119-515: Gallatin County is the name of three counties in the United States, all named directly or indirectly for Albert Gallatin : Gallatin County, Illinois Gallatin County, Kentucky Gallatin County, Montana [REDACTED] Topics referred to by the same term This disambiguation page lists articles about distinct geographical locations with
238-729: A $ 20 million federal infrastructure program. Among his proposals were canals through Cape Cod , the Delmarva Peninsula , and the Great Dismal Swamp , a road stretching from Maine to Georgia, a series of canals connecting the Hudson River with the Great Lakes , and various other canals to connect seaports like Charleston with interior regions. Resistance from many congressional Democratic-Republicans regarding cost, as well as hostilities with Britain, prevented
357-505: A $ 20 million federal loan program to support fledgling manufacturers. He was also unable to convince Congress to renew the charter of the First Bank of the United States (commonly known as the national bank ). Although the national bank had been established as part of Hamilton's economic program, and Jefferson believed that it was "one of the most deadly hostility existing against the principles and form of our Constitution," Gallatin saw
476-558: A Federalist majority, submitted to the states a series of amendments to guarantee specific freedoms and rights; once ratified, these would become the first ten amendments to the Constitution. Upon taking office in 1789, President Washington nominated his wartime chief of staff Alexander Hamilton to the new office of Secretary of the Treasury . Hamilton wanted a strong national government with financial credibility, and he proposed
595-650: A bartering venture, in which he dealt with a variety of goods and supplies. He enjoyed the simple life and the natural environment surrounding him. Gallatin and Serre returned to Boston in October 1781 after abandoning their bartering venture in Machias. Friends of Pictet, who had learned that Gallatin had traveled to the United States, convinced Harvard College to employ Gallatin as a French tutor. Gallatin disliked living in New England , instead preferring to become
714-623: A delegate to the 1789 Pennsylvania Constitutional Convention and won election to the Pennsylvania General Assembly . Gallatin was elected to the United States Senate in 1793, emerging as a leading Anti-Federalist and opponent of Alexander Hamilton 's economic policies. However, he was soon removed from office on a party-line vote due to not meeting requisite citizenship requirements; returning to Pennsylvania, Gallatin helped calm many angry farmers during
833-628: A facilitated access to the government itself through the channels of party passions. Thus the policy and the will of one country are subjected to the policy and will of another. Washington never considered himself a member of any party, but broadly supported most Federalist policies. The spoils system helped finance Federalist printers until 1801 and Republican editors after that. Federalist Postmasters General , Timothy Pickering (1791–94) and Joseph Habersham (1795–1801) appointed and removed local postmasters to maximize party funding. Numerous printers were appointed as postmasters. They did not deliver
952-431: A faculty, when discussion grows too warm, of turning off its edge by a joke, which I envy him more than all his other talents; and he has in his character one of the most extraordinary combinations of stubbornness and of flexibility that I ever met with in man. His greatest fault I think to be an ingenuity sometimes trenching upon ingenuousness. After the end of the war, Gallatin negotiated a commercial treaty providing for
1071-476: A farmer in the Trans-Appalachian West, which at that point was the frontier of American settlement. He became the interpreter and business partner of a French land speculator, Jean Savary, and traveled throughout various parts of the United States in order to purchase undeveloped Western lands. In 1785, he became an American citizen after he swore allegiance to the state of Virginia , fulfilling
1190-487: A few years afterwards. The party appealed to businesses who favored banks, national over state government, manufacturing, and an army and navy. In world affairs, the party preferred Great Britain and strongly opposed involvement in the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars . The party favored centralization, federalism , modernization, industrialization, and protectionism. The Federalists called for
1309-601: A final time at the June 1815 Battle of Waterloo . Gallatin's patience and skill in dealing with not only the British but also his fellow members of the American commission, including Clay and Adams, made the treaty "the special and peculiar triumph of Mr. Gallatin." John Quincy Adams , head of the American negotiating team, described Gallatin: [H]e seldom yields to an ebullition of temper, and recovers from it immediately. He has
SECTION 10
#17327725370941428-648: A highly visible celebration of the nation's new civil religion. The Fourth of July became a semi-sacred day—a status it has maintained for much of American history. Its celebration in Boston emphasized national over local patriotism and included orations, dinners, militia musters, parades, marching bands, floats and fireworks. By 1800, the Fourth of July was closely identified with the Federalist Party. Republicans were annoyed and staged their own celebrations on
1547-574: A letter to Madison, asking for permission to resign and criticizing the president for various actions, including his failure to take a strong stance on the national bank. Shortly afterwards, Madison replaced Secretary of State Smith with James Monroe, and Gallatin withdrew his resignation request. Following the repeal of the Embargo Act of 1807, Gallatin was charged with enforcing the Non-Intercourse Act of 1809 , which lifted parts of
1666-519: A new capital stock of several millions of dollars, which, with that before existing, is directed into every branch of business, giving life and vigor to industry in its infinitely diversified operation. The enemies of the general government, the funding act and the National Bank may bellow tyranny, aristocracy, and speculators through the Union and repeat the clamorous din as long as they please; but
