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The first major legislative accomplishment of the "Washington Administration" (the name given to the government under a particular president) was the Judiciary Act of 1789, which established federal court system.  (Later, in the first major ruling of the Supreme Court in 1803, the Court declared a small portion of this Act unconstitutional in ''Marbury v. Madison''.)   

The first major legislative accomplishment of the "Washington Administration" (the name given to the government under a particular president) was the Judiciary Act of 1789, which established federal court system.  (Later, in the first major ruling of the Supreme Court in 1803, the Court declared a small portion of this Act unconstitutional in ''Marbury v. Madison''.)   

More legislation followed.  The Patent Act of 1790 established a procedure under the Patent Clause of the Constitution (Art. I, Section 8, clause 8) by which people could obtain exclusive ownership of their inventions by obtain patents on them.  This which created a unique incentive for Americans to invent useful new devices.  This motivated Eli Whitney to invent in 1793 and patent in 1794 the cotton gin, which enabled the automated picking of bits of cotton by pulling them through a screen, which filtered out the thorns and seeds stuck to the cotton.<ref>https://science.howstuffworks.com/innovation/famous-inventors/famous-eli-whitney-inventions.htm</ref>  A brush then removed the cotton from the blade on each rotation.  This invention enabling picking as much cotton in one hour as the work of many men picking cotton all day, and allowed the South to vastly increase its production of cotton to sell to the entire world.  The South then imported even more slaves to vastly expand its cotton production.  By the time of the [[Civil War]], some thought the South was invincible due to its tremendous ability to produce cotton ("King Cotton"), upon which the world depended as a basic ingredient for clothing.

More legislation followed.  The Patent Act of 1790 established a procedure under the Patent Clause of the Constitution (Art. I, Section 8, clause 8) by which people could obtain exclusive ownership of their inventions by obtain patents on them.  This which created a unique incentive for Americans to invent useful new devices.  This motivated Eli Whitney to invent in 1793 and patent in 1794 the cotton gin, which enabled the automated picking of bits of cotton by pulling them through a screen, which filtered out the thorns and seeds stuck to the cotton.<ref>https://science.howstuffworks.com/innovation/famous-inventors/famous-eli-whitney-inventions.htm</ref>  A brush then removed the cotton from the blade on each rotation.  This invention enabling picking as much cotton in one hour as the work of many men picking cotton all day, and allowed the South to vastly increase its production of cotton to sell to the entire world.  The South then imported even more slaves to expand its cotton production.  By the time of the [[Civil War]], some thought the South was invincible due to its tremendous ability to produce cotton ("King Cotton"), upon which the world depended as a basic ingredient for clothing, other fabrics, bedding, and insulation.

[[File:Cotton gin.jpg|300px|left|thumb|Eli Whitney's invention: the cotton gin]]

[[File:Cotton gin.jpg|300px|left|thumb|Eli Whitney's invention: the cotton gin]]

In 1790, George Washington's top aide and the Secretary of the Treasury, Alexander Hamilton, gave a report on public credit to Congress.  Hamilton urged Congress to create a national bank run by a private board of directors.  Thomas Jefferson, who was a rival of Hamilton, opposed establishing a national bank, arguing that it was not authorized by the Constitution.  But Hamilton persuaded Washington based on the "necessary and proper" clause<ref>U.S. Const., Article One, section 8, clause 18:  "The Congress shall have Power - To make all Laws which shall be '''necessary and proper''' for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers, and all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States, or in any Department or Officer thereof."</ref> (implied powers) of the Constitution.  Accordingly, in 1791 Hamilton was successful in persuading Congress to establish the First Bank of the United States, pursuant to the Bank Act.

In 1790, George Washington's top aide and the Secretary of the Treasury, Alexander Hamilton, gave a report on public credit to Congress.  Hamilton urged Congress to create a national bank run by a private board of directors.  Thomas Jefferson, who was a rival of Hamilton, opposed establishing a national bank, arguing that it was not authorized by the Constitution.  But Hamilton persuaded Washington based on the "necessary and proper" clause<ref>U.S. Const., Article One, section 8, clause 18:  "The Congress shall have Power - To make all Laws which shall be '''necessary and proper''' for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers, and all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States, or in any Department or Officer thereof."</ref> (implied powers) of the Constitution.  Accordingly, in 1791 Hamilton was successful in persuading Congress to establish the First Bank of the United States, pursuant to the Bank Act.

== The Supreme Court ==

== The Supreme Court ==

The new U.S. Supreme Court did not have its own building or the immense power it has today.  In 1793 it issued a decision named ''Chisholm v. Georgia'' which allowed, for the first time, a lawsuit to be filed against a state in the new federal courts by a citizen of ''a different'' state.  This outraged the states and was considered an "activist" decision by the Supreme Court, because it subjected a state to the judicial power of the new national government.  Within two years Congress passed and more than 3/4 of the states ratified the [[Eleventh Amendment]] to the Constitution specifically to overturn this decision.  This illustrated a type of "check and balance" on Supreme Court power: the power of the People to amend the Constitution to overturn a bad Supreme Court decision.  Including the Bill of Rights, there have been a total of 27 amendments to the Constitution, a few of which were motivated by a desire to overturn a bad Supreme Court decision.  Notice that Congress cannot overrule the Supreme Court if the Court bases its decision in the Constitution itself; an amendment to the Constitution is then the only way to overrule a Supreme Court decision that is based in the Constitution.

