AN02c Unit02: A New Nation Ch.

06
FS: 1st in War, 1st in Peace, 1st in the hearts of his Countrymen.
Do Now:
Who could have said this?
What are they expressing?
Is the speaker's position valid given the young nation's condition?
It serves always to distract the public councils and enfeeble the public administration. It agitates the
community with ill-founded jealousies and false alarms; kindles the animosity of one part against another;
foments [incites] occasionally riot and insurrection. It opens the door to foreign influence and corruption. . . .
Farewell Address, 1796"
I. Judiciary Act of 1789 (document found at http://www.loc.gov/rr/program/bib/ourdocs/judiciary.html)
A. Established Supreme Court: 1 Chief Justice, 5 Associate Justices
B. District and Circuit Courts
C. Federal Judges appointed for life. Can be impeached.
II. Executive Branch
Uncertainty at the Start: Cabals and Mutiny during the war.
A. Conway Cabal
B. Newburgh Conspiracy
G. Washington was the favorite to be first to hold the office of the presidency.
President: 4 year term (initially, no stated limit on # of terms).
Cabinet: Appointed by President and confirmed by Congress. They serve at the Presidents
discretion.
III. Hamilton's Plan to Solve Nation's Debt Problem
A. Bank of the United States (Collect taxes, standardize the currency, make investments,
issue bonds, etc.).
Elastic Clause vs. Strict Interpretation of the Constitution (Art. 1, Sec.8, Clause 18)
B. National Govt to assume debts of the States. (Angered the Southern states who had
nearly finished paying their debts.)
C. District of Columbia: 'Carrot' to entice southern states to support Hamilton's debt plan.
It Worked!
Whiskey Rebellion 1789: Farmers upset by excise tax (to raise revenue on whiskey distilled
from corn). Hamilton, and the Executive Branch, had to enforce the law as expected and
according to the US Constitution. Rebellion was put down after a military force was sent to
enforce the tax. This was an early test of the young nations federal system and established a
precedent for the supremacy of laws from the national government.
IV. Factions/ Political Parties
Federalists vs. Anti-Federalists (Democratic-Republicans)
Hamilton Jefferson
Strong Fed. Gov't Limited National Gov't/ Stronger State Gov't
Fear of Mob Rule Fear of Absolute power
Well educated ruling elite Laissez-Faire
AN02c Unit02: A New Nation Ch.06
Loose Interpretation of the Constitution Payment of only national debt
National Bank Agrarian Economy
Manufacturing Economy Strict Interpretation of Constitution
Federalists Democratic-Republicans (Anti-Federalists)