US History timeline & concept chart: 1789-1860 Early Republic to Antebellum

US History timeline & concept chart: U.S. History Decade-by-decade timeline, 1890s-1900

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1790s Washington administrations

PERIOD / TIMELINE	Major Events, Concepts & Themes	Notes & connections: details of issues, concepts, themes & events
1789 Washington inaugurated 1790 Capital moved from Philadelphia to New York 1791 Bill of Rights enacted 1791 First Bank of the United States 1793 Washington's 2nd term 1793 "Citizen Genet" episiode 1794 Whiskey Rebellion 1795 Jay's Treaty 1796 Pinckney's Treaty 1797-8: Alien & Sedition Acts	National Debt 1790 "Tariff of 1790" designed to reduce federal debt by taxing 1791 "Whiskey Act" imposed excise tax on sale of alcohol Whiskey Rebellion Whiskey Act extremely unpopular Washington asserted Federal power to enforce the tax Hamilton "Report on Manufactures" promoted activist Federal governance re. economy French Revolution & domestic U.S. politics Washington Farewell Address warned against political parties warned against "foreign entanglements" === Adams presidency avoided war with France marked by severe political partisanship Alien & Sedition Acts "Midnight appointments"	BIG IDEAS Washington administration challenges & precedents assertion of federal powers Hamilton-Jefferson split rise of political parties Adams presidency avoidance of war with France over the XYZ Affair & naval clashes w/ French ships DETAILS Washington presidency, 1789-1797 the reluctant President click EXPAND for excerpt from Washington expressing his reluctance to become president in 1788, Washington wrote: I should unfeignedly rejoice, in case the Electors, by giving their votes to another person would save me from the dreaded dilemma of being forced to accept or refuse... If that may not be–I am, in the next place, earnestly desirous of searching out the truth, and knowing whether there does not exist a probability that the government would be just as happily and effectually carried into execution without my aid." (First President’s Election Was the Last Thing He Wanted (washingtonpapers.org) Upon election in 1791, Washington wrote that he had give up "all expectations of private happiness in this world." (https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/george-washington-the-reluctant-president-49492/ George Washington: The Reluctant President (Smithsonian Magazine)] Washington's primary goals: establish precedents for the office of the President, esp. regarding manner, authority, establishing constitutional arrangements establish and protect the powers of the executive branch ensure popular support for new government tours of 1789, 1790, 1791 were designed to promote national unity, display presidency, and promote his policies consolidate U.S. territory, especially regarding Northwest Territories and Southern borders with Spain election of 1789 prior to the 12th amendment (1803), the President and Vice President were selected by 1st and 2nd place in the Electoral College, with each Elector casting two votes Washington received a unanimous 69 votes (one from each Elector) John Adams won 2nd place with 34 votes, with rest split between ten other candidates Bill of Rights adopted 1791 (BOR) agreement between Federalists and Anti-Federalist in adopting the Constitution in 1789 BOR limits federal power application of BOR to state laws comes in late 19th/ early 20th centures = “incorporation” of the Bill of Rights Constitution was for the federal government only 14th amendment starts the process of “incorporating” the Constitution, esp. BOR into state law Hamilton-Jefferson split thought to be largely over enactment of the First National Bank Jefferson vehemently opposed a national bank, fearing its impact on sectional divisions Washington reluctantly signed the bill following Hamilton's advice Residence Act established permanent capitol along Potomac River between Maryland and Virginia named Hamilton's 1791 "Report on Manufactures" argued for federal support of domestic industry, including protective tariffs promote skilled labor immigration federal investment in transportation infrastructure laid basis for basic political/ ideological split rise of Political parties Founders used the term "faction" Federalists: Adams, Hamilton pro-national bank, pro-Fed gov powers, interpret constitution loosely, pro industry & commerce, pro-British party starts to die out after 1812 War (opposed) Democratic-Republicans Jefferson, Madison anti-national bank, states’ rights, interpret constitution strictly, pro farming, pro-French Constitutional interpretation enumerated powers implied powers strict construction (word for word) << Jefferson/Madison interpretation enumerated powers: powers specifically listed in Constitution “necessary and proper” = implied powers required to enforce enumerated powers broad or loose construction (interpreted) << Hamilton, Adams interpretation interpreted “necessary and proper” loosely, expansively French Revolution & domestic U.S. politics Americans were largely sympathetic with French Revolution especially as anti-British "Citizen Genet" affair, 1793 French government sent Edmond-Charles Genêt to the U.S. to build support for its cause promote anti-British sentiments & encourage