The Origins of American Politics

1
The Origins of American Politics
2
Liberty and Order in the 1790s

• Problems faced by the US prior to the
  Constitutional convention were still present
• How to solve the debt problem
• Alexander Hamilton Secretary of the treasury
• Hamilton developed a plan
• Federal government would take over debts of the
  states

3
Hamiltons Strategy

• Hamilton felt that by owing the creditors from
  the national level, they, in turn would have a
  vested interest in the new country
• Gave the US better chance to survive
• Outlined regular payment plan that would include
  interest (extra sum of money that borrowers pay
  lenders in return for a loan)
• 1791 congress placed tax on Whiskey
• 1792 congress created a tariff or tax on
  foreign goods imported into the country

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Hamiltons strategy

• In order to handle the extraordinary amount of
  money, congress created the Bank of the United
  States in 1791
• Transformed the debts of the state governments
  into a long-term investment for the US

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Hamiltons opponents

• Many objected to the interference of the federal
  government into the affairs of state governments
• Opponents saw the federalist program as a return
  to aristocracy and monarchy
• Major opponent Secretary of State Jefferson
• Within Washingtons cabinet, Jefferson was
  constantly at odds with Hamilton as Washington
  frequently sided with Hamilton
• Jefferson resigned in 1793 as secretary of state

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Jefferson vs Hamilton

• Respective viewpoints can be described as their
  construction, or view of the constitution.
• Jefferson strict construction - he believed
  that the government should not do anything such
  as start a national bank that the constitution
  did not specifically say it should do
• Hamilton loose construction thought
  constitution was only a loose framework on which
  the government could build laws upon as it saw
  fit.

7
French Revolution

• 1789 people of France started the revolution in
  the name of liberty, fraternity, and equality.
• People could not decide how these ideas would
  lead to reality.
• Result was a prolonged period of violence known
  as the Reign of Terror.
• Thousands of people including King Louis XVI and
  Marie Antoinette were executed.

8
American Reaction

• Federalists, in general were opposed to the
  revolution
• Jefferson and his supporters saw the French
  Revolution as an extension of the American
  Revolution
• Applauded the rejection of government by kings
  and its acceptance of a republican government

9
Who to Support

• Soon after the French Revolution, war broke out
  between Britain and France
• Nation could not afford to offend the British
  whose navy dominated the oceans.
• Few, however, wanted to abandon the French who
  had helped the Americans during the war for
  independence.
• The best strategy was to remain neutral
• April 1793 Washington issued the proclamation of
  neutrality

10
The Whiskey Rebellion

• Whiskey was an important product on the frontier
  land of Western PA
• Was one of the few products that could be made
  out of corn and taken to market without spoiling
• Became useful in bartering, currency in a way.
• 1794, opposition to the Whiskey tax was so strong
  that PA tended to be in a state of rebellion
  against the authority of the federal government.

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The Whiskey Rebellion

• Similar to Shays Rebellion and the Stamp act in
  that rebels closed courts and attacked tax
  collectors
• Washington and Hamilton saw the rebellion as an
  opportunity to demonstrate the power of the
  federal government
• 1794, an army of 12,000 under the command of
  General Light Horse Harry Lee accompanied by
  Hamilton led the army to the Pittsburgh area. The
  rebellion soon dissolved.

12
Jays treaty

• Arguments grew in the debate over who to support
  in the war, England or France
• Washington and Hamilton eventually agreed that
  the long term interests of the US would be better
  served to side with Great Britain
• Chief Justice John Jay was sent to London to
  negotiate.
• Britain agreed to leave the Forts it occupied in
  the Northwest Territory
• Other provisions were added to expand trade
  between the two.

13
Jays Treaty

• Jay was unsuccessful in convincing the British
  from stopping American ships at sea in order to
  find British subjects
• Critics of the treaty claimed that it left
  American shipping unprotected
• Many Americans saw it as a sell-out to the hated
  British
• Treaty was ratified in 1795
• Federalists had established an economic program,
  suppressed the Whiskey Rebellion, and made peace
  with the British.
• With all this in place, still federalists had
  lost the support of many americans.

