Give Me Liberty!

1
Chapter 8
Norton Media Library
Give Me Liberty! An American History Second
EditionVolume 1
by Eric Foner
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Politics during Washingtons presidency

• Outset of the Washington administration
• Washington as symbol of national unity, virtue
• Key figures
• The Hamiltonians
• Vision for the republic
• Robust economic development
• Close commercial ties to Europe
• Military power
• Strong national government

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Politics during Washingtons presidency

• The Hamiltonians
• Program
• Federal assumption of national and state debts
• Creation of new national debt
• Establishment of Bank of the U.S.
• Whiskey tax
• Government promotion of industrial manufacture
• Tariffs
• Subsidies
• National army
• Bases of support financiers, manufacturers, and
  merchants

4
Politics during Washingtons presidency

• The Jeffersonians
• Vision for the republic
• Westward expansion
• Land for independent farmers
• Free trade
• Critique of Hamilton program
• Threat to liberty from a standing army
• Favoritism toward speculators at expense of small
  farmers
• Favoritism toward diversified North at expense of
  agrarian South
• Bases of support South, farmers

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Politics during Washingtons presidency

• 1790 compromise between Hamilton and Jefferson
  southern capital
• Divisions over foreign affairs
• Mixed response to French Revolution
• Enthusiasm (Jeffersonians)
• Alarm (Washington, Hamilton)
• Aggravating developments
• War between France and Britain shaped early
  American politics
• Edward Genet attack of British ships recall
• British encroachments on American ships
• Impressment
• Jay Treaty
• British made no concessions
• America granted Britain favored nation status

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Politics during Washingtons presidency

• Emergence of political parties
• The Federalist party
• Agenda and philosophy
• Favored Washingtons administration
• Hamiltons economic program
• Close ties with Britain
• Suppression of popular unrest (Whiskey Rebellion,
  1794)
• Fixed social hierarchy the rich, able, and
  well-born
• Bases of support prosperous farmers, merchants,
  lawyers, and established politicians

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Politics during Washingtons presidency

• Emergency of political parties
• The Republican party
• Agenda and philosophy
• Democratic self-government
• Aversion to social and economic inequality
• Bases of support wealthy southern planters,
  farmers, artisans
• Intensity of partisan debate

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Politics during Washingtons presidency

• Expansion of popular involvement in public debate
• Contributing factors
• Partisan divisions
• British radicalism
• Emigrants to America
• Thomas Paines Rights of Man
• Manifestations
• Political meetings, pamphlets, newspapers
• Democratic-Republican societies
• Emerging principle of democratic rights free
  inquiry and free communication
• Implications for partisan politics
• Federalist alarm
• Republican receptiveness

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Politics during Washingtons presidency

• Renewed discussion of womens rights
• Expanding participation in public discussion
• Influential voices
• Mary Wollstonecraft A Vindication of the Rights
  of Woman (1792)
• Judith Sargent Murray On the Equality of Sexes

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The Adams years

• Election of 1796
• Washingtons retirement and farewell
• Federalist Adamss (71) victory over Republican
  Jefferson (68)
• Sectional division of the vote
• Adamss troubled presidency
• Embroilment in British-French conflict
• Seizure of American ships by each side
• XYZ Affair French demanded bribes!
• Quasi-War with France
• Negotiated peace of 1800
• Adams rejected his partys call for war

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The Adams years

• Adamss troubled presidency
• Crackdown on political dissent
• Background
• Rural unrest Fries Rebellion
• Dissent against Federalists
• Provisions of Alien and Sedition Acts
• Arrest and conviction of Republican opponents
• Forms of protest
• Republican press
• Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions
• Kentucky state nullification of federal laws
• Themes of protest
• Free expression as essential to liberty
• Limits of federal power over the states

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The Adams years

• Election of 1800
• Republican mobilization Jefferson and Liberty
• Constitutional crisis over election
• Particulars
• Outcome
• Jefferson over Adams
• 12th Amendment separate ballots for P. and V.P.
• Hamilton-Burr duel
• Peaceful transfer of power

