Introduction to U.S. history

1. Introduction to U.S. history The First five Presidents 1789-1825

2. The United States: Pre-1800 United States Pre-1800 • Population: 3.9 million. • Land area: 864,746 square miles. • 13 states: Connecticut, Delaware Georgia, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, and Virginia. • Soon to be added: Vermont (1791), Kentucky (1792), Tennessee (1796).

3. States and Territories 1800 vs. 1824 • Between Washington’s and Monroe’s presidencies territories were admitted as states, territories were added, and new national boundaries were defined by treaty and purchase. • States added from 1803-1824: Ohio (1803), Louisiana (1812), Indiana (1816), Mississippi (1817), Illinois (1818), Alabama (1819), Maine (1820), Missouri (1821). • Oddities: Spanish Possessions in the US (Florida and SW plus California), Oregon Territory shared by Britain and US, Montana was in unorganized territory newly purchased from France (Louisiana Purchase).

4. US in 1800 and 1820 US Vital stats:1800 • Population: 5.3 million. • Land area: 864,746 mi2 US Vital stats:1820 • Population:9.7 million • Land area: 1.7 million mi2.

5. US Events and themes: Washington’s election in 1789 starts the “Federalist Era.” The Bill of Rights drafted by Congress and submitted to the states. Partisan politics emerge, pitting the Federalists against the Republicans. Foreign affairs an issue: Washington’s foreign policy was to try neutrality.”Proclamation of Neutrality” Problems with England: Still held forts in the US, said to be inciting Indian uprisings. Problems with France: Our ally because of their help during the revolutionary war but the bloody French Revolution scared Americans and made Europe nervous. Problems with Spain:Threatened to cut off US trade through New Orleans. Held a lot of land within the US. Alexander Hamilton starts the first Bank of the United States. World events: The bloody French Revolution starts in 1789. England refusing to honor the peace treaty of 1783 which ended the Revolutionary War. The French were busy overthrowing the former monarchy by executing the aristocracy by guillotine. France was at war with England. Despite Washington's proclamation of neutrality, the British started seizing US ships trading with the French West Indies and impressing sailors that they said were British citizens. Jay’s treaty ends hostility with England. Spain makes peace with France and is worried that the US will take over Spanish territory in the US. Spain makes treaty (Pinckney's treaty) with US to guarantee the right of US citizens to use New Orleans as a port. George Washington (1789-1797)

6. US Events and themes: The Election of 1796 brought John Adams to power; his administration was marred by problems in the relationship with France. The XYZ affair. French foreign minister basically sends secret agents to demand a bribe to talk with the US. Naturalization, Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798. Federalists pass acts to suppress Republicans and secure power for their own party. The last federalist president. World events: France still in a state of disorganized revolution with power changing hands frequently. France started seizing American ships in French harbors and refused to receive US envoys (ambassadors). US has a naval war (congress renounced a treaty with France) with France to attempt to harm their commerce. Napoleon overthrows the Directory (French gov.) and takes over France as Emperor. John Adams(1797-1801)

7. US Events and themes: The Election of 1800 exposed a weakness in the constitutional provision for electing a president. Thomas Jefferson’s triumph is sometimes regarded at the Revolution of 1800. End of the Federalist Presidents. Supreme Court issues Marbury vs Madison. A naval war with the Barbary pirates. Louisiana Purchase from Napoleon. Diplomatic issues with Britain and France continue, forcing the Embargo act. World Events : France and England are still at war (Napoleonic wars). Both try to hurt the other by shutting off shipping commerce. Brittan issues an order forbidding neutral ships from trading with ports under French control. France issues decree that allows French to seize any ship that has traded with England or has submitted to search by a British ship. Brittan continues impressing American citizens that are sailors on searched merchant ships. Thomas Jefferson(1801-1809)

8. US Events and themes: Madison and his cabinet grapple with neutral rights issues. Napoleon tricks Madison into issuing an executive order forbidding trade with Great Brittan; the Non-intercourse act. After longstanding arguments over various issues, (England messing with US trade, impressing sailors, supplying Indians with guns, and firing upon US ships in “peace time”) the US declares war against Great Brittan (the War of 1812 aka the second War for Independence). Later in the war the US has three invasions of Canada.Several naval battles are fought on the Great Lakes. World Events : Between 1803-1812 Brittan had impressed 10,000 American sailors (naturalized citizens). 1812 Napoleon retreats from Russia. 1814 Napoleon abdicates the throne of France and “retires’ to the Island of Elba. 1815 Napoleon supporters free him from Elba but later Napoleon loses the “Battle of Waterloo” ends the Napoleonic wars. War with France is over, now England is free to harass America. James Madison(1809-1817)

9. US Events and themes: Following the War of 1812, US has emergent national pride and partisan politics declined (“Era of Good Feelings”). Panic of 1819 ends postwar prosperity abruptly and increases the strain of economic sectionalism. The first Missouri Compromise sets the stage for the Civil War. Monroe Doctrine basically tells foreign powers to stop colonizing in the Western hemisphere. World Events : Rush-Bagot agreement with England stabilizes US boarder with Canada. Spanish Empire is in decline. Spain sells Spanish Florida because they are having a hard time controlling their colonies (open revolt). James Monroe (1817-1825)

10. strong allegiance to the nation. Places the interests of the Nation as a whole over those of individual regions. Strong allegiance to your geographic region. Places the interests of the region over those of the Nation. Nationalism vs. sectionalism

11. The Federalists were conservatives. Favored a strong centralized government. Encouraged industries and attention to the needs of the great merchants and landowners, and establishment of a well-ordered society. Pro-British in foreign affairs they were pro-British. The members were mostly wealthy merchants, big property owners in the North, and conservative small farmers and businessmen. Geographically concentrated in New England, with a strong element in the Middle Atlantic states. Republicans (Anti-federalists, later Democratic Republicans) were more liberal. Favored strict interpretation of the Constitution to limit power of the Federal government. Encouragement of agricultural pursuits and needs of farmers. Pro-French in foreign affairs. Conservative fiscal policy, in favor of paying off war debts. Members were dominantly owners of large plantations and farmers. Geographically in the South and expanding West. Federalists and Republicans

12. The first Missouri Compromise (1820): The seeds of the Civil War. • Major issue was whether the US was going to embrace or abandon slavery. • Specific issue was whether new states in the west were going to allow slavery (Missouri). • It was important to keep a balance of slave and non-slave states in the union. • The Compromise was more of a truce, both sides were biding their time.