Baby Steps for Federal Government

 

I. Overthrow in 1790

            1790- about 4 million people- population doubles every 25 years

            90% lived on farms

            New states

                        Vermont- 1791

                        Kentucky- 1792

                        Ohio- 1803

            Hugely in debt- mainly from war

            States are left on their own to pay their own debts

II George Washington

            First president (1788-1796)

            Ran against no one

            He’s a Federalist

            He created the first cabinet

                        War

                        State- Jefferson

                        Treasury- Hamilton

                        Attorney General

·        departments

only president to lead troops into battle

Whiskey Rebellion-1794

                        Farmers near the Appalachians discover how to make whiskey

                        Gov’t wants to place a tax on whiskey for money

                        Farmers rose up against gov’t and against tax

                        2 results:

                                    Government has right to tax

                                    Government has right to use force

            George Washington retires after two terms; this created the limit of how long a

                president can last

 

III Philosophical Dual

            Hamilton (Republican)                                      Jefferson (democratic)

                        Federalists                                                               democratic-republicans

                        Adams 1st Fed. Prez                                                 common man (90%)

                        Rich                                                                         states rights

                        Strong central gov’t                                                  pro French

                        Distrust of masses

                        Pro-English

 

IV Foreign Affairs

            Trying to strike a balance between France and Britain

            1784- French Revolution

                        Good for Jeffersonians

            Became radical- 1792 “Reign of Terror”

            XYZ Affair

                        3 French ministers asked for bribes just to talk to them

 

V Adams (1796-1800)

            Federalist Candidate- 1796

            Under original constitution whoever doesn’t win become vp

            1798- alien acts

                    - went against first amendment

 

Age of Jefferson

 

I. THE MAN & THE PRESIDENCY

            - 3rd president from 1800 to 1808

            - election of 1800 was a “revolution” a display of the exchange of powers between partners peacefully

            -Jefferson reduced debt and taxes

            -believes in moral power

            - he was very common- not prestige

            - he was like two Jefferson’s (he says one thing and does another)

 

II. JOHN MARSHAL

-         appointed as supreme court justice by John Adams

-         Sewed from 1800-1834

-         Most important legal person ever

-         1803-  Marbury vs. Madison

  > judicial review: Marshal gave the supreme court the power, the judge, and  the continuity of the law

 

III. FOREIGN AFFAIRS

        A. France

            - French Revolution increasingly get bloodier

            - Napoleon: war genius, conquering most of Europe (1800-1815)

                        > Somewhat like Hitler

            -Napoleon conquers spawn, taking him to Louisiana & New Orleans

                        > New Orleans is major for exports

                        > Jefferson offers Napoleon 10 million for New Orleans

                        > Napoleon offers all of Louisiana Territory for 15 million

                        > Jefferson buys it; sends Lewis and Clark to explore

                        > opens Pacific North West

 

 

         B. As Napoleon becomes more powerful, conflict between France & Britain grows

            - U.S. tries to stay neutral

 

Growth of Nationalism

 

I. WAR OF 1812

            - out growth of Napoleon’s wars in Europe

            - We are involved for “Freedom of the Seas”

            - Both France and Britain tell U.S. not to trade with the other

            - U.S. wants to be neutral

            - Britain has a policy of “Impressement( kidnapping sailors)

            - U.S. goes to war with Great Britain mainly because they assaulted our nation’s honor

            - 3 important events during the war:

                        1. The U.S. capital was burned down

                        2. Battle of New Orleans (brings Andrew Jackson into presidency)

                        3. We got 2 presidents who fought during the war

            - Treaty of Ghent 1814 (ends war)

            - Hartford Convention 1814

                 - Left over federalists try to succeed from the Union

 

II. ERA OF GOOD FEELINGS

            - 3 young senators that came to have much power:

                        A. Daniel Webster (Mass.)

                        B. John Calhoun (S.C.)

                        C. Henry Clay (KY)

            - Henry Clay proposed:

                        A. Bank of U.S.

                        B. Taxes on important goods

                        C. Road improvements

 

III. MISSOURI COMPROMISE

-         people are moving Westward

-         1820, Missouri enters as a slave state

-         There was and even number of free states & slave states

-         Missouri Compromise says that states must join one slave state & one free state

 

IV. FOREIGN AFFAIRS

-         Rush-Bagot treaty of 1817

>No navy on the great lakes between U.S. & Britain

-         Treaty of 1818

>Established the border of Canada

            -    Adams Treaty 1819

                        > gets U.S. control of Florida

            - Monroe Doctrine 1823

                        > James Monroe President from 1816-1824

                        > Doctrine says that no European powers can colonize in Western Hemisphere

 

