2. The first twelve years for an independent America were full of turmoil. A decade of
lawbreaking (rebellion) and constitution smashing (Articles of Confederation) were not
the best training for govt. making. Americans had come to regard a central authority as
a necessary evil – something to be distrusted, watched, and curbed.
Finances of the infant govt. were likewise precarious. Revenue declined, whereas the
public debt was mountainous. Worthless paper money was as plentiful as metallic money
was scarce.
The eyes of a skeptical world were on the upstart United States.

3. GROWING PAINS
When the Constitution was launched in 1789, the Republic was continuing to grow at an amazing rate.
1. What was the population doubling time? Population in 1790?
2. What percent of the population was rural? What percent lived east of the Appalachian
Mts.
3. How loyal were the frontiersmen?

4. WASHINGTON for PRESIDENT
General Washington was unanimously drafted as president by the Electoral College in
1789. His long journey from Mount Vernon to New York City, the temporary capital, was
a triumphal procession.

5. Identify and describe Washington’s strengths and weaknesses as a politician. Describe the
purpose of the cabinet? What were the original cabinet positions? And who held them?

7. THE BILL of RIGHTS
The new country faced some unfinished business – namely, guaranteeing individual rights such as
freedom of speech, religion, and trial by jury. Many states had ratified the Constitution on the
understanding that it would be amended to include such guarantees.
What were the two routes considered for adding amendments to the Constitution? Which route
did James Madison seize? And why did he pick this route?
Adopted by the necessary number of states in
1791, the first ten amendments to the
Constitution, popularly known as the Bill of Rights,
safeguarded some of the most precious American
principles (examples)?

8. Explain the purposes of both the
9th and 10th Amendments.
Describe the significance of the
Judiciary Act of 1789. Who was
the first chief justice of the U.S.?

9. HAMILTON REVIVES the CORPSE of PUBLIC CREDIT
The key figure in the new govt. was
Treasury Secretary Alexander
Hamilton. Hamilton’s genius was
unquestioned, but his opponents
questioned his character and loyalty.
How did Hamilton view himself?

10. A financial wizard, Hamilton set out to correct the economic vexations that had crippled
the Articles of Confederation. His plan was to shape the fiscal policies to favor the
wealthier groups – why?
The financier’s first objective was to bolster the national credit. He therefore boldly
urged Congress to “fund” the entire national debt through the process of “funding at
par” – explain. How did speculators exploit Hamilton’s program?
Explain Hamilton’s convincing case for “assumption.” What states were delighted
by his proposal? What states opposed this idea? What deal was made to ensure
passage of Hamilton’s fiscal policies?

11. CUSTOM DUTIES and EXCISE TAXES
With Congress passing Hamilton’s measure in 1790, the new country was dangerously
overloaded with debt. But Hamilton, “Father of the National Debt,” was not worried.
He believed that within limits, a national debt was a “national blessing” – why?
The money necessary to pay interest
on this huge debt and run the govt.
would come from custom duties
(tariffs) and internal revenue
(taxes).
The first tariff (8%) was passed in
1789. It was designed to raise
revenue and to protect infant
American industries. What groups
opposed this tariff?
In 1791, Hamilton secured from
Congress an excise tax on a few
domestic items, notably whiskey (7
cents per gallon). The tax hit
backcountry distillers particularly
hard.

12. HAMILTON BATTLES JEFFERSON for a BANK
As the capstone for his financial system, Hamilton proposed a Bank of the United
States. He took as his model the Bank of England. He proposed a powerful institution,
of which the govt. would be the major stockholder. According to Hamilton, what were
the key benefits to this bank? The key issue would be whether the bank was
constitutional.
Jefferson, whose opinion Washington requested, argued vehemently against the bank. He insisted that
Hamilton’s proposed bank was unconstitutional – explain Jefferson’s argument.
Hamilton, also at Washington’s request, prepared a
brilliantly reasoned reply to Jefferson’s argument. Explain
his rationale in stating that the bank was constitutional.