14
The Jeffersonian Republicans

• Federalists
• Established and economic program (Hamilton)
• Suppressed whiskey rebellion
• Ensured peace with Great Britain
• Lost support of many Americans
• As early as 1793 artisans and professional men
  were forming what they called Democratic
  societies to oppose the Federalists

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Jeffersonian Republicans

• Democratic societies to oppose the federalists
  were originally called Republicans or Democratic
  Republicans because they stood for a more
  democratic republic.
• To avoid confusing them with the modern
  republican party, historians often refer to them
  as the Jeffersonian Republicans
• Along with the federalists, they were the first
  political parties in the United States.
• A political party is a group of people who seek
  to win election and hold public office in order
  to shape government policy and programs.

16
Election of 1796

• As early as 1792, Washington had thought about
  retiring, but was talked into seeking another
  term by Hamilton and Jefferson.
• In the midst of his second term he ran into
  criticism from the Jeffersonian republicans and
  decided not to seek a third term, thus setting a
  precedent for many years to come
• Politically the nation was divided

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Election of 1796

• Federalists
• Candidate for President
• John Adams had been Washingtons Vice President
• Cand. For Vice President
• Thomas Pinckney

• (democratic) Republican
• President
• Thomas Jefferson
• Vice President
• Aaron Burr

Adams wins 71 electoral votes to 68.. since
Jefferson came in second in the electoral race he
became Vice President .
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Washingtons Farewell Address

• (A system of political parties) agitates the
  community with ill-founded jealousies and false
  alarms kindles the animosity of one part against
  the other, (and) foments (stirs up) occasionally
  riot and insurrection.
• - George Washington, Farewell Address, 1796

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Washingtons Farewell Address

• Many labeled Washington a Federalist because he
  generally agreed with Hamilton on policy issues
  and because he was the head and symbol of the
  federal government.
• Jeffersonians distrusted the federal government.
• During his term, Washington stayed above the
  bickering of the political parties.
• He did not believe political parties were good
  for the nation.

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Washingtons Farewell

• Washington called for a foreign policy on
  neutrality
• Warned against hatred against particular nations
  and passionate attachments for others
• He thought that the United States, because of its
  geographic location, had the opportunity to stay
  out of the complicated entanglement of European
  nations.

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John Adams

• At the beginning of Adams Presidency, the US
  kept drifting towards a war with France.
• French were angry about Jays treaty and were
  seizing American shops at sea.
• Adams responded by sending representatives to
  Paris

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The XYZ affair and trouble with France

• Once in Paris, the American officials sent by
  Adams were met by secret agents known only by the
  names X, Y, and Z.
• The French agents demanded 250,000 and a loan to
  the French of 10 million before the Americans
  could even see the French foreign minister.
• Even though this was not uncommon in European
  diplomacy, the Americans became outraged.

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XYZ Affair

• The Americans refused to pay the bribe and went
  home.
• Result was a high degree of patriotism and public
  cries of war and defiance.
• Millions for defense, but not one cent for
  tribute (bribery)
• By 1798 France and the US were unable to solve
  their differences and became involved in what was
  amounted to an undeclared naval war as both sides
  fired upon and seized each others ships.

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The Alien and Sedition Acts

• 1798 Adams was popular and the Federalists
  pushed for several acts as a result
• Alien and Sedition Acts were drawn and passed
  through Congress.
• Alien Act President gained the right to imprison
  or deport citizens of other countries living in
  the US.
• Sedition Act Any person who wrote, published, or
  said anything false, scandalous, or malicious,
  against the government or its officials could be
  fined or jailed.