Age of Jackson

 

I. “NEW” DEMOCROCY

            - People begin to flood to the West

            - North, South & West tend to compete politically

            - Sectionalism:

                        > 3 sections

                        > Competition

                        > Win 2, win the election

            - President must relate to people

            - Regular people become politicians

                        > Daniel Boone becomes congressmen

            - 1824: 25% of the people voted

            - 1840: 78% of the people voted

                        > Politics became more popular

 

II. ELECTION OF 1824

            - 4 major candidates ran

                        > Jackson

                        > J.Q. Adams

                        > Clay

                        > Crawford

            - All basically came from Jefferson’s Party

            - Jackson was popular vote but not electoral

            - Decisions decided by the house of Reps.:

                        > “Corrupt Bargain” Adams & Clay make a deal to have Clay’s people in the house vote for Adams, making him President (Makes Clay Secretary of State)

            -Johnson vows revenge  

            - J.Q. Adams is not popular; and only serves one term

            - Treaty of Abandonment

                        > 37% tax on all imported goods

                           - liked in North; hated in South

 

III. Democratic Party

-         appeal to the common man

-         one goal in 1827 is to get Andrew Jackson elected

-         start rallies (BBQ’s) to gain votes

-works- Jackson won in 1828

            - 647,000 p.  178 e. (Jackson)

            - 509,000 p.    83 e. (Adams)

                        - Birth of a 2nd party (Whigs)

 

IV. Jackson’s 1st term

-         Nicknamed “Old Hickory

-         “Sports system”- sports of war

      -used to fire Adam’s employees and reward people Jackson owed

-         “Kitchen Cabinet”

-Small group of 10-12 advisors with no real political sense

            - True leaders without official positions

- “Peggy Eaton Affair”- 1831

            - Jackson’s wife recently died

-Peggy was wife of Secretary of War

-Peggy wasn’t popular- no one liked her

-President orders people to play with Peggy

- Vice President’s wife, Mrs. Calhoun, disobeyed orders

- Jackson fires Calhoun and everyone supported by him

            - creates separation

-Calhoun loses chance of becoming president

            - Van Buren replaces him

            -Indirectly causes Civil War- supposedly

 

1830’s Politics

I. Jackson continued…

    Powerful Politicians:

            *Calhoun

            *Webster

            *Clay

   

     A. South Carolina Crisis

         - if a state doesn’t like a law they don’t have to enforce it

         - Calhoun goes to South Carolina after being fired

         - calls to arm S.C. militia

         - Andrew Jackson’s prepares U.S> forces to fight S.C. Militia

         -Clay à Compromise tariff- 1833

            -over many years the tariff will fade away

         - Congress passes the Forced Bill

            -states that congress can pass these laws but want

            - much like Declaratory

 

    B. Election of 1832

            - Jackson stomps Clay, thanks to common man

                        - gets second term

            - Westerners don’t like the U.S. Bank

            - Jackson dislikes banks to gain Western support

            - Jackson veto’s renewal of U.S. Bank

            - Wildcat banks (private banks)

                        -issue paper currency

                                    -leads to inflation

                        -“species circular”

                                    - Federal law against wildcat currency

                                    - Federals want gold and silver

                        - Panic of 1827 depression

            - Indian Removal Act- 1830- Jackson hates Indians

                        -Any Indians east of Mississippi were forced west

                                    -Cherokee try to emulate white system

                                                -education, law, constitution, language

                                    -apply for statehood: Cherokee Nation

                                    - Supreme Court- John Marshal gives them statehood

                                    - Jackson goes against this decision and forces Cherokees west

                                                -leads to trail of teats 1838

                                                - 18,000 left only 14,000 made it

 

II. Texas

-1823 Texas is free from Spain

-Was Texas and wants to gain Americans

      -Americans must separate from American and convert to Catholicism

-1836 Texas declares independence from Mexico and wants to become America- lead by white converted Americans

- Fight between America and Mexico in Texas: The Alamo

            - Texas can’t join due to the Missouri compromise

            - for nine years Texas was the “lone republic”

 

IV. Van Buren Presidency- 1836-40

-         little short “Federalist” President

-         nearly as soon as he’s elected the panic of 1837 occurs

-         1840 Buren runs against William H. Harrison- Whig Party

-         William H. Harrison develops the political slogan- “Tippecanoe and Tyler too”

-         Harrison wins

- died 20 days later

- Tyler becomes President