The United States in 1790

10/9/17

Population was really small, less than 4 million people.

- Evenly spread out between the north and south
- Diverse and Young
- Undeveloped economy
Insane Growth by 1800
- By 1800, 5 million people
- Cities and a developed West
- Economic growth
o Corporations, banks transportation, textiles, inventions
- Newspapers doubled
- New colleges and female academies
- Libraries, Med Schools, literary, historical, philosophical societies
- No more Indentured servants
- Greater divisions in wealth
- Labor Unions
Challenges
- Economy, independence, stability
- Foreign policy – Spain and Britain wouldn’t leave
- It was not necessarily obvious that the US would survive. Washington gave it 20 years.
- Low public support and participation for the new constitution
- Government at first was super small; No court systems, no navy, no tax system
James Madison passed a tariff on imports and tax on liquor
House of Representatives established Departments of State, Treasury, and War. As well as the Federal
Court System with the Judiciary Act, 1789.
Bill of Rights guaranteed rights of free press, free speech, religion, peaceful assembly, right to petition
government, trial by jury.
- Helped gain popular support
Federalists wanted a larger central government; Antifederalists wanted the government to play a
smaller role.
- Powers of the government were limited by the result of the Antifederalists, with the Bill of
Rights.
- 10th Amendment: “reserved to the states respectively, or to the people” all powers not specified
in the Constitution.
George Washington defined the office of President of the United States.
- Favored a strong and active role for the presidency.
- Modeled his office off of that of a general. Consult with cabinet members, listen to what they
say but he as chief executive would make final decisions.
- President can negotiate treaties, advised by Senate
Alexander Hamilton was brilliant when it came to economics.
- Proposed that the Federal Government assumed debt of feds and states.
- Borrow money at lower interest rates to pay off debt.
- He made the united states attractive to foreign investors.
- Wanted to establish a National Bank to collect taxes, hold government funds, make loans to
government and borrowers.
o Believed to be “unrepublican” and unconstitutional
o Thomas Jefferson and James Madison said the bank was unconstitutional
o They passed the National Bank for twenty years
Jefferson v. Hamilton
- Jefferson: Manufacturing threatened agrarian values
- Hamilton: investment, industry, expanded commerce, no slavery
- Jefferson triumphed in 1800, he becomes President