14. Hamilton’s financial views prevailed. Washington reluctantly signed the bank measure
into law. Where was the strongest support for the bank? Where was the strongest
opposition?
The Bank of the U.S., as created by Congress in 1791, was chartered for 20 years. It
was located in Philadelphia.

15. MUTINOUS MOONSHINERS in PENNSYLVANIA
The Whiskey Rebellion, which erupted in western Pennsylvania in 1794, sharply
challenged the new national govt. Hamilton’s high excise tax bore harshly on homespun
pioneer folk. Resistance to the tax was swift, distillers boldly tarring and feathering
revenue officers. Tax collections ground to a halt.
President Washington, once a revolutionist, was alarmed by the tax rebellion. With the
encouragement of Hamilton, he summoned the militia of several states. What was his
biggest fear with calling up the militia?
The troops quickly put-down the ill-organized rebellion, and Washington was quick to
mend bad feelings.
Daniel Morgan

18. THE EMERGENCE of POLITICAL PARTIES
Almost overnight, Hamilton’s fiscal feats established the government’s sound credit
rating. But his financial successes created political liabilities. All these schemes
encroached sharply upon states’ rights.
Out of resentment against Hamilton’s revenue-raising and centralizing policies, an
organized opposition began to build. What once was a personal feud between Hamilton
and Jefferson developed into a full-blown and bitter political rivalry.

19. The Founders at Philadelphia had not envisioned the existence of permanent political parties.
Organized opposition to a democratic govt. seemed disloyal. When Jefferson and Madison first
organized their opposition to the Hamiltonian program, they did not anticipate creating a long-lived
and popular party.

20. The two-party system has existed in the U.S. since 1793. Ironically for the Founding
Fathers, the competition created by multiple parties has proved to be among the
indispensable ingredients of a sound democracy.

21. THE IMPACT of the FRENCH REVOLUTION
As Washington’s second term began, foreign-policy issues brought the differences
between Hamilton and Jefferson to a fever pitch. The French Revolution began in
1789, and few non-American events have left a deeper scar on American political and
social life. Both Federalists and Jeffersonians supported the early stages of the
French Revolution.

22. As the conflict turned bloody in 1793, lukewarm Federalist support turned to opposition
(“mobocracy” was eliminating the aristocracy). Jeffersonians regretted the
bloodshed, but they felt that one could nto expect to be carried from “despotism to
liberty in a feather bed.” A few thousand aristocratic heads were a cheap price to pay
for human freedom.
The French Revolution would directly affect the U.S. when Britain became involved in the
conflict. And as history would record to the present, the U.S. would inevitably become
involved in European conflicts.

23. WASHINGTON’S NEUTRALITY PROCLAMATION
Ominously, the Franco-American alliance of 1778 was still on the books, and this bound
the U.S. to help the French defend their West Indies against future foes. Many
Jeffersonian Democratic-Republicans favored honoring the alliance. What was their
rationale?
Level-headed Pres. Washington was not swayed by
those wanting to openly support France. Backed by
Hamilton, he believed that war had to be avoided at all
costs. Why did he feel this way?
Accordingly, Washington boldly issued his Neutrality
Proclamation of 1793, shortly after the outbreak of
war between Britain & France.
This policy proved to be the seed of America’s
isolationist tradition that would endure until the mid-
20th century.
Washington’s Neutrality Proclamation clearly
illustrates the truism that self interest is the basic
cement of alliances. In 1778 both France & America
stood to gain; in 1793, only France stood to gain.

25. EMBROILMENTS with BRITAIN
President Washington’s policy of neutrality was sorely tried by the British. Identify and
explain British infractions against American sovereignty and neutrality.
Jeffersonians wanted to
fight George III in
defense of America’s
liberties.
But the Federalist
stoutly resisted all
demands for drastic
action – why?

26. Explain the Treaty of
Greenville and its
significance.
“Mad” Anthony Wayne

27. JAY’S TREATY and WASHINGTON’S FAREWELL
President Washington, in a last desperate
gamble to avert war, sent Chief Justice John
Jay to London in 1794.
Why were the Jeffersonians angry over the
choice?

