Lesson 9.2: Challenges to the New Government

Today’s Essential Question: How did the Washington administration face its problems

at home and with foreign countries?

Securing the Northwest Territory

• The Trans-Appalachian West

• Spain claimed the land west of theMississippi, Florida, and the port of New Orleans.

The Port of New Orleans• Key to trade for American

settlers in the West • Goods carried to market by

flatboat• The Spanish threatened to

close the port of New Orleans to Americans.

Securing the Northwest Territory

The Spanish stirred up trouble between the white settlers and Native American

groups in the Southeast.

Securing the Northwest Territory

• The British still held forts north of the Ohio River in order to maintain its access to the fur in these territories.

• Indian resistance to white settlement encouraged by Britain

Securing the Northwest Territory• In the Northwest,

American settlers met fierce resistance from Native Americans.

• 1790 – Chief Little Turtle wins two decisive victories against U.S. troops by uniting many tribes in a confederation to defeat the federal army.

The Battle of Fallen Timbers (1794)

Without Little Turtle’s leadership, the Indians were defeated by General Anthony Wayne’s troops.

The Battle of Fallen Timbers (1794)

The British refused to help the retreating Indians because they did not want war with

the United States, refused to help them.

The Treaty of Greenville

• Native Americans surrender most of Ohio and Indiana

• Treaty ended Indian hopes of keeping their land in Ohio

The Whiskey Rebellion

• Whiskey was used by farmers as money to trade for other goods.

• 1794 – farmers in western Pennsylvania rebelled

Washington sent an army to crush the Whiskey Rebellion.

Washington meant to show that the government had the power and the will to

enforce its laws.

The French Revolution• 1789 – French

Revolution (liberte, egalite, fraternite)

• Strong U.S. support until the struggle turned violent

• Louis XVI and thousands of citizens killed

The French Revolution• Britain, Spain, and Holland

declared war against France.• United States caught in the middle• France had been America’s ally

against the British• Britain had become America’s #1

trade partner

The French RevolutionHamilton – ‘British trade is

too important to risk in war.’

Jefferson – ‘Any move against the French Revolution is an

attack on liberty everywhere.’

Washington declared U.S

would remain neutral.

Remaining neutral proved difficult.

• 1792 – Britain began seizing the cargoes of American ships sailing to Europe.

• This angered many Americans and made it hard for the United States to remain neutral.

Jay’s Treaty

• John Jay sent to England to negotiate an end to the seizures of American ships

• Also to get them to give up their NW Territory forts

Jay’s Treaty• News of the Battle of Fallen Timbers helped

convince Britain to give up the forts by 1796.

• The British also agreed to pay damages for vessels they had seized.

Jay’s Treaty

Jay’s treaty was unpopular, because he did not convince the British to open trade with the

British West Indies to Americans.

Pinckney’s Treaty with Spain (1795)

• Americans could travel freely on the Mississippi River and to New Orleans.

• Spain accepted the 31st parallel as the boundary between Spanish Florida and United States.