, not the popular vote

• The electors can vote for different candidates if they choose to do so

Problems

• Many Northern states owed large war debts

• SC and Virginia already paid their debt

• Hamilton (NY) wanted the federal government to pay the remaining war debts

• Jefferson (VA) disagreed and said Hamilton’s policies were unconstitutional

What is Our National Debt?

• http://www.brillig.com/debt_clock/

The Bank Controversy

• Hamilton wanted to create a national bank

• Jefferson said it was unconstitutional

• Hamilton used Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution-also called the “elastic clause” to defend his view

• Allows congress “to make all laws necessary and proper” to help the US

Opposing Views

• Hamilton believed in broad construction of the Constitution, if the Constitution did not prohibit an action, then Congress could do it

• Jefferson believed in strict construction, if the Constitution did not specifically say Congress could do something, then Congress couldn’t do it.

The First Congress

• Met in New York (Capital 1789)

• SC Representatives were… Thomas Sumter, Aedanus Burke, Daniel Huger, William Smith, Thomas Tucker

• SC Senators were… Pierce Butler and Ralph Izard

The First Congress

• Created four departments (aka the first cabinet)

– War, Treasury, State, Attorney General

– Secretary of State-Thomas Jefferson

– Secretary of War-Henry Knox

– Secretary of the Treasury-Alexander Hamilton

– Attorney General-Edmund Randolph

The First Congress

• Important South Carolinians– Thomas Pinckney- ambassador to

Great Britain– Charles Cotesworth Pinckney- France– William Smith- Portugal– John Rutledge- Supreme Court Justice