George Washington 1789-1797 VT 1791, KY 1792, TE 1796
-After Constitutional Convention
-1st Cabinet
-Featured lots of fights between Alexander Hamilton (Federalists) and
Thomas Jefferson (Democratic-Republican)
-Federalists wanted national government to have more power and were more pro-
factory.
-Democratic-Republicans wanted the state governments to have more power and
were more pro-farmer.
-State debts from the American Revolution were taken over by national
government. Allowed new government to establish credit. Also bound
the states together more closely.
-Paid full amount to people who speculated on the currency.
-Recognition of Implied Powers within the Constitution.
-Establishment of First National Bank
-Currency standard for U.S.
-Ability to borrow money
-Washington favored Federalist position.
-Capital moved to Washington D.C. partially a concession to Jefferson.
-Problem over who to support during the French Revolution and the later war between
French and British.
-Whiskey Rebellion 1791
-Farmers objected to high tax on whiskey which they frequently made.
-Rebellion start, Washington called up militia and stopped it to assert federal
power.
-Cotton gin invented in 1793
-Led to expansion of slavery since cotton was easier to grow.
-Expansion to Northwest Territory.
-Indians win at Fort Wayne.
-Mad Anthony Wagner beats Indians at the Battle of Fallen Timbers 1794.
-Than negotiates peace treaty.
-Jay’s Treaty 1794
-British withdraw troops from Northwest Territory if they can search ships.
-George Washington serves two terms at end warns to avoid foreign entanglements.
-John Adams wins election vs. Jefferson.
John Adams 1797-1801
-French start encouraging piracy on American ships heading for Great Britain partially as
a response to Jay’s Treaty. Starts what was called Quasi-War.
-People start wanting war with France.
-XYZ Affair
-French demanded a huge bribe before they would talk to U.S. about peace
-Americans rejected this and it embarrassed Jefferson who supported French.
-When news comes out more people want war.
-Alien and Sedition Acts
-Put into effect partially because of fear of immigrants and foreigners.
-Also people could be jailed for criticizing the government.
-Democratic-Republicans fought against the laws.
-Adams keeps U.S. from engaging in war in Europe and eventually Napoleon realizes
that fighting the U.S. not a good idea so makes peace.
-Election campaign 1800
-Extremely bitter re-election campaign.
-Federalists defeated
-Jefferson and Aaron Burr tied for President
-Influences Federalists to support Jefferson (who he did not like) over
Burr (who he did not trust).
-Midnight Appointment of federal judges.
-Led to the Marbury vs. Madison and that led to the right of judicial review by
Supreme Court.
Thomas Jefferson 1801-1809 OH 1803
-Peaceful transfer of power important.
-Barbary pirates in Africa
-Paid to not get attacked at first.
-Then sends U.S. fleet to stop attacks.
-Louisiana Purchase
-Tried to buy New Orleans but was offered all instead
-Jefferson wasn’t sure he could do it since it didn’t say he could in the
Constitution but did it.
-Sent Lewis and Clark along with others to explore and report on region.
-Burr bitter at loss to Jefferson
-Ran to be governor of New York
-Promised some Federalists that he would get New York to leave U.S. if elected.
-Alexander Hamilton found out and worked against him.
-Burr challenged Hamilton to duel and killed him.
-Charged with murder, fled, came back to finish his term
-Burr tried to convince British to take Louisiana Territory
-Arrested for treason but acquitted
-Embargo Act
-British fired on U.S. ship
-Embargo against Europe, TJ figures would force recognition of U.S. rights but
it did not and just hurt U.S.
-Benjamin Banneker
-Helped survey land for Washington D.C.
-Published an almanac 1791-1801
-1st steamboat to make a profit 1807.
-Triangular Trade continued until 1808 legally and then illegally after.
James Madison 1809-1817 LA 1812
-Was Jefferson’s Secretary of State
-Easily elected no strong Federalist without Adams or Hamilton
-Tried to stop problems with European trade in different ways
-Finally agreed to trade with France but not Great Britain.
-Indians gradually being pushed out of Ohio
-Were cheated out of land
-Shawnee chief Tecumseh tried to unite tribes to stop settlers from getting land
-Able to earn victories but while away from village at Tippecanoe William Henry
Harrison led U.S. Army attack there
-Group called War Hawks started to push for war with Great Britain
-In 1812 Madison agrees to go to war
-The British were
-Impressing sailors
-Not respecting neutrality
-Agitating Indians along frontier
-New England states didn’t support the war since Britain was a customer.
-U.S. invaded Canada but failed
-British started to march through NY and burned Washington DC.
-Even though British were winning, treaty negotiated an end to the war called the
Treaty of Ghent to make peace but didn’t fix any problems.
-Battle of New Orleans fought in 1815 after peace but no one knew.
-Was huge victory for Andrew Jackson over 2000 to 20
James Monroe 1817-1825
-Was Secretary of State under Madison won easy election
-New England factories started to lead to industrialization.
-Lowell snuck into British textile factories and was able to repeat in U.S.
-American System
-Championed by Henry Clay form the West and John C. Calhoun from South
-Built up bridges and roads for West
-Raised tariffs to make imported manufactured goods more expensive so
Americans would buy stuff from U.S.
-Growth of regionalism
-1816-1821 six new states added IN, ME, MS, MO, AL, IL
-Led to more regional issues
-North –wanted higher tariffs for manufactured goods and cheap raw materials
-West – opposite of North
-South – focused on slavery and price of cotton
-Each time new state enters slave vs. free debate happens.
-Missouri Compromise in 1820
-Maine enters in as free state
-Missouri enters as a slave state
-Slavery banned north of 36 degrees 30 minutes in Louisiana Territory
-Monroe thought about vetoing compromise since he thought only citizens of a
state could vote on slavery but worried this would lead to civil war.
