Launching the New Government

thank you in September 1787 at Independence Hall Philadelphia the constitution for the United States government was adopted [Music] that great document signed here was a plan for government but 12 years of uncertainty lay ahead before the plan would prove itself into a living government before the new nation would be successfully launched more than six years later on the morning in November 1793 George Washington was riding alone toward Philadelphia from Germantown it was in his fifth year as president he was going to Philadelphia to see if Congress could reconvene for the country with its 15 states faced many urgent problems in Western Pennsylvania farmers were talking of rebellion against the federal government [Music] in the Northwest Territory British still occupied forts they had promised to give up by the Treaty of 1783. permanent Settlers of the Northwest Territory needed the government's protection against resentful Indians [Music] and in the Mississippi Valley farmers who depended on the Spanish Port of New Orleans were considering secession from the United States many European countries viewed America's struggles with an eye to their own expansion these problems were so urgent Washington personally traveled to Philadelphia to find out if Congress could convene Philadelphia the capital city usually teeming with people was quiet and empty no one would come to the city plagued with yellow fever the government buildings were closed neither Congress nor the Supreme Court had met in months [Music] the bank of the United States in Carpenter's Hall was closed Washington came hoping to find it safe enough for the Congress to assemble the city was still sleeping but a sign outside John fenno's print shop carried the news that the worst of the plague was over it was safe for Congress to convene again the unifying character of Washington now an old man had once more inspired new hopes for our young government the print shop where Washington Saw the Sign was owned by John Fennell the publisher and editor of the influential newspaper The Gazette of the United States this paper had been published since the government began it had carried the story of Washington's Inauguration in April 1789. and the paper had told the story of the first acts of the first Congress the Judiciary Act of 1789 organized the Supreme Court and provided that it would settle disputes over constitutional meaning other Acts created department heads to administer foreign financial and Military affairs and still another act published by The Gazette was the Tariff Act of 1789. that moderately taxed imported goods and gave the new government its first Revenue these acts had formed the beginnings of government now publisher fennel was facing his own problems needing funds to continue publication of government news he was writing to Alexander Hamilton the Secretary of the Treasury already Hamilton's plans had forged a strong federal government in his Report on Public Credit of January 14 1790 Hamilton had pointed out that the new nation must establish credit to establish confidence in the new government at home and abroad she must have credit and a sound currency if Commerce and Industry were to grow and flourish she needed credit to pay the costs of opening government lands to settlement but to establish credits the nation had to meet past obligations a revolutionary war debt of about 80 million dollars Hamilton had proposed that the debt of individual states be assumed by the federal government this proposal of Hamilton's had been opposed but had been adopted by Congress through an agreement with Southern leaders they had agreed to Hamilton's plans for a strong federal government on the condition that the permanent Capital be located in the South along the Potomac River in a later report Hamilton urged the government to create a National Bank the bank would provide a sound uniform currency encouraging trade and commerce a place of safe keeping the bank could also help in the collection of taxes the bank would help to strengthen the federal government so higher tariffs on imported goods have been levied to finance this strong federal government another tax had been laid on distilled whiskey this domestic tax was a part of Hamilton's plans to put the government on a firm Financial Foundation but it was resented by the frontier farmers of Western Pennsylvania they had refused to recognize that the new federal government had any authority to make them pay a tax when Federal excise men had come to their Farms to collect taxes the farmers had treated them as trespassers and had driven them away Hamilton had urged that force be used to collect the tax laughs Hamilton had become the spokesman for a strong federal government already Virginians angered at the growing strength of the government had formed an opposition party there spokesman Thomas Jefferson though in Washington's cabinet believed in limiting the powers of the federal government he thought the bank of the United States was unconstitutional and that Hamilton's plans catered to business interests Jefferson pinned his faith on the small independent farmer who owned the land on which he made his living Jefferson believed that these freedom-loving men would determine America's destiny on the other hand Hamilton looked to the time when the Industrial Revolution then in its infancy would fill the land with busy factories and whirling machines [Music] he looked to the time when American factories would produce most of the goods needed by the American people and the United States would be economically independent of Europe thus the conflict of views was economic and political now in 1793 penno was turning to Hamilton for Aid to continue publication of The Gazette by the time congress met again December 2nd 1793 Hamilton's friends had provided funds and fennel resumed publication of The Gazette of the United States during the next two years his presses carried the story of the crisis in Washington's cabinet when Jefferson resigned in political opposition fenos presses told of the outbreak of the Whiskey Rebellion when Federal excise men were assaulted by Western farmers and of Washington's careful judgment in handling the suppression of the insurrection demonstrating for the first time that federal laws could be enforced within States the rebels were soon pardoned but the principle of law enforcement was established the Press is told that John Jay had persuaded England to give up their forts in American territory east of the Mississippi they told of Thomas pinkney's negotiation with Spain and the Pinckney Treaty that allowed Western settlers to float their produce down the Mississippi River to New Orleans thus ending their plan for secession the Press has also told how Anthony Wayne's Treaty of Greenville made peace with the Indians making it possible for Pioneers to settle safely north of the Ohio River The Gazette told of Washington's farewell message after these accomplishments and his warning observe good faith and Justice toward all nations cultivate peace and harmony with all but the uncertainties were not over as fennel realized in the election of 1796 the country was divided almost evenly John Adams won the election by a margin of only three electoral votes over Thomas Jefferson could a new government so divided long endure John Adams the lawyer Statesman adhered to Federalist principles Congress strengthened the government by creating a Navy Department but in great concern over political opposition Congress adopted several Acts the Naturalization Alien and Sedition Acts designed to repress criticism of the government to the people this became a symbol that the new government was to become a new tyranny they turned from the Federalists to the ideas of Jefferson and of Madison of a more limited national government the Federalist Party passed into minority with the election of Jefferson in 1800. but the government survived or in his inaugural address Jefferson said let us pursue our attachment to Union and representative government so it was that through the faith of individual Americans they're emerged a government strong enough to survive threats of war and changes in political parties these were on certain years but through the financial genius of Alexander Hamilton the patriotism of John Adams and the unifying character of Washington the Constitutional plan developed into a living government this was the time of the launching of the United States government foreign