Thursday, December 6, 2007

Do now: Answer the following questions.

On which American currency does the portrait of Alexander Hamilton rest?

On which American coin does the portrait of Thomas Jefferson rest?

Due in 10 min


As the Federalist under Washington and Hamilton worked to create a strong national government many Americans began to see the government as being anti-freedom and heavy-handed.

Part of this resentment was due to the taxes that Hamilton had levied upon the citizens of the new nation. Chief amongst the opponents of the taxes were the people who inhabited the frontiers of the new states.

On the frontier cash money was in short supply and many of these farmers used whiskey as a form of currency. To raise money the Federal Government placed a tax on the whiskey that was being produced on the frontier.

Unwilling to pay this tax the frontier farmers began to defy the government by attacking tax collectors and closing the courts that would hear the charges that would be brought against them.

In response to these acts Hamilton and Washington raised an army and moved into the area that was central to the rebellion, Western Pennsylvania. Upon arrival in Pittsburgh with the army George Washington was able to force the rebels to surrender without a fight.

Even though the rebels were defeated their anti-government and anti-tax beliefs soon began to spread throughout the states.

In response to these ideas the first political party came into being. Called Jeffersonian-Republicans these people accepted the ideas of anti-federalism and soon began to organize their party along its beliefs.

By 1796 Washington had beem president for eight years. Unwilling to serve another term Washington decided not to run for another term as president.

In 1796 the anti-Federalist ran Thomas Jefferson as their candidate. While the Federalist ran John Adams as their candidate. The election was close with John Adams winning by only two electoral college votes.