1785-468: A prudent financial manager led to his appointment as Treasury Secretary . Under Jefferson, Gallatin reduced government spending, instituted checks and balances for government expenditures, and financed the Louisiana Purchase . He retained his position through James Madison's administration until February 1814, maintaining much of Hamilton's financial system while presiding over a reduction in
1904-404: A resumption of trade between the United States and Britain. Though the war with Britain had at best been a stalemate, Gallatin was pleased that it resulted in the consolidation of U.S. control over western territories, as the British withdrew their support from dissident Native Americans who had sought to create an independent state in the Great Lakes region . He also noted that "the war has laid
2023-522: A somewhat different coalition of nationalists led by Washington, which advocated replacing the weaker national government under the Articles of Confederation with a new Constitution in 1789. This early coalition included Hamilton and James Madison . The Federalists of this time were rivaled by the Anti-Federalists , who opposed the ratification of the Constitution and objected to creating
2142-726: A speech advocating against normalizing relations with self-liberated slaves in the French colony of Saint-Domingue , arguing that if "they were left to govern themselves, they might become more troublesome to us, in our commerce to the West Indies , than the Algerines ever were in the Mediterranean ; they might also become dangerous neighbors to the Southern States , and an asylum for renegades from those parts." In
2261-466: A strain of radical republican thought that originated in England a century earlier, convinced him that public debts were a nursery of multiple public evils—corruption, legislative impotence, executive tyranny, social inequality, financial speculation, and personal indolence. Not only was it necessary to extinguish the existing debt as rapidly as possible, he argued, but Congress would have to ensure against
2380-463: A strong national government that promoted economic growth and fostered friendly relationships with Great Britain in opposition to Revolutionary France. The Federalist Party came into being between 1789 and 1790 as a national coalition of bankers and businessmen in support of Hamilton's fiscal policies . These supporters worked in every state to build an organized party committed to a fiscally sound and nationalistic government. The only Federalist president
2499-539: A stronger central government. The critiques of the Constitution raised by the Anti-Federalists influenced the creation of the Bill of Rights . Federalists responded to these objections by promising to add a bill of rights as amendments to the Constitution to satisfy these concerns, which aided in securing acceptance and ratification of the Constitution by the states. The new United States Congress , initially with
SECTION 20
#17327725370942618-551: Is already too strong for the republican parts of the Constitution; and therefore in equivocal cases they incline to the legislative powers: the former of these are called federalists, sometimes aristocrats or monocrats, and sometimes tories, after the corresponding sect in the English Government of exactly the same definition: the latter are stiled republicans, whigs, jacobins, anarchists, disorganizers, etc. these terms are in familiar use with most persons. In New England,
2737-503: Is also portrayed in the center of the $ 500 denomination set of Greenbacks (series 1862–63) currency issue. Gallatin said "far too much credit has been given me for abilities at the expense of the purity of my motives." Federalist Party Defunct Newspapers Journals TV channels Websites Other Economics Gun rights Identity politics Nativist Religion Watchdog groups Youth/student groups Miscellaneous Other The Federalist Party
2856-527: The 1808 presidential election . After taking office, Madison sought to appoint Gallatin as Secretary of State, which was generally seen as the most prestigious cabinet position. Opposition from the Senate convinced Madison to retain Gallatin as Secretary of the Treasury, and Robert Smith instead received the appointment as Secretary of State. Gallatin was deeply displeased by the appointment of Smith, and he
2975-605: The American civil religion . George Washington was always their hero and after his death he became viewed as a sort of demigod looking down from heaven to bestow his blessings on the party. At first, the Federalists focused on commemorating the ratification of the Constitution and organized parades to demonstrate widespread popular support for the new Federalist Party. The parade organizers incorporated secular versions of traditional religious themes and rituals, thereby fostering
3094-596: The Bureau of Indian Affairs . Gallatin developed a personal relationship with Cherokee tribal leader John Ridge , who provided him with information on the vocabulary and the structure of the Cherokee language . Gallatin's research resulted in two published works: A Table of Indian Languages of the United States (1826) and Synopsis of the Indian Tribes of North America (1836). His research led him to conclude that
3213-587: The Enlightenment , he believed in the nobility of human nature and that when freed from social restrictions, it would display admirable qualities and greater results in both the physical and the moral world. The democratic spirit of the United States attracted him and he decided to emigrate. In April 1780, Gallatin secretly left Geneva with his classmate Henri Serre. Carrying letters of recommendation from eminent Americans (including Benjamin Franklin ) that
3332-715: The Episcopalians in the larger cities supported the Federalists, while other minority denominations tended toward the Republican camp. Catholics in Maryland were generally Federalists. The state networks of both parties began to operate in 1794 or 1795, and patronage became a factor. The winner-takes-all election system opened a wide gap between winners, who got all the patronage, and losers who got none. Hamilton had many lucrative Treasury jobs to dispense—there were 1,700 of them by 1801. Jefferson had one part-time job in
