Washington's Cabinet and Hamilton's Economic Plan

Washington's Cabinet

• Washington's first cabinet included key positions like Secretary of State (Jefferson), Secretary of the Treasury (Hamilton), Secretary of War (Knox), and Attorney General (Randolph)
• These positions handled foreign policy, economics, war, and legal matters, respectively.

Hamilton's Economic Program

• Aimed to stabilize the U.S. economy and establish credit
• Key components included:
  • Assumption of state debts: Federal government took over state debts from the Revolutionary War
  • Creation of a national bank: Established the First Bank of the U.S. to manage currency and credit
  • Tariffs and excise taxes: Implemented import taxes and the Whiskey Tax to generate revenue

Federalist Party

• Led by Alexander Hamilton and John Adams
• Supported a strong central government
• Favored a loose interpretation of the Constitution
• Primarily supported by merchants, bankers, and wealthy elites in the Northeast
• Favored close ties with Britain

Election of 1800

• Thomas Jefferson vs. John Adams
• Resulted in a tie between Jefferson and Aaron Burr
• House of Representatives ultimately decided the winner (Jefferson)
• Marked the first peaceful transfer of power between political parties (Federalists to Democratic-Republicans)
• Led to the 12th Amendment, which changed how the president and vice president were elected.

XYZ Affair

• 1797 diplomatic scandal between the U.S. and France
• French officials demanded bribes from U.S. diplomats (labeled X, Y, and Z)
• Led to anti-French sentiment and an undeclared naval conflict known as the Quasi-War

Republican Motherhood

• The idea that women's role was to educate and instill Republican values in their children
• Encouraged women's education but didn't push for full equality

Women & the Medical Profession

• Midwifery was common, but men took over the medical profession
• Few educational opportunities for women in medicine
• Women largely excluded from medical field

Second Great Awakening

• Early 1800s religious revival focused on personal salvation and reform
• Encouraged moral and social change
• Led by preachers like Charles Finney

Jefferson & the Military

• Reduced military spending and size of the army/navy
• Preferred state militias over a strong standing army
• Expanded naval power during the Barbary Wars (1801-1805)

Aaron Burr & Alexander Hamilton

• Political rivals due to Burr's controversial actions
• Burr challenged Hamilton to a duel in 1804 and killed him
• Burr's political career ended

War of 1812 - Causes

• British impressment of American sailors
• British support for Native American resistance
• Desire for land expansion into Canada
• War Hawks in Congress pushed for war

Battle of Tippecanoe

• U.S. forces led by William Henry Harrison vs. Native Americans led by Tecumseh
• U.S. victory weakened Native resistance in the Northwest
• Increased tensions between the U.S. and Britain

War of 1812 and the Federalist Party

• Federalists opposed the war, especially merchants in New England
• Some Federalists even considered secession
• Their opposition led to their downfall after the war
• Federalists met at the Hartford Convention in 1814-15 to protest the war
• The proposed constitutional amendments to limit government power, however, were then viewed as unpatriotic after the war ended.
• The Federalist Party collapsed

Treaty of Ghent

• Ended the War of 1812; restored pre-war boundaries
• No clear winner, but the U.S. saw it as a victory
• Did not address issues like impressment

War of 1812 and Native Americans

• Native Americans lost British support after the war
• Many were pushed west as U.S. expansion continued
• Tecumseh's Confederacy collapsed after his death because of the loss of British support.