3.10 - Shaping a New Republic

Organizing the Federal Government

• Executive Departments: Washington appointed key figures to lead the new executive departments:

  • Thomas Jefferson: Secretary of State

  • Alexander Hamilton: Secretary of the Treasury

  • Henry Knox: Secretary of War

  • Edmund Randolph: Attorney General

  • These appointments formed the first cabinet, setting a precedent for future administrations.

• Federal Court System:

  • Judiciary Act of 1789: Established the Supreme Court with one chief justice and five associate justices, as well as district and circuit courts.

  • Allowed the Supreme Court to rule on the constitutionality of state court decisions.

Foreign Affairs Under Washington

• French Revolution: Divided American opinion, with Jefferson and his supporters favoring the revolutionary cause and others horrified by the violence.

• Proclamation of Neutrality (1793): Washington declared neutrality in the conflict between France and Britain, leading to Jefferson’s resignation in protest.

• “Citizen” Genêt Incident: French diplomat Edmond Genêt bypassed diplomatic protocols by appealing directly to the American public, leading to his recall and eventual asylum in the U.S.

Key Treaties

• Jay Treaty (1794):

  • Purpose: Addressed British occupation of western posts and the impressment of American sailors.

  • Outcome: Britain agreed to evacuate posts but did not address impressment, maintaining neutrality but angering pro-French Americans.

• Pinckney Treaty (1795):

  • Negotiator: Thomas Pinckney

  • Provisions:

    • Spain opened the lower Mississippi River and New Orleans to American trade.

    • Granted Americans the right of deposit in New Orleans without Spanish duties.

    • Established Florida's northern boundary at the 31st parallel.

Domestic Issues Under Washington

Washington faced numerous domestic challenges that tested the new government's strength and stability.

American Indians and Western Settlement

• Northwest Confederacy: Tribes, including the Shawnee, Delaware, and Iroquois, led by Miami chief Little Turtle, formed the Northwest Confederacy to resist settler encroachment.

• Battle of Fallen Timbers (1794): General Anthony Wayne's victory over the Confederacy tribes in northwestern Ohio.

• Treaty of Greenville (1795): The defeated tribes surrendered claims to the Ohio Territory, opening it up for settlement.

The Whiskey Rebellion (1794)

• Excise Tax on Whiskey: Hamilton's financial plan included taxes on whiskey, which western Pennsylvania farmers refused to pay.

• Rebellion and Response: Farmers attacked tax collectors. Washington federalized 15,000 militia under Hamilton's command, and the rebellion collapsed with little bloodshed.

• Significance: Demonstrated the federal government's ability to maintain order, contrasting with the inability to suppress Shays's Rebellion under the Articles of Confederation.

The First Political Parties

• Emergence: Debates between Federalists and Anti-Federalists during the Constitution's ratification led to the formation of political parties.

• Federalists: Led by Hamilton, advocated for a strong central government and a loose interpretation of the Constitution. Supporters included northern business owners and large landowners.

• Democratic-Republicans: Led by Jefferson, supported states' rights and a strict interpretation of the Constitution. Supporters included small farmers and plantation owners.

Washington’s Farewell Address

• Warnings: Washington advised against involvement in European affairs, permanent alliances, political parties, and sectionalism.

• Two-Term Tradition: Washington set a precedent by retiring after two terms, a tradition followed until Franklin Roosevelt's third term. The 22nd Amendment (1951) later established a two-term limit.