Study Sections
📖 Study by Section
Deep dive into each major topic of the Federalist Era. Click on any section to expand and read the key points.
- • April 30, 1789 - Washington took oath of office
- • Created the Cabinet: Jefferson (State), Hamilton (Treasury), Knox (War), Randolph (Attorney General)
- • Set up federal court system through Judiciary Act of 1789
- • Added Bill of Rights to Constitution (December 1791)
- • Established precedents: inaugural address, 2 terms, neutrality in foreign affairs
- • Assumed state debts - Federal government paid all state war debts
- • Created bonds to repay government loans with interest
- • Established a national bank to manage finances and issue currency
- • Imposed tariffs on imports to protect industries and raise revenue
- • Compromise: Located national capital in the South (Washington, D.C.)
- • Whiskey Rebellion (1794) - Pennsylvania farmers protested tax; Washington sent troops
- • Battle of Fallen Timbers (1794) - U.S. defeated Native American confederation
- • Treaty of Greenville (1795) - Native Americans ceded Ohio/Indiana lands
- • Jay's Treaty (1794) - Britain withdrew from forts but didn't stop impressment
- • Pinckney's Treaty (1795) - Spain opened Mississippi River to U.S. navigation
- • Federalists (Hamilton, Adams) - Strong central government, pro-British, supported industry
- • Republicans (Jefferson, Madison) - Limited federal power, pro-French, supported agriculture
- • Election of 1796 - Adams (Federalist) won; Jefferson (Republican) became VP
- • XYZ Affair (1797-98) - French demanded bribes; led to Quasi-War with France
- • Alien and Sedition Acts (1798) - Made it illegal to criticize government; sparked controversy
- • James Madison presented 12 amendments; Congress approved 10
- • Addressed Anti-Federalist concerns about limiting government power
- • Protected freedoms: speech, religion, press, assembly, petition
- • Protected rights: bear arms, fair trial, no unreasonable searches
- • Established that people have rights even if not explicitly listed
- • Did not seek a 3rd term (set 2-term tradition until FDR)
- • Warned against formation of political parties
- • Warned to stay neutral in foreign wars
- • Emphasized importance of national unity
- • Set example of peaceful transfer of power