7- THE YOUNG REPUBLIC

George Washington

• Did not want the United States becoming entangled in European affairs
• Issued the Proclamation of Neutrality to isolate the U.S. from Europe and maintain its independence
• Set a precedent by forming the first cabinet using the unwritten constitution
• Used state militia to suppress the Whiskey Rebellion, showing the federal government's commitment to enforcing laws
• His actions and policies strengthened the federal government
• Pursued neutrality to allow the U.S. time to develop economically and militarily
• In his Farewell Address, he advised the U.S. to avoid European conflicts, remain neutral, and avoid alliances

Alexander Hamilton

• Served as the first Secretary of the Treasury
• Proposed a national bank to improve the U.S. government's economic standing
• Utilized the elastic clause of the Constitution to justify the creation of a national bank
• Established a solid financial plan for the new nation
• Created a plan to pay off the U.S. debt
• Encouraged Congress to pass a protective tariff to foster U.S. manufacturing growth
• Believed in a loose interpretation of the Constitution, advocating for broad government powers

Thomas Jefferson

• Served as the third President of the United States from 1801 to 1809
• Primary author of the Declaration of Independence
• Opposed Hamilton’s national bank plan, favoring a strict interpretation of the Constitution
• Advocated for strict adherence to the Constitution's literal text
• Disagreements with Hamilton over constitutional interpretation led to the development of the political party system
• Advocated for avoiding involvement in European affairs (isolationist)
• Authorized the Lewis and Clark expedition to find a route to the Pacific Ocean, promoting westward expansion
• Oversaw the Louisiana Purchase during his presidency

The Louisiana Purchase

• Jefferson had to reconcile the purchase with his strict interpretation of the Constitution
• Jefferson used the elastic clause and implied powers to make the purchase
• Motivated by concerns over French and Spanish influence and the strategic importance of New Orleans
• Ensured the U.S. control of the Mississippi River
• Provided farmers with a crucial water route for shipping products
• Farmers in the Ohio River Valley benefited most economically
• Shifted the United States' focus toward westward expansion

The Whiskey Rebellion

• A new excise tax on goods like alcohol led to a rebellion in western Pennsylvania
• The newly formed U.S. government faced significant debt from the Revolutionary War in 1791
• The treasury was empty
• Congress imposed an excise tax on whiskey and luxury goods to generate revenue
• Farmers in western Pennsylvania, who relied on distilling whiskey for income, opposed the tax
• The excise tax angered many people West of the Appalachian Mountains
• It cost too much to transport their grain across the mountains so instead was distilled into whiskey
• Many farmers thought the tax made their whiskey cost too much, and they refused to pay it
• Resistance to the tax escalated and farmers attacked tax collectors
• Congress lowered the excise tax, and the majority of farmers paid it except Western Pennsylvania’s “Whiskey Boys” who would tar and feather any tax collector who tried to enforce the law
• Washington and Hamilton viewed the Whiskey Rebellion as a threat to the national government's authority
• Hamilton urged Washington to send 13,000 state militia troops to suppress the rebellion
• Washington thought that using armed forces to put down the opposition to government policies would violate the people’s liberties.
• By the time the troops arrived, the rebellion had largely collapsed, and no violence occurred
• The Whiskey Rebellion demonstrated the new government's power to enforce laws
• It also highlighted tensions between the federal government and the states