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Alien and Sedition Acts

• It was against the law to criticize the
  government unless you could prove everything you
  said.
• Federalists used the sedition act to silence
  Republican (Jeffersonian) opposition.
• 10 republicans were convicted and many others
  were put on trial.

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The Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions

• Jefferson, Madison and other Republicans argued
  that the congress went beyond its constitutional
  rights.
• Constitution did not spell out who had the
  authority to decide whether congress had gone
  beyond its powers in the constitution.
• The Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions were a
  response to the Alien and Sedition acts.
• These resolutions, adopted by the particular
  states argued that each state had the right to
  decide if a law passed by congress was
  unconstitutional.
• If they declared the law unconstitutional, the
  state could declare the law null and void
  within the state.

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Election of 1800

• By the late 1790s tensions were growing between
  the political parties.
• Many believed that with the election of 1800 the
  future of the nation was at stake.
• Adams loses Federalist Support
• Adams gained much popularity during the XYZ
  affair.
• Americans were supportive of his defiant stance
• Despite this, Adams sent a secret diplomatic
  envoy to France which resulted in a cooling of
  tensions.
• What should have been triumphant moment actually
  hurt Adams in the election of 1800.

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Election of 1800

• Adams entered the election without momentum he
  had gained in 1798
• He lost much support from the Federalists
• Hamilton raised support for Vice Presidential
  nominee Charles Pinkney instead
• Hamilton had written The Public Conduct and
  Character of John Adams Esq. which challenged
  Adams ability.
• Republican Vice-Presidential Nominee Aaron Burr
  obtained a copy and had it published without
  Hamiltons permission.

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Jeffersonian Republicans

• Had reached a low point in 1798
• Support for France had damaged their popularity.
• Jefferson was the clear leader
• Never saw himself as a person who would be
  building the stability of a political party but
  that is exactly what he did.

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The Campaign

• In 1800 there were no campaign speeches or
  special statements.
• Candidates were to stay behind the scenes and
  prepare for the terms they were to win.
• Nasty campaigning did exist as the election of
  1800 was truly a nasty campaign.
• Jeffersonians accused Adams as a monarchist which
  was a huge insult at the time
• Federalists said Jefferson would lead the United
  States into Chaos.

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Jeffersons Victory

• Jefferson won the popular vote by December of
  1800
• The electoral vote was tied but Jefferson and
  Adams were not tied but instead, his own running
  mate, Burr was deadlocked with Jefferson at 73
  electoral votes each
• Article II of the Constitution states that if two
  candidates tied for the same number of electoral
  votes, the House of Representatives would chose
  the new President.
• Jefferson won on the 36th ballot on Feb 17, only
  a few days before Adams term was over.

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Jeffersons Presidency

• Upon taking office, Jeffersons main goal was to
  reduce the influence of the national government.
• He did not intend to destroy the government set
  up by the constitution nor undo all the acts set
  forth by the Federalists.
• The most controversial part of Jeffersons first
  term was his relationship with the judicial
  branch.

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The Judiciary Acts

• Judiciary Act of 1789 created a national court
  system headed by the supreme court
• Supreme court would settle differences between
  state and federal laws
• Jefferson passed the Judiciary Act of 1801 which
  decreased the number of supreme court justices
  and increased the number of federal judges
• As a means of preventing Jefferson from
  appointing judges from his own party, Adams
  appointed several shortly before leaving office.
• Last minute appointments were called the Midnight
  Judges
• One of the appointees, a federalist, John
  Marshall, remained for 34 years and helped rule
  on several major principles of constitutional
  law.

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The Embargo of 1807

• During Jeffersons first term, peace had settled
  over European nations.
• Jays treaty expired in 1805
• Europeans now back at war with each other
• French warship harassed American ships trading
  with Britain and British warships harassed
  American ships trading with France
• Jefferson felt the American navy was too small to
  intervene
• In 1807 the British ship Leopard attacked and
  boarded the USS Chesapeake looking for deserters
  from His Majestys Navy.

