ToddStanley

Americanpoliticsinthe1790swasareflectionoftheimportanceanddifficultiesthatcoincides withhavinganeffectivegovernment.Inthe1790s,Americanleadersdealtwithdomesticandforeign affairsthatbecamekeyintheriseofthenewnation.Sincethebeginning,domesticaffairshaveplayeda roleinpolitics.Alsoforeignaffairs,beginningwiththepoliciestowardstheFrenchRevolution,affected politics.Bythe1800s,ithadbecomeundeniablethattheseaffairs,mostlydomestic,hadbeenthe reasonforthenationssuccessandeffectiveness. WhenPresidentGeorgeWashingtonwaselectedintheyear1789,AlexanderHamiltonwas appointedasSecretaryofTreasury.Establishinghimselfasabiginfluenceindomesticaffairs,Hamilton soonusedhispowerasSecretaryofTreasurytoputhisbigplansforthecountryinaction.While HamiltonsplansdidrepaytheUnitedStatesdebts,theyforcedtensionsbetweenthenorthandsouth intermsofstatedebtassumption.HamiltonsideaofaNationalBanksparkedhugedebatewiththe Americanpublic,andevenmorewiththegovernmentleaders.Thisbecameacausefortheseparation ofpoliticalparties.Thisdomesticaffairprovedtobetheimportanteventforourtwopartysystem today.ItalsoledtohowtheConstitutionshouldbeinterpreted,withtheFederalistsgoingforaloose interpretationandtheJeffersonianDemocraticRepublicansforastrictinterpretationofitsmeanings. HamiltonsrelentlesseconomicchangesalsocausedtheWhiskeyRebellion,whichdemonstratedthe federalgovernmentsabilitytoenforceitslaws.Thiswasagreatchangeforthegovernmentthathadnot beenabletostopShaysRebellion.TheearlydomesticaffairssoonroseastheUnitedStatesfaced increasingthreateningforeignpowers. WiththeFrenchRevolutioncausingacommotioninFrance,andalsocomingintotheUnited States,theforeignaffairsthefederalgovernmentdealtwithwereasnearlyasimportantasthedomestic

ToddStanley

affairsoftheUnitedStates.WiththearrivalofGenet,tensionsbetweenFranceandtheUnitedStates grewtothepointofapossiblewar.Jaysfailedtreaty,alongwiththeXYZaffairandtheundeclared warwithFrance,causedevenmoretensionsnotonlyintheactualrelationshipbetweenFranceandthe UnitedStatesbutalsothedomesticaffairs.AsJohnAdamswasnowthepresident,thepassingofthe AlienandSeditionActsaffectedforeignanddomesticaffairs,asitgavethefederalgovernmentthe powertodetermineanimmigratespositionintheUnitedStates.ThisledtotheVirginiaandKentucky Resolutions,animportantdomesticaffairsthatsaidnullificationofunconstitutionalfederallaws,suchas theAlienandSeditionActs,wasnecessary.EvenforeignaffairswithSpainplayedaroleintheUnited Statespolitics.PinckneystreatyledtotheenforcementoftheUnitedStatesboundariesandaccessto theMississippiRiver.Theseforeignaffairscamewiththeeverpresentdomesticaffairsandmoldedthe UnitedStatespolitics. WiththedisagreementsbetweentheJeffersonianDemocraticRepublicansandAdams Federalists,thedomesticargumentovertheproperwaytogovern,turnedintothemostimportantofall affairs.WhenJeffersonwonoverAdamsintheelectionof1800,itwasknownastherevolutionof 1800becauseoftheexchangeofpowerfromtheFederalistpartytotheDemocratRepublicanparty. Withthefirstexchangeofpowerfrompartytoanotherparty,arepresentationcouldbemadethat domesticaffairshadinfluencedUnitedStatespoliticsquiteabit.Whileforeignaffairsgavefiretothe domesticaffairsthroughoutthe1790s,theAmericangovernmentsuccesscamefromtheseaffairs.