-Invasion of Florida
-Florida under the control of Spain
-Seminoles there and white settlers fighting
-Burned farms when land was taken and helped escaped slaves
-Monroe sent Jackson to punish raiders
-Jackson’s troops were attacked so he invades and takes over N. Florida
-Spain protests, John Quincy Adams negotiates purchase of $5 M
-Spain losing control of territory in S. America
-Monroe issues Monroe Doctrine
-Says U.S. will stay out of European affairs if Europe does not try to re-
colonize Americas
John Quincy Adams 1825-1829
-Campaign of 1824 very bitter
-Early front runner William Crawford had stroke
-Clay won votes from West
-Adams won from NE
-Jackson won from all over
-No one won enough but Jackson won the most
-Clay shifted his support to Adams and became Secretary of State
-Jackson felt election had been stolen and called it the “Corrupt Bargain”
-Jackson’s supporters wanted to frustrate Adams until 1828 election
-American System
-Championed by Clay to make U.S. economy independent
-Raise tariffs to make factories make more money
-New roads and canals
-Strong central banks
-If worked then North would want more beef from W and cotton from S.
-Railroad lines start being laid down
-Jacksonians in congress passed Tariff of Abominations which raised prices on all goods
coming into country.
_raised prices on lots of things and irritated many
Andrew Jackson 1829-1837
-Was self made man and a poor orphan who became a lawyer and army officer
-Easily won election vs. Adams but still was nasty
-Considered 1st modern presidential election by some since he appealed to public when
needed help and said that since he was the only nationally elected politician his
opinion should count the most.
-Inauguration turned into a mess
-Wife died 2 months into office
-First passenger trains start in 1830
-Abolitionist newspaper “The Liberator” started by William Lloyd Garrison.
-Indian Removal Act
-Led to forced removal of Cherokee, Chickasaws, Choctaws, Seminoles, and
Creeks from SE.
-They had adopted ways of white society to become “civilized” so they could stay
while others were forced to move.
-Georgia did not recognize them and even though the Supreme Court said they
had rights, they were forced to move West of Mississippi River.
-Nullification Controversy
-High tariffs from Tariff of Abominations were hated by many
-Vice-President Calhoun from South Carolina said SC could choose not to obey
federal laws against South Carolina’s interests
-Big debate in senate between Webster and Hayne
-Jackson said South Carolina had to collect taxes
-SC voted to nullify taxes and Vice President Calhoun resigned
-Jackson sent troops to state border and South Carolina backed down.
-2nd National Bank -charter expired in 1836
-Jackson didn’t like it since he thought it made it harder to buy land.
-Ordered all federal deposits withdrawn
-Head of bank called in all loans to settle accounts
-Now little money available and economic panic
-Eventually bank stopped calling in loans and this made land cheaper out West.
-Blackhawk War in Illinois 1832
-Sac and
Fox nations try to fight against settlers.
-Lincoln served in war
-Militia organized to hunt them down were killed after they surrendered
-Nat Turner’s rebellion
-Killed master and more than 50 whites was bloodiest slave rebellion
-Texan Independence
-12/1835 white settlers revolted against Mexican government because new
government outlawed slavery
-Texans captured in the Alamo in San Antonio
-Mexicans besiege it and won there
-4/1836 Texans win Battle of San Jacinto and got Texas independence.
-Specie Circular
-Jackson tried to slow down land buying by requiring people to pay for land with
specie (gold or silver)
Martin Van Buren 1837-1841
Was Jackson’s 2nd term VP from Democartic Party
Whig party only unified because they hated Jackson
MVB won easily
Panic of 1837
-Banks failed because not enough gold and silver to convert currency due to Specie Circular
-MVB did not do much at first but then reacted
-Independent Treasury Act 1840
Telegraph invented by Samuel Morse 1837
Texas Question
-MVB believed states had right to decide about slavery but didn’t want to address problem.
-Texas applied for admission as slave state
-MVB opposed this since would through off slave/free state balance
Caroline Affair in Canada
William Henry Harrison 1841
-1840 election- some consider the first modern election with props and hoopla
-Harrison protrayed as a man like Jackson but was very rich portrayed Van Buren as a rich man but he had grown up much more like Jackson.
-Harrison dies after one month in office
-This led to John Tyler becoming president
John Tyler 1841-1845
While Harrison had been president, Henry Clay seemed to be more the person in charge.
Tyler did not have many supporters since was Southerner put there to balance ticket.
Tyler believed in states rights more than the federal government
Whigs tried to put in 3rd National Bank but Tyler vetoed them
Nearly entire cabinet resigned in protest
Just before he left office in 1845 Texas annexed even though some worried about the
expansion of slavery
1843 Oregon Trail started and settlement of northwest
1841 Edgar Allen Poe wrote Murders in the Rue Morgue the first detective story
James Polk 1845-1849
1844 Election
-For the Democrats Van Buren won the most delegates but not enough
support this eventually led to a compromise candidate Tennessee governor
Polk.
-Whigs chose Clay
-Western Expansion of slavery was big issue Clay owned slaves but did not want
Texas in union
1845 Idea of Manifest Destiny promoted for U.S. to control all of North America
Oregon Treaty with British settled what was to be border between U.S. and
Canada
1846 Disputes between U.S. and Mexico over Texas border
Polk offered to pay for disputed land but was rejected
U.S. declared war after minor fighting
U.S. won easily due to better technology
In 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo the U.S. got the states that were to become
parts of NM and CO, and all of CA, AZ, UT, and NV
Zachary Taylor becomes war hero
1848 Seneca Falls Conference
1849 California Gold Rush started