The new U.S. Supreme Court did not have its own building or the immense power it has today.  In 1793 it issued a decision named ''Chisholm v. Georgia'' which allowed, for the first time, a lawsuit to be filed against a state in the new federal courts by a citizen of ''a different'' state.  This outraged the states and was considered an "activist" decision by the Supreme Court, because it subjected a state to the judicial power of the new national government.  Proving how little respect there was for the new Supreme Court, within two years Congress passed and more than 3/4th of the states ratified the [[Eleventh Amendment]] to the Constitution specifically to overturn this decision.  This illustrated a type of "check and balance" on Supreme Court power: the power of the People to amend the Constitution to overturn a bad Supreme Court decision.  Including the Bill of Rights, there have been a total of 27 amendments to the Constitution, a few of which were motivated by a desire to overturn a bad Supreme Court decision.  Notice that Congress cannot overrule the Supreme Court if the Court bases its decision in the Constitution itself; an amendment to the Constitution is then the only way to overrule a Supreme Court decision that is based in the Constitution.

==The Two-Party System==

==The Two-Party System==

The "two-party" system developed as part of the political struggle between rivals to take power after George Washington.  On one side was farmers, people in debt (debtors), and rural America, which was led by future Presidents Thomas Jefferson and James Madison.  On the other side were the bankers, manufacturers and cities (urban interests), which were led by Alexander Hamilton and John Adams.

The "two-party" system developed as part of the political struggle between rivals to take power after George Washington.  On one side were farmers, people in debt (debtors), and rural America, who were led by future Presidents Thomas Jefferson and James Madison.  On the other side were the bankers, manufacturers and cities (urban interests), which were led by Alexander Hamilton and John Adams.

The split between those loyal to England and those loyal to France also fed into the new two-party system.  Jefferson favored France, while Adams favored England.  They had previously been ambassadors to those countries.

The split between those loyal to England and those loyal to France also fed into the new two-party system.  Jefferson favored France, while Adams favored England.  They had previously been diplomats to those countries.

Around 1792, two political parties arose in opposition to each other.  Jefferson and Madison founded the Democratic-Republican Party, while Hamilton and Adams founded the Federalist Party.  Thereafter political candidates for office, including the presidency, aligned themselves with one or the other political party.  Later other political parties arose to replace one or the other.

Around 1792, two political parties arose in opposition to each other.  Jefferson and Madison founded the Democratic-Republican Party, while Hamilton and Adams founded the Federalist Party.  Thereafter political candidates for office, including the presidency, aligned themselves with one or the other of the two main political parties.  Later other political parties arose to replace the initial ones.

George Washington disfavored political parties, and in a sense was "above" them.  But today many consider political parties to be essential to give voters a real choice in elections rather than having candidates adopting the same positions as each other.

George Washington disfavored political parties, and in a sense was "above" them.  But today many consider political parties to be essential to give voters a real choice in elections rather than having candidates adopting the same positions as each other, which would deprive voters a real choice on Election Day.

==The Presidency of John Adams==

==The Presidency of John Adams==

Adams was a brilliant man with a hard-charging personality.  He was considered rude and arrogant, and did not take criticism well.  Adams was not creative.  His personality was the opposite of Thomas Jefferson, whom Adams narrowly defeated in 1796 for president but then lost to Jefferson in 1800.  But Adams' wife Abigail was very charming and is credited with keeping Adams more polite than he would have been.

Adams was a brilliant man with a hard-charging personality.  He was considered rude and arrogant, and did not take criticism well.  Adams was not creative.  His personality was the opposite of Thomas Jefferson, whom Adams narrowly defeated in 1796 for president but then lost to Jefferson in 1800.  But Adams' wife Abigail was very charming and is credited with keeping Adams more polite than he would have been.

Adams served only one term (four years) and his presidency was a failure due primarily to foreign policy humiliations.  The problem was that no one in Europe respected this new country called the United States, and Adams was unable to deal with that lack of respect.  For example, in 1798 there was the "XYZ Affair," in which American diplomats went to France to demand an end to French attacks on American ships.  Instead of being received in a dignified manner, three French agents (referred to anonymously as "XYZ") demanded that a bribe be given to them or else the American request would not even be considered.  News of this demand for a bribe reached the United States and it was humiliating to the young country.

Adams served only one term (four years) and his presidency was a failure due primarily to foreign policy humiliations.  The problem was that no one in Europe respected this new country called the United States, and Adams was unable to deal with that lack of respect.  For example, in 1798 there was the "XYZ Affair," in which American diplomats went to France to demand an end to French attacks on American ships.  Instead of welcoming the Americans in a dignified manner, three French agents (referred to anonymously as "XYZ") demanded that a bribe be given to them or else the American request would not even be considered.  News of this demand for a bribe reached the United States and it was humiliating to the young country.

Adams had been a successful attorney, and had courageously obtained "not guilty" verdicts at the trial of the British soldiers who fired upon colonists in the Boston Massacre.  But like many trial attorneys, Adams was combative in personal discussions also.  He loved to argue all the time.  That personality does not make for a good President.

Adams had been a successful attorney, and had courageously obtained "not guilty" verdicts at the trial of the British soldiers who fired upon colonists in the Boston Massacre.  But like many trial attorneys, Adams was combative in personal discussions also.  He loved to argue all the time.  That personality does not make for a good President.