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| | After 1788, the easiest "landmark" for each period is the President. That does not mean he is the most important person. Not by a long shot. But being able to identify the President is an easy way to organize the events. By the end of this course, I should be able to name any date and you should be able to say who was President. | | After 1788, the easiest "landmark" for each period is the President. That does not mean he is the most important person. Not by a long shot. But being able to identify the President is an easy way to organize the events. By the end of this course, I should be able to name any date and you should be able to say who was President. |
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| − | Let's try it now: 1798. Who was president?<ref>John Adams.</ref>1793?<ref?>George Washington.</ref> 1790?<ref>Also George Washington.</ref> | + | Let's try it now: 1798. Who was president?<ref>John Adams.</ref>1793?<ref>George Washington.</ref> 1790?<ref>Also George Washington.</ref> |
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| − | Now we are up to 1800. The federal or national government has been in operation for a dozen years. How did it pay for its operations? George Washington was President. Did he serve for free? Who paid for his buildings? Where was his office?
| + | In this class we have reached 1800. The federal or national government has been in operation for a dozen years. How did it pay for its operations? George Washington was President. Did he serve for free? Who paid for his buildings? Where was his office? |
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| | Tariffs on imports supported the federal government all the way until World War I in 1916. What is a tariff? | | Tariffs on imports supported the federal government all the way until World War I in 1916. What is a tariff? |
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| − | A tariff is a tax imposed on imported goods, which are goods brought into our country from another country. When a foreign country sent goods to the United States, we would slap a “tariff” or surcharge on those goods as a condition for them to be sold in this country. The more goods we import, the more the revenue from the tariffs. Tariffs were ultimately replaced by the income tax on individuals as the primary means for supporting our government, because President Woodrow Wilson thought tariffs caused wars. In a sense, he was right. The tariffs were even a cause of our Civil War. But more about that later. Some tariffs still exist today. | + | A tariff is a tax imposed on imported goods, which are goods brought into our country from another country. When a foreign country sent goods to the United States, our federal government would impose a "tariff" or surcharge on those goods as a condition for them to be sold in this country. The more goods we import, the more the revenue from the tariffs. Tariffs were ultimately replaced by the income tax on individuals as the primary means for supporting our government, because President Woodrow Wilson thought tariffs caused wars. Others think tariffs are the best way to raise revenue for the government, far better than income taxes. Some tariffs still exist today. |
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| − | Our nation’s capital was located in marshy land now known as the District of Columbia as a compromise. Our capital was initially in New York City, but then Hamilton brokered a compromise with Jefferson whereby the capital would move to Philadelphia in 1791 for ten years, and then in D.C. starting in 1800. In exchange, Hamilton was able to have the federal government assume the war debt. So Washington suppressed the Whiskey Rebellion by riding from Philadelphia, as a student suggested last week. | + | Our nation's capital was located in marshy land now known as the District of Columbia as a compromise. Our capital was initially in New York City, but then Hamilton brokered a compromise with Jefferson whereby the capital would move to Philadelphia in 1791 for ten years, and then in D.C. starting in 1800. In exchange, Hamilton was able to have the federal government assume the war debt. So Washington suppressed the Whiskey Rebellion by riding from Philadelphia, not from Washington, D.C., because the capital was in Philadelphia at that time. |
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| − | Much of history is a combination of wars and compromises. Let's focus next on the period from 1800 to 1840.
| + | This class we focus on the period from 1800 to 1840. |
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| | == Revolution of 1800 == | | == Revolution of 1800 == |