American attacks on British merchant ships by issuing "letters of marque and reprisal," which legalized attacks on British ships on behalf of France Washington infuriated by the interference issued the Proclamation of Neutrality on April 22, 1793 stating the America was neutral in the French / British conflict Jay's Treaty Secretary of State John Jay negotiated a treaty with England that: ensured US neutrality in British-French wars opened US ports to British and British ports in Caribbean to Americans British evacuated all remaining Western forts (was part of terms of Treaty of Paris, 1783, ending Revolutionary War) = leaving Northwest territories to the U.S. U.S. agreed to pay certain Revolutionary War debts the Treaty was unpopular, especially in southern states Senate approved the treaty and the House appropriated funding for its enactment, but only after bitter debate the Jay Treaty episode further solidified the partisan/ ideological divide between Hamiltonians and Jeffersonians in 1796, House of Representative demanded internal Executive branch documents regarding the Treaty Washington refused to deliver them = establishing "executive privilege" "Pinckney's Treaty" formal name: "Treaty of San Lorenzo" agreement w/ Spain provided US access to Mississippi River removal of Spanish forts on US lands promise from Spain to help stop Indian attacks on US settlers Washington declined to run for a 3rd term = important example of a leader stepping down from power and supporting a peaceful transfer of power sets precedent for two-term limit for presidents precedent was honored until FDR, although Teddy Roosevelt ran for a third term in 1912 (and lost) Washington's "Farewell Address" a "valedictory address" (via written statement) to the American people in order to articulate his most important advice: follow the Constitution (rule of law) in order to ensure "that your union and brotherly affection may be perpetual" especially in order to resolve differences avoid "combinations and associations" (factions or alliances) that would subvert the Constitution and the national laws avoid the "baneful effects of the spirit of party" (political parties) warned against "a small but artful and enterprising minority" faction to seize power and subvert the Union warned against "geographical discriminations" (sectional blocks) avoid "foreign entanglements" (getting mixed up in the affairs of other countries, especially in Europe) click EXPAND for excerpt from Washington's Farewell Address: The unity of government which constitutes you one people is also now dear to you. It is justly so; for it is a main pillar in the edifice of your real independence, the support of your tranquility at home, your peace abroad, of your safety, of your prosperity, of that very liberty which you so highly prize. But as it is easy to foresee that, from different causes and from different quarters, much pains will be taken, many artifices employed, to weaken in your minds the conviction of this truth; as this is the point in your political fortress against which the batteries of internal and external enemies will be most constantly and actively (though often covertly and insidiously) directed, it is of infinite moment that you should properly estimate the immense value of your national Union to your collective and individual happiness; that you should cherish a cordial, habitual, and immovable attachment to it; accustoming yourselves to think and speak of it as of the palladium of your political safety and prosperity; watching for its preservation with jealous anxiety; discountenancing whatever may suggest even a suspicion that it can in any event be abandoned; and indignantly frowning upon the first dawning of every attempt to alienate any portion of our country from the rest, or to enfeeble the sacred ties which now link together the various parts (for full text see Washington's Farewell Address (wikisource) John Adams presidency Adams unpopular but firm marked by political bitterness a dominant issue was English-French wars impacted American merchants Americans/ parties split on allegiance to Britain or France of European wars XYZ Affair (1797-98) Alien & Sedition Acts, 1797-8: Adams and congressional allies attempted to outlaw dissent Washington DC as national capitol Quasi-War 1798 Taxation and Fries's Rebellion as US prepared for the Quasi-War with France Congress imposed a "direct tax" upon all of the states = a federal tax apportioned by population per state the "Direct House Tax of 1798" was calculated by houses, lands, and slave ownership the only time a direct tax was ever imposed by Congress the tax was unpopular in 1799, John Fries, a German-American, organized resistance to the tax in Pennsylvania local militia captured tax "assessors" (who were to "assess" property values for the tax assessment) Federal marshals arrested resistance leaders, but local groups liberated them Adams ordered federal troops to arrest the insurgents Fries and others were arrested and charged with treason Adams granted amnesty to them in 1800 Other concepts & terms: Republican Motherhood idea that a woman's role was to nurture virtuous male citizens Northwest Territories Indian Wars new States: Vermont (territory ceded by New York) 1791 Kentucky (“western”), 1792 Tennessee (“western”), 1796