3451-594: The Jay Treaty negotiated in 1794. Hamilton developed the concept of implied powers and successfully argued the adoption of that interpretation of the Constitution. The Democratic-Republicans led by Jefferson denounced most of the Federalist policies, especially the bank and implied powers, and vehemently attacked the Jay Treaty as a sell-out of republican values to the British monarchy. The Jay Treaty passed and
3570-721: The Missouri River . The town of Three Forks is in Gallatin County, Montana , and Montana also hosts Gallatin National Forest and Gallatin Range . Gallatin, Tennessee , the seat of Sumner County and Gallatin County, Kentucky are also named for Gallatin. Gallatin's home of Friendship Hill is maintained by the National Park Service . A statue of Gallatin stands at the northern entrance of
3689-507: The Napoleonic Wars . During Jefferson's second term, both the British and French stepped up efforts to prevent American trade with their respective enemy. Particularly offensive to many Americans was the British practice of impressment , in which the British forced captured American sailors to crew British ships. Jefferson sent James Monroe to Britain to negotiate a renewal and revision of the 1795 Jay Treaty , but Jefferson rejected
Gallatin County - Misplaced Pages Continue
3808-804: The Reign of Terror , when thousands were guillotined, though it was at this point that many began backing away from their pro-France leanings. Many of those executed had been friends of the United States, such as the Comte D'Estaing , whose fleet had fought alongside the Americans in the Revolution ( Lafayette had already fled into exile, and Thomas Paine went to prison in France). The republicans denounced Hamilton, Adams and even Washington as friends of Britain, as secret monarchists , aristocrats and as enemies of
3927-618: The Rush–Bagot Treaty and the Treaty of 1818 , two treaties with Britain that settled several issues left over from the War of 1812 and established joint Anglo-American control over Oregon Country . Upon returning to the United States, Gallatin agreed to serve as William H. Crawford 's running mate in the 1824 presidential election , but later withdrew from the race at Crawford's request. Crawford had originally hoped that Gallatin's presence on
4046-675: The Second Bank of the United States as a replacement for the defunct First Bank of the United States. Gallatin considered going into business with his longtime friend, John Jacob Astor, but ultimately he accepted appointment as ambassador to France . He served in that position from 1816 to 1823. Though he did not approve of the prevailing ideology of the Bourbon Restoration , Gallatin and his family enjoyed living in Paris . While serving as ambassador to France, he helped negotiate
4165-604: The Treasury Building ; a statue of Hamilton stands at the building's southern entrance. The Albert Gallatin Area School District , located in southwestern Fayette County, Pennsylvania, and having contained within Gallatin's home, Friendship Hill, is also named after Gallatin. Businessman Albert Gallatin Edwards (who founded his eponymous brokerage firm in 1887 which folded into Wachovia in 2007)
4284-785: The United States General Land Office as part of the Department of the Treasury, charging the new office with overseeing public lands. To help develop western lands, Gallatin advocated for internal improvements such as roads and canals, especially those that would connect to territories west of the Appalachian Mountains. In 1805, despite his earlier constitutional reservations, Jefferson announced his support for federally financed infrastructure projects. Three years later, Gallatin put forward his Report on Roads and Canals , in which he advocated for
4403-731: The Whiskey Rebellion . Gallatin won election to the House of Representatives in 1795, where he helped establish the House Ways and Means Committee . He became the chief spokesman on financial matters for the Democratic-Republican Party and led opposition to the Federalist economic program. Gallatin helped Thomas Jefferson prevail in the contentious presidential election of 1800 , and his reputation as
4522-516: The election of 1824 , Gallatin was nominated for Vice President by the Democratic-Republican Congressional caucus , but never wanted the position and ultimately withdrew due to a lack of popular support. In 1826 and 1827, he served as the ambassador to Britain and negotiated several agreements, such as a ten-year extension of the joint occupation of Oregon Country . He thereafter retired from politics and dedicated
4641-631: The measles before she was eight months old, Sophia and Hannah also died as infants. Gallatin's marriage proved to be politically and economically advantageous, as the Nicholsons enjoyed connections in New York, Georgia, and Maryland. With most of his business ventures unsuccessful, Gallatin sold much of his land, excluding Friendship Hill, to Robert Morris ; he and his wife would instead live in Philadelphia and other coastal cities for most of
4760-482: The war between France and Great Britain . Hamilton proposed to fund the national and state debts, and Madison and John J. Beckley began organizing a party to oppose it. This " Anti-Administration " faction became what is now called the Democratic-Republican Party , led by Madison and Thomas Jefferson. This party attracted many Anti-Federalists who were wary of a centralized government. By
4879-652: The Anglo-American control of Oregon Country, Gallatin returned to the United States in November 1827. Gallatin moved to New York City in 1828 and became president of the National Bank of New York the following year. He attempted to persuade President Jackson to recharter the Second Bank of the United States, but Jackson vetoed a recharter bill and the Second Bank lost its federal charter in 1836. In 1831, Gallatin helped found New York University , and in 1843 he
Gallatin County - Misplaced Pages Continue
4998-669: The Democratic-Republican leader in the House of Representatives. During the Quasi-War with France, Gallatin criticized military expenditures and opposed passage of the Alien and Sedition Acts . In the contingent election that decided the outcome of the 1800 presidential election , Gallatin helped Thomas Jefferson secure victory over his ostensible running mate, Aaron Burr . Gallatin's mastery of public finance made him