28. Unhappily, Jay entered the negotiations with weak cards. How did Hamilton further
sabotage the negotiations?Describe the concessions made by the British and the
Americans. Who appears to have “won” in the negotiation? What was the reaction
to the treaty in the different U.S. regions?
Jay’s Treaty did induce
Spain to sign a deal
with the U.S. because
they feared a future
Anglo-American
alliance. Pinckney’s
Treaty of 1795
included free navigation
of the Mississippi and
the large disputed
territory north of
Florida.

30. JOHN ADAMS BECOMES PRESIDENT
Who should succeed Washington? Hamilton
was too unpopular, so the Federalists were
forced to turn to Washington’s vice
president, John Adams.
The Democratic-Republicans rallied around
Thomas Jefferson.
Adam’s squeezed through by the narrowest of
margins. Jefferson, as the runner-up, became
vice president. Describe Adam’s personal &
political attributes.
Identify the formidable political handicaps
confronting Adams as he began his tenure.

32. UNOFFICIAL FIGHTING with FRANCE
The French were infuriated with Jay’s Treaty. They assailed the pact as a flagrant
violation of the Franco-American Treaty of 1778. French warships, in retaliation, began
to seize American merchant ships, and the Paris govt. refused to receive America’s
newly appointed envoy and even threatened him with arrest.
In response, Adams appointed a diplomatic
commission of 3 men, including John Marshall, the
future chief justice.

34. War preparations in the U.S. were pushed along at a feverish pace, despite Jeffersonian opposition in
Congress. The slogan of the hour became “Millions for defense, but not one cent for tribute.” The
Federalists were delighted. The Navy Department was created; the 3 ship navy was expanded; the
U.S. Marine Corps was established. And, a new army of 10,000 men was authorized (but never fully
raised).
Bloodshed was confined
to the sea, and
principally to the West
Indies.
In 2 ½ years of
undeclared hostilities
(1798-1800), American
privateers and naval
vessels captured more
than 80 French
merchant ships. The
U.S. lost several
hundred merchant ships.
Full-scale war was the
next step.

35. ADAMS PUTS PATRIOTISM ABOVE PARTY
Embattled France wanted no war.
Talleyrand realized a fight with the
U.S. would make his country’s
position worse.
The British were aiding the U.S. and
this alarmed the French.
Talleyrand let it be known that if
the Americans sent a new
minister, he would be received with
proper respect.

36. Adams could have been a hero at home by taking a tough stance against France, but he also
knew that the U.S. was not in a strong position to fight France. Therefore, in 1793, he
sent 3 envoys to France to meet with the new dictator, Napoleon Bonaparte. Why was he
eager for peace with the U.S.?

38. THE FEDERALIST WITCH HUNT
Exulting Federalists capitalized on the anti-French frenzy to drive through Congress in
1798 a sheaf of laws designed to muffle or minimize their Jeffersonian foes. Identify
and describe the controversial Alien Laws. How popular were these laws, despite
being in direct conflict with the Constitution?

39. THE VIRGINIA AND KENTUCKY RESOLUTIONS
Resentful Jeffersonians refused to take the Alien and Sedition Laws lying down. They
viewed these laws as a beginning to rolling back other Constitutional freedoms. Worse
yet, the country might slide into a dangerous one-party dictatorship.
Identify the authors of the Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions. Why were they
written? What did the Resolutions state? Explain the significance of the
resolutions.

40. PRESIDENTIAL CONTEST of 1800
John Adams (Federalist) v. Thomas Jefferson (Dem.-Rep.)
* Explain the competing platforms
•Americans would be making a clear choice for the first time.
•This would be the first true political test for the young democracy.

41. CHAPTERS 8 & 9 MINI UNIT QUIZZES
http://www.historyteacher.net/USProjects/USQuizzes/EarlyRepublic1.htm
http://www.historyteacher.net/USProjects/USQuizzes/EarlyRepublic2.htm