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Map 23
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The slavery question

• Debate in first Congress over emancipation
• Franklins call for emancipation
• Passage of fugitive slave law
• Impact of Saint Dominque (Haiti, 1791) slave
  revolt
• Toussaint LOuverture
• Inspiration among slaves
• Alarm among whites

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The slavery question

• Gabriels Rebellion (1800)
• Features of the conspiracy
• Artisanal makeup
• Roots in Richmonds black community 1/5 free
  black
• Language of liberty
• Discovery and defeat
• Aftereffects
• Awareness of slaves aspiration for freedom
• Increased control over black population (slave
  and free)

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The Jefferson years

• Goals of new administration
• Conciliatory tone toward opponents
• Reduction in expense, size, and power of national
  government
• Unrestricted trade
• Freedom of press and religion
• Avoidance of entangling alliances with foreign
  powers
• Establishment of judicial review of federal and
  state laws
• Chief Justice John Marshall
• Marbury v. Madison (1803)
• Judicial review of Congressional / State laws

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The Jefferson years

• Louisiana Purchase (1803)
• Lewis and Clark Expedition (1804-1806)
• Objects
• Scientific exploration
• Trade relations with western Indians
• Commercial route to Asia
• Outcome
• Abundant information on newly acquired territory
• Achievement of overland travel to Pacific
• Incorporation of Louisiana
• Significance of New Orleans area
• Rights of blacks and women under Spanish and
  French rule
• Declining status of blacks under American rule

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Map 24
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Foreign entanglements

• Barbary coast conflict
• Renewed embroilment in British-French conflict
• Impact of war between Britain and France on
  America
• Resumption of conflict in 1803
• Blockade on American shipping by each side
• Impressment of Americans by British navy
• The Chesapeake

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Foreign entanglements

• Renewed embroilment in British-French conflict
• Jeffersons embargo on American exports
• Terms
• Purposes
• Results
• Memories of Intolerable Acts
• Minimal impact on British and French
• Devastation of American port economies
• Scaling back of embargo
• Non-intercourse Act
• Macons Bill No. 2
• France acquiesced Britain did not
• War Hawks Clay, Calhoun

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Recent trends in U.S.-Indian relations

• Varied U.S. policies toward Indians
• Removal
• Assimilation
• Varied responses by Indians
• Endorsement of assimilation Major Ridge John
  Ross
• Call for preservation of autonomy
• Non-confrontational approach Handsome Lake
• Militant, pan-Indian approach
• Tenskwatawa at Prophetstown
• Tecumseh in Mississippi Valley resistance or
  extermination
• Battle of Tippecanoe (1811)
• William Henry Harrison

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The War of 1812

• Prelude
• Persisting British attacks on American vessels
• Reinstatement of embargo by President Madison
• Emergence of War Hawks
• Leading figures
• Henry Clay
• John C. Calhoun
• Themes
• National honor
• Unimpeded foreign trade
• Expansion of republic
• Reports of British encouragement of Tecumseh

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The War of 1812

• Outbreak of war
• Madisons call for war
• National division over
• Strong opposition in North
• Strong support in South and West

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The War of 1812

• Course of War
• Britains material advantages
• British successes
• Repulsion of U.S. invasions of Canada
• Destruction by blockade of American commerce
• Invasion of Washington, D.C.
• American successes
• Battle of Lake Erie (Commodore Perry)
• Repulsion of British assault on Baltimore (Fort
  McHenry)
• Battle of the Thames (defeat of Tecumseh by W. H.
  Harrison)
• Battle of Horseshoe Bend (defeat of hostile
  Creeks, Andrew Jackson)
• Battle of New Orleans (Andrew Jackson)

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Map 25
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The War of 1812

• Conclusion and aftermath
• Treaty of Ghent
• Celebration of republics virtue and resilience
• Completion of U.S. conquest of eastern land
• Setbacks to Indian power
• In old NW
• In South
• Acceleration of white westward settlement
• Demise of Federalist party
• Costs of antiwar stance
• Hartford Convention (1814)
• Modest size of commercial and financial base
• Elitism