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Embargo or 1807

• Jefferson felt that the American Navy was too
  small to take action
• Instead, the Embargo Act of 1807 was passed which
  outlawed all trade to foreign countries.
• The act didnt do a lot of good since Britains
  trade was too strong to be affected
• The Act also angered many Americans, especially
  in New England who relied heavily on trade.
• The result was an increased amount of smuggling
  to Britain and elsewhere in Europe.
• Jefferson had no choice but to use his small navy
  and federal agents to enforce the law.

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The War of 1812

• The Time between the Wars (Revolutionary and War
  of 1812)
• Louisiana Purchase 1803 greatly expands US
  surveyed by Louis and Clark
• Huge inland empire
• Ohio Valley
• Appalachians and farther west
• Presence of Native Americans and Spanish
  emphasized need for a greater standing army
  (army at peacetime)
• 1791 New Army fights Native Americans in the
  west who were supplied weapons by the British
• Native American confederation in West would need
  to be broken

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War of 1812

• Prelude to the war
• 1808 Jefferson retires and Madison (republican)
  elected President
• British, in addition to supplying Native
  Americans with weapons, had also continued the
  practice of impressment which was forcing
  captured American sailors into service for the
  British Navy
• This combined with the harassment of American
  ships for years, caused Madison to ask congress
  for a declaration of war which he gained.

38
War of 1812

• Disadvantages (some called it foolhardy) were
  that the nation would not only have to deal with
  the British, but also with the Native Americans
  to the North and West who were angry at the
  expansion.
• Despite these disadvantages, there were those who
  felt that a swift strike against British-held
  Canada would be effective.
• Poorly equipped American troops would be beaten
  easily in the summer of 1812.

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War of 1812

• Future Presidents would achieve success in the
  War of 1812
• William Henry Harrison Defeated the British and
  Native Americans at the Battle of Thames in 1813
• Andrew Jackson defeated the British at the
  Battle of Horshoe Bend in Alabama in 1814

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War of 1812

• Naval War
• US won a number of victories at sea.
• US had about a dozen medium sized warships called
  frigates, which won several battles against the
  British including victories by the USS
  Constitution (Old Ironsides), Wasp, and the
  United States.
• These victories raised American morale.

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War of 1812

• 1814 British war with French ended so they
  could focus on the war with the US
• Invaded from Canada-14,000 troops from the North
  who were repelled by smaller American forces.
• British sailed into Chesapeake Bay and burned
  Washington.
• The British then went to Baltimore but were
  repelled thus ending the war.

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War of 1812 DC and Baltimore

• British fleet and 4,000 troops attack Washington
  DC
• British set fire to the Capitol White House
• British sail north to Baltimore to attack Fort
  McHenry in the Baltimore Harbor
• America successful defends the fort
• Captured American named Francis Scott Key is
  inspired by the events and writes the Star
  Spangled Banner

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Hartford Convention

• Not all Americans happy with the war
• Some call it Mr. Madisons War
• New England merchants (Federalists) were the most
  upset with the war because of its negative impact
  on trade (Embargo Act)
• Plan a meeting in Hartford, Connecticut between
  delegates of New England states
• Wanted constitutional amendments to increase the
  power of New England states
• Federalists seen as traitors lose popularity

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Treaty of Ghent

• Both America and Great Britain want to end their
  unpopular war
• Peace treaty created on December 24, 1814

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Battle of New Orleans

• Why is the city important?
• Previous attempts by the British to take the city
  of New Orleans were unsuccessful
• British want the city and send large portion of
  their army to New Orleans
• Battle takes place on January 8, 1815
• What is the problem?

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Battle of New Orleans

• Under the leadership of General Andrew Jackson
  4,500 American troops were fortified in the city
• Americans held a major advantage
• In the end
• British suffered 2,036 casualties
• Americans suffered 21 casualties
• Major impact
• Andrew Jackson major war hero
• Increased Patriotism (define)