5117-521: The Federalist Party was closely linked to the Congregational church . When the party collapsed, the church was disestablished. In 1800 and other elections, the Federalists targeted infidelity in any form. They repeatedly charged that Republican candidates were atheistic or anti-religious, especially Jefferson, Paine, and Franklin. Conversely, the Baptists, Methodists, and other dissenters favored
5236-585: The Federalists to dominate. The Jay Treaty battle in 1794–1795 was the effort by Washington, Hamilton and John Jay to resolve numerous difficulties with Britain. Some of these issues dated to the Revolution, such as boundaries, debts owed in each direction and the continued presence of British forts in the Northwest Territory . In addition, the United States hoped to open markets in the British Caribbean and end disputes stemming from
5355-477: The Federalists won most of the major legislative battles in the 1790s. They held a strong base in the nation's cities and in New England. They factionalized when President Adams secured peace with France, to the anger of Hamilton's larger faction. The Jeffersonians won the presidential election of 1800 , and the Federalists never returned to power. They recovered some strength through their intense opposition to
5474-654: The Gallatin family procured, the young men left France in May, sailing on an American ship, "the Kattie". They reached Cape Ann on July 14 and arrived in Boston the next day, traveling the intervening thirty miles by horseback. Bored with monotonous Bostonian life, Gallatin and Serre set sail with a Swiss female companion to the settlement of Machias , located on the northeastern tip of the Maine frontier. At Machias, Gallatin operated
5593-403: The Hamiltonian program had restored national prosperity, as shown in one 1792 anonymous newspaper essay: To what physical, moral, or political energy shall this flourishing state of things be ascribed? There is but one answer to these inquiries: Public credit is restored and established. The general government, by uniting and calling into action the pecuniary resources of the states, has created
5712-417: The Jefferson cabinet and the last surviving senator from the 18th century. Gallatin is commemorated in the naming of a number of counties, roads, and streets, as well as through his association with New York University. The Gallatin River , named by the Lewis and Clark expedition, is one of three rivers (along with the Jefferson River and the Madison River ) that converge near Three Forks, Montana to form
5831-620: The Republican cause. Jefferson told the Baptists of Connecticut that there should be a "wall of separation" between church and state, alluding to the writings of Rhode Island's Roger Williams. International affairs—the French Revolution and the subsequent war between royalist Britain and republican France—decisively shaped American politics in 1793–1800 and threatened to entangle the country in wars that "mortally threatened its very existence". The French revolutionaries guillotined King Louis XVI in January 1793, and subsequently declared war on Britain. The French king had been decisive in helping
5950-473: The Republicans after the Treaty fight and in the South the Federalists lost most of the support they had among planters. The excise tax of 1791 caused grumbling from the frontier including threats of tax resistance . Corn, the chief crop on the frontier, was too bulky to ship over the mountains to market unless it was first distilled into whiskey. This was profitable as the United States population consumed per capita relatively large quantities of liquor. After
6069-456: The Senate. Gallatin was one of two senators to vote against the Eleventh Amendment to the United States Constitution . Gallatin had strongly opposed the 1791 establishment of an excise tax on whiskey , as whiskey trade and production constituted an important part of the Western economy. In 1794, after Gallatin had been removed from the Senate and returned to Friendship Hill, the Whiskey Rebellion broke out among disgruntled farmers opposed to
SECTION 50
#17327725370946188-526: The State Department, which he gave to journalist Philip Freneau to attack the Federalists. In New York, George Clinton won the election for governor and used the vast state patronage fund to help the Republican cause. Washington tried and failed to moderate the feud between his two top cabinet members. He was re-elected without opposition in 1792 . The Democratic-Republicans nominated New York's Governor Clinton to replace Federalist John Adams as vice president, but Adams won. The balance of power in Congress
6307-414: The Union." The rebellion collapsed as the army moved near. In the aftermath of the Whiskey Rebellion, Gallatin won election to the United States House of Representatives , taking his seat in March 1795. Upon his return to Congress, Gallatin became the leading financial expert of the Democratic-Republican Party . In 1796, Gallatin published A Sketch on the Finances of the United States , which discussed
6426-403: The United States achieve independence, but now he was dead and many of the pro-American aristocrats in France were exiled or executed. Federalists warned that American republicans threatened to replicate the horrors of the French Revolution and successfully mobilized most conservatives and many clergymen. The Republicans, some of whom had been strong Francophiles, responded with support even through
6545-407: The War of 1812, but they practically vanished during the Era of Good Feelings that followed the end of the war in 1815. The Federalists left a lasting legacy in the form of a strong federal government. After losing executive power, they decisively shaped Supreme Court policy for another three decades through Chief Justice John Marshall . The term " Federalist " was previously used to refer to
6664-408: The Ways and Means Committee earned him a strong reputation as an expert in finance and taxation. Gallatin won election to the United States Senate in early 1793, and he took his seat in December of that year. He quickly emerged as a prominent opponent of Alexander Hamilton 's economic program but was declared ineligible for a seat in the Senate in February 1794 because he had not been a citizen for
6783-540: The Whiskey Rebellion and Madison in an attempt to save the White House during the War of 1812 ). The rebels dispersed and there was no fighting. Federalists were relieved that the new government proved capable of overcoming rebellion while Republicans, with Gallatin their new hero, argued there never was a real rebellion and the whole episode was manipulated in order to accustom Americans to a standing army . Angry petitions flowed in from three dozen Democratic-Republican Societies created by Citizen Genêt. Washington attacked
6902-472: The accumulation of future debts by more diligently supervising government expenditures. Shortly after taking office, Gallatin worked with House Ways and Means Committee Chairman John Randolph to reduce federal spending and reduce or abolish all internal taxes, including the tax on whiskey. He presided over dramatic reductions in military spending, particularly for the United States Navy . Despite his opposition to debt, Gallatin strongly supported and arranged
7021-412: The actual state of agriculture and commerce, the peace, the contentment and satisfaction of the great mass of people, give the lie to their assertions. Jefferson wrote on 12 February 1798: Two political Sects have arisen within the U. S. the one believing that the executive is the branch of our government which the most needs support; the other that like the analogous branch in the English Government, it
7140-409: The ambitious Hamiltonian economic program that involved the assumption of the state debts incurred during the American Revolution. This created a national debt and the means to pay it off, and it set up a national bank along with tariffs, with James Madison playing major roles in the program. Parties were considered to be divisive and harmful to republicanism, and no similar parties existed anywhere in
7259-416: The attacks on American shipping. In June 1812, Madison signed a declaration of war against Britain, beginning the War of 1812 . Madison ordered an invasion of Canada by relying on mostly state militias, but British forces defeated the invasion. The U.S. experienced some successes at sea, but was unable to break the British blockade. With the abolition of the national bank, the drop in import duties due to
SECTION 60
#17327725370947378-574: The company proved unable to attract many settlers. In 1789, Gallatin married Sophie Allègre, the daughter of a Richmond boardinghouse owner, but Allègre died just five months into the marriage. He was in mourning for a number of years and seriously considered returning to Geneva. However, on November 1, 1793, he married Hannah Nicholson, daughter of the well-connected Commodore James Nicholson . They had two sons and four daughters: Catherine, Sophia Albertine, Hannah Maria, Frances, James , and Albert Rolaz Gallatin. Catherine died of whooping cough and
7497-472: The debts owed to France. Acting aggressively, Genêt outfitted privateers that sailed with American crews under a French flag and attacked British shipping. He tried to organize expeditions of Americans to invade Spanish Louisiana and Spanish Florida. When Secretary of State Jefferson told Genêt he was pushing American friendship past the limit, Genêt threatened to go over the government's head and rouse public opinion on behalf of France. Even Jefferson agreed this
7616-550: The early 1790s, newspapers started calling Hamilton supporters "Federalists" and their opponents "Republicans", "Jeffersonians", or "Democratic-Republicans". Jefferson's supporters usually called themselves "Republicans" and their party the "Republican Party". The Federalist Party became popular with businessmen and New Englanders, as Republicans were mostly farmers who opposed a strong central government. Cities were usually Federalist strongholds, whereas frontier regions were heavily Republican. The Congregationalists of New England and
7735-466: The excise tax, the backwoodsmen complained the tax fell on them rather than on the consumers. Cash poor, they were outraged that they had been singled out to pay off the "financiers and speculators" back in the East and to pay the salaries of the federal revenue officers who began to swarm the hills looking for illegal stills. Insurgents in western Pennsylvania shut the courts and hounded federal officials, but Jeffersonian leader Albert Gallatin mobilized
7854-444: The federal collection of the whiskey tax. Gallatin did not join in the rebellion, but criticized the military response of the President George Washington 's administration as an overreaction. Gallatin helped persuade many of the angered farmers to end the rebellion, urging them to accept that "if any one part of the Union are suffered to oppose by force the determination of the whole, there is an end to government itself and of course to
7973-409: The financing for the Louisiana Purchase , in which the U.S. bought French Louisiana . Both Jefferson and Gallatin regarded control of the port of New Orleans , which was ceded in the purchase, as the key to the development of the Western United States. Jefferson had doubts about the constitutionality of the purchase, but Gallatin helped convince the president that a constitutional amendment authorizing
8092-449: The foundation of permanent taxes and military establishments...under our former system we were becoming too selfish, too much attached exclusively to the acquisition of wealth...[and] too much confined in our political feelings to local and State objects." When Gallatin returned from Europe in September 1815, he declined Madison's request to take up his old post as Secretary of the Treasury. He did, however, help convince Congress to charter
8211-402: The hope of future negotiations, Gallatin was replaced as Secretary of the Treasury by George W. Campbell , with the expectation that Gallatin would take up his old post upon his return to the United States. Negotiations with the British finally commenced in Ghent in mid-1814. Negotiations at Ghent lasted for four months. The British could have chosen to shift resources to North America after
