Early Events and Dilemmas in America
During the first few years of the United States, the country experienced several complicated issues that tested the new nation. Three of these events were the Whiskey Rebellion, XYZ Affair, and the passing of the Alien and Sedition Acts.
These issues were significant to the development of the new government’s foreign and domestic relations.
One of the first major events that tested the new nation’s government was the Whiskey Rebellion.
A tax on whiskey was passed in 1791 to generate revenue for the debt incurred from the American Revolution. This was the first tax imposed on a domestic product by the newly formed federal government.
Many distillers who made the whiskey protested and refused to pay the tax, especially on the western frontier.
In 1794, after years of aggression with tax collectors, farmers and distillers in western Pennsylvania attacked and burned the home of the regional tax collector.
President Washington responded by leading 13,000 troops into the area to stop a full blown revolution. The Whiskey Rebellion showed that the new federal government had the ability to suppress resistance and enforce its laws.
Opposition to the whiskey tax built support for the Democratic-Republicans, who did not like the large show of force shown by the federal government. This helped bring the Democratic-Republicans into power in the election of 1800.
A second major issue involved foreign affairs between the United States and France. France was angry at the U.S. after America signed a navigation and commerce treaty with Britain, France’s long time enemy. The French issued an order to seize all American merchant ships.
Wanting to avoid war, the U.S. sent three negotiators to France to restore harmony in 1797. However, three French diplomats called X, Y, and Z refused to work with the Americans unless the Americans paid them a bribe.
The incident was reported to Congress and an undeclared naval war broke out in 1798, with French and American ships attacking each other in the Caribbean.
Further negotiation between diplomats led to a peaceful resolution. The event showed the world that the US would demand respectful negotiations. It also led Congress and the president to build up the nation's armed forces.
Finally, the Alien and Sedition Acts were passed in 1798 in response to that Quasi-War with France. The Alien Act threatened to deport foreigners and made it harder for new immigrants to vote.
The Sedition Act made it illegal to make false or malicious statements about the government. This limited freedom of speech and the press and was used by President John Adams' administration to suppress criticism.
Republican newspaper editors were arrested and sometimes imprisoned. These acts violated individual protections. Kentucky and Virginia found the laws invalid in their states.
These controversial laws helped turn Americans against Adams and Thomas Jefferson was elected to the presidency in 1800. He allowed the Sedition Act to expire that year.