chapter 7 George Washington and John Adams (up to 1796)

organising the federal government

the new government

• election of 1789 gave the federalists control
• large federalist majorities in the senate and the house of representatives
• George Washington chosen as president by electoral college representatives, no one stood against him
• John Adams came second and so became vice president
• 4 march 1789- new congress met in New York City
• could muster only 8 senators and 13 members of the house
• a month passed before both chambers gathered a quorum
• 30 april- washington inaugurated as president
• journey to new york from mount vernon turned into a triumphal procession- universal confidence, hopeful expectancy
• washington was less optimistic- burdened with dread, felt like a condemned man

problems facing the new government

• usa far from united
• rhode island and north carolina still not in the union
• untried constitution
• almost no revenue or machinery for collecting money
• no judiciary
• no navy, army consisted of 672 officers and men
• western borders open to NA attack
• british and spanish troops still occupied parts of the national territory
• some advantages too
• worst of the post war depression was over, economy was expanding
• widespread support for the new government and constitution
• anti federalists accepted the popular verdict and agreed to participate in the new political system in good faith

the first congress

the judiciary act

• constitution created a federal judiciary
• left the detail as to how it should be structured and what its precise responsibilities and relationship with the state courts should be for settlement at another time
• 1789 judiciary act
• established a hierarchical system of federal courts
• supreme court- chief justice and 5 associate justices
• district courts in each state
• 3 circuit courts of appeal
• ensured that federal laws and rights would be adjudicated uniformly throughout the nation
• supreme court should rule on the constitutionality of state court decisions and nullify state laws which violate the federal constitution
• Washington selected the Supreme court, balancing north and south, named John Jay as chief justice

the bill of rights

• much criticism of the lack of specific guarantees of popular rights
• federalists had promised to remedy this in order to secure ratification
• Madison made the adoption of a bill of rights one of the 1st items of business
• HoR adopted 17 amendments
• senate adopted 12
• states ratified 10
• went far towards reconciling anti federalists to the constitution
• 9 were concerned with the rights of the individual
• guaranteed freedom of religion, speech, assembly, the press
• right to petition, bear arms
• immunity against arbitrary search and arrest
• prohibited excessive bail, cruel and unusual punishments and the quartering of troops in private houses
• 10th amendment- reserved to the states all powers except those specifically delegated to the federal government
• december 1791- amendments took effect when Virginia became final state to ratify them
• helped to convince North Carolina and Rhode Island to enter the union

raising revenue

• trade duty of 5% on most items
• 7.5% on certain listed items
• 50% duties on 30 specific items- steel, nails, hemp, molasses, ships, tobacco, salt, indigo and cloth
• protect…