8330-422: The languages of the Native Americans, he has been called "the father of American ethnology." The health of both Gallatin and his wife declined in the late 1840s, and Hannah died in May 1849. On Sunday, August 12, Gallatin died in Astoria , now in the Borough of Queens, New York at age 88. He is interred at Trinity Churchyard in New York City. Prior to his death, Gallatin had been the last surviving member of
8449-458: The longest serving U.S. Secretary of the Treasury . He is also known for his contributions to academia, namely as the founder of New York University and cofounder of the American Ethnological Society . Gallatin was born in Geneva in present-day Switzerland and spoke French as a first language. Inspired by the ideals of the American Revolution , he immigrated to the United States in the 1780s, settling in western Pennsylvania . He served as
8568-464: The mail, but they did collect fees from mail users and obtained free delivery of their own newspapers and business mail. To strengthen their coalitions and hammer away constantly at the opposition, both parties sponsored newspapers in the capital ( Philadelphia ) and other major cities. On the Republican side, Philip Freneau and Benjamin Franklin Bache blasted the administration with all
8687-607: The most popular and influential newspapers of the period, The Farmer's Weekly Museum , the Gazette of the United States and The Port Folio . The Federalists were conscious of the need to boost voter identification with their party. Elections remained of central importance, but the rest of the political calendar was filled with celebrations, parades, festivals, and visual sensationalism. The Federalists employed multiple festivities, exciting parades, and even quasi-religious pilgrimages and "sacred" days that became incorporated into
8806-448: The national bank as a key part of the country's financial system. In a letter to Jefferson, Gallatin argued that the bank was indispensable because it served as a place of deposit for government funds, a source of credit, and a regulator of currency. In January 1811, the national bank was effectively abolished after the House and the Senate both defeated bills to recharter the national bank in extremely narrow votes. In response, Gallatin sent
8925-445: The national capital to get his plans through Congress brought strong responses across the country. In the process, what began as a capital faction soon assumed status as a national faction and then as the new Federalist Party. The Federalist Party supported Hamilton's vision of a strong centralized government and agreed with his proposals for a national bank and heavy government subsidies. In foreign affairs, they supported neutrality in
9044-454: The national debt. Gallatin served on the American commission that agreed to the Treaty of Ghent , which ended the War of 1812 . In the aftermath of the war, he helped found the Second Bank of the United States . Declining another term at the Treasury, Gallatin served as Ambassador to France from 1816 to 1823, struggling with scant success to improve relations during the Bourbon Restoration . In
9163-539: The natives of North and South America were linguistically and culturally related and that their common ancestors had migrated from Asia in prehistoric times. Later research efforts included examination of the language of certain native societies in Mexico and Central America. In 1843, he co-founded the American Ethnological Society , serving as the society's first president. Due to his studies of
9282-540: The naval war between Britain and France. Most of all the goal was to avert a war with Britain—a war opposed by the Federalists, that some historians claim the Jeffersonians wanted. As a neutral party, the United States argued it had the right to carry goods anywhere it wanted. The British nevertheless seized American ships carrying goods from the French West Indies . The Federalists favored Britain in
9401-474: The new administration sought to lower taxation (though not import duties), spending, and the national debt ; debt reduction in particular had long been a key goal of the party and Gallatin himself. When Gallatin took office in 1801, the national debt stood at $ 83 million. By 1812, the U.S. national debt had fallen to $ 45.2 million. One historian said of Gallatin: His own fears of personal dependency and his small-shopkeeper's sense of integrity, both reinforced by
9520-477: The obvious choice as Jefferson 's Secretary of the Treasury ; as Jefferson put it, Gallatin was "the only man in the United States who understands, through all the labyrinths Hamilton involved it, the precise state of the Treasury." Gallatin received a recess appointment in May 1801 and was confirmed by the Senate in January 1802. Along with Secretary of State Madison and Jefferson himself, Gallatin became one of
9639-612: The operations of the Treasury Department and strongly attacked the Federalist Party 's financial program. Some historians and biographers believe that Gallatin founded the House Ways and Means Committee in order to check Hamilton's influence over financial issues, but historian Patrick Furlong argues that Hamilton's Federalist allies were actually responsible for founding the committee. After James Madison declined to seek re-election in 1796, Gallatin emerged as
9758-647: The passage of a major infrastructure bill, but Gallatin did win funding for the construction of the National Road . The National Road linked the town of Cumberland , on the Potomac River , with the town of Wheeling , which sat on the Ohio River . Many of Gallatin's other proposals were eventually carried out years later by state and local governments, as well as private citizens. Throughout much of Jefferson's presidency, France and Britain engaged in
9877-654: The purchase was impractical and unnecessary. Gallatin also championed and helped plan the Lewis and Clark Expedition to explore lands west of the Mississippi River . Before and after the Louisiana Purchase, Gallatin presided over a major expansion of public land sales. With the goal of selling land directly to settlers rather than to land speculators, Gallatin increased the number of federal land offices from four to eighteen. In 1812, Congress established
9996-422: The republican values. The level of rhetoric reached a fever pitch. In 1793, Paris sent a new minister, Edmond-Charles Genêt (known as Citizen Genêt ), who systematically mobilized pro-French sentiment and encouraged Americans to support France's war against Britain and Spain. Genêt funded local Democratic-Republican Societies that attacked Federalists. He hoped for a favorable new treaty and for repayment of
10115-523: The required nine years prior to election. The dispute itself had important ramifications. At the time, the Senate held closed sessions. However, with the American Revolution only a decade ended, the senators were leery of anything which might hint that they intended to establish an aristocracy, so they opened up their chamber for the first time for the debate over whether to unseat Gallatin. Soon after, open sessions became standard procedure for
10234-538: The requirements of citizenship as established under Article IV of the Articles of Confederation . Gallatin inherited a significant sum of money the following year, and he used that money to purchase a 400-acre plot of land in Fayette County, Pennsylvania . He built a stone house named Friendship Hill on the new property. Gallatin co-founded a company designed to attract Swiss settlers to the United States, but
10353-691: The rest of his life to various civic, humanitarian, and academic causes. He became the first president of the New York branch of the National Bank from 1831 to 1839, and in 1842 joined John Russell Bartlett to establish the American Ethnological Society; his studies of Indigenous languages of North America have earned him the moniker "father of American ethnology." Gallatin remained active in public life as an outspoken opponent of slavery and fiscal irresponsibility and an advocate for free trade and individual liberty. Gallatin
10472-607: The rest of their lives. In 1788, Gallatin was elected as a delegate to a state convention to discuss possible revisions to the United States Constitution . In the next two years, he served as a delegate to a state constitutional convention and won election to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives . As a public official, he aligned with Anti-Federalists and spent much of his time in the state and national capital of Philadelphia. His service on
10591-631: The rising north–south sectionalism and party spirit in politics that threatened national unity: The party spirits serves always to distract the Public Councils, and enfeeble the Public Administration. It agitates the Community with ill-founded jealousies and false alarms; kindles the animosity of one part against another, foments occasionally riot and insurrection. It opens the door to foreign influence and corruption, which find
10710-631: The same name. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Gallatin_County&oldid=1205220535 " Category : United States county name disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Albert Gallatin Abraham Alfonse Albert Gallatin (January 29, 1761 – August 12, 1849)
10829-490: The scurrility at their command. Bache in particular targeted Washington himself as the front man for monarchy who must be exposed. To Bache, Washington was a cowardly general and a money-hungry baron who saw the Revolution as a means to advance his fortune and fame; Adams was a failed diplomat who never forgave the French their love of Benjamin Franklin and who craved a crown for himself and his descendants; and Alexander Hamilton
10948-529: The societies as illegitimate and many disbanded. Federalists now ridiculed Republicans as "democrats" (meaning in favor of mob rule ) or " Jacobins " (a reference to the Reign of Terror in France). Washington refused to run for a third term, establishing a two-term precedent that was to stand until 1940 and eventually to be enshrined in the Constitution as the 22nd Amendment . He warned in his Farewell Address against involvement in European wars and lamented
11067-410: The speech, Gallatin also expressed opposition to miscegenation . Hofstra University professor Alan Singer argued based on this speech that Gallatin "was certainly not an abolitionist " and that "his claims to oppose slavery can also be read as racist attacks on the humanity of Africans, which was not uncommon among Whites during the antebellum era . With Gallatin taking charge of fiscal policy,
11186-534: The temporary defeat of Napoleon in April 1814, but, as Gallatin learned from Alexander Baring , many in Britain were tired of fighting. In December 1814, the two sides agreed to sign the Treaty of Ghent , which essentially represented a return to the status quo ante bellum . The treaty did not address the issue of impressment, but that issue became a moot point after the British and their allies defeated Napoleon for
11305-578: The three key officials in the Jefferson administration. As Jefferson and Madison spent the majority of the summer months at their respective estates, Gallatin was frequently left to preside over the operations of the federal government. He also acted as a moderating force on Jefferson's speeches and policies, in one case convincing Jefferson to refrain from calling for the abolition of the General Welfare Clause . In 1799, Gallatin made
11424-410: The ticket would help him win the support of Pennsylvania voters, but the emergence of General Andrew Jackson as a presidential contender caused Crawford to refocus his campaign on other states. Though Gallatin had never wanted the role, he was humiliated when he was forced to withdraw from the race. He was alarmed at the possibility Jackson might win, as he saw Jackson as "an honest man and the idol of
11543-572: The trade embargo but still prevented American ships from engaging in trade with the British and French empires. In 1811, Congress replaced the Non-Intercourse Act of 1809 with a law known as Macon's Bill Number 2 , which authorized the president to restore trade with either France or Britain if either promised to respect American neutrality. As with previous embargo policies pursued by the federal government under Jefferson and Madison, Macon's Bill Number 2 proved to be ineffective at halting
11662-408: The treaty and organized their supporters. The Federalists realized they had to mobilize their popular vote, so they mobilized their newspapers, held rallies, counted votes and especially relied on the prestige of President Washington. The contest over the Jay Treaty marked the first flowering of grassroots political activism in the United States, directed and coordinated by two national parties. Politics
11781-470: The treaty that Monroe reached with the British. After the 1807 Chesapeake – Leopard affair , Jefferson proposed, over Gallatin's strong objections, what would become the Embargo Act of 1807 . That act forbade all American ships from engaging in almost all foreign trade, and it remained in place until its repeal in the final days of Jefferson's presidency. Despite Gallatin's objection to the embargo, he
11900-516: The war and by far most of America's foreign trade was with Britain, hence a new treaty was called for. The British agreed to evacuate the western forts, open their West Indies ports to American ships, allow small vessels to trade with the French West Indies and set up a commission that would adjudicate American claims against Britain for seized ships and British claims against Americans for debts incurred before 1775. One possible alternative
12019-403: The war, and the inability or unwillingness of state banks to furnish credit, Gallatin struggled to fund the war. Reluctantly, he drafted and won passage of several new tax laws, as well as an increase in tariff rates. He also sold U.S. securities to investors, and an infusion of cash from wealthy investors Stephen Girard , John Jacob Astor , and David Parish proved critical to the financing of
12138-598: The war. During the War of 1812, the national debt grew dramatically, going from $ 45 million in early 1812 to $ 127 million in January 1816. In 1813, President James Madison sent Gallatin to St. Petersburg , Russia to serve as a negotiator for a peace agreement to end the War of 1812. He was one of five American commissioners who would negotiate the treaty, serving alongside Henry Clay , James Bayard , Jonathan Russell , and John Quincy Adams . Efforts at starting negotiations in Russia quickly collapsed. While waiting abroad in
12257-418: The western moderates and thus forestalled a serious outbreak. Washington, seeing the need to assert federal supremacy, called out 13,000 state militia and marched toward Washington, Pennsylvania to suppress this Whiskey Rebellion . The rebellion evaporated in late 1794 as Washington approached, personally leading the army (only two sitting Presidents have directly led American military forces, Washington during
12376-412: The world. By 1789, Hamilton started building a nationwide coalition (a "Pro-Administration" faction), realizing the need for vocal political support in the states. He formed connections with like-minded nationalists and used his network of treasury agents to link together friends of the government, especially merchants and bankers, in the new nation's dozen major cities. His attempts to manage politics in
12495-511: The worshippers of military glory, but from incapacity, military habits, and habitual disregard of laws and constitutional provisions, altogether unfit for the office." Ultimately, John Quincy Adams won the 1824 presidential election in a contingent election held in the House of Representatives. Gallatin and his wife returned to Friendship Hill after the presidential election, living there until 1826. That year, Gallatin accepted appointment as ambassador to Britain . After negotiating an extension of
12614-441: Was John Adams . George Washington was broadly sympathetic to the Federalist program, but he remained officially non-partisan during his entire presidency. The Federalist Party controlled the national government until 1801, when it was overwhelmed by the Democratic-Republican opposition led by President Thomas Jefferson . Federalist policies called for a national bank, tariffs, and good relations with Great Britain as expressed in
12733-481: Was a Genevan – American politician, diplomat, ethnologist and linguist . Often described as "America's Swiss Founding Father ", he was a leading figure in the early years of the United States , helping shape the new republic's financial system and foreign policy. Gallatin was a prominent member of the Democratic-Republican Party , represented Pennsylvania in both chambers of Congress , and held several influential roles across four presidencies, most notably as
12852-481: Was a conservative and nationalist American political party and the first political party in the United States. It dominated the national government under Alexander Hamilton from 1789 to 1801. The party was defeated by the Democratic-Republican Party in 1800, and it became a minority party while keeping its stronghold in New England . It made a brief resurgence by opposing the War of 1812 , then collapsed with its last presidential candidate in 1816. Remnants lasted for
12971-498: Was blatant foreign interference in domestic politics. Genêt's extremism seriously embarrassed the Jeffersonians and cooled popular support for promoting the French Revolution and getting involved in its wars. Recalled to Paris for execution, Genêt kept his head and instead went to New York, where he became a citizen and married the daughter of Governor Clinton. Jefferson left office, ending the coalition cabinet and allowing
13090-606: Was born on January 29, 1761, in Geneva , and was until 1785 a citizen of the Republic of Geneva . His parents were the wealthy Jean Gallatin and his wife Sophie Albertine Rollaz. Gallatin's family had great influence in the Republic of Geneva, and many family members held distinguished positions in the magistracy and the army. Jean Gallatin, a prosperous merchant, died in 1765, followed by Sophie in April 1770. Now orphaned, Gallatin
13209-630: Was close, with some members still undecided between the parties. In early 1793, Jefferson secretly prepared resolutions introduced by Virginia Congressman William Branch Giles designed to repudiate Hamilton and weaken the Washington Administration. Hamilton defended his administration of the nation's complicated financial affairs, which none of his critics could decipher until the arrival in Congress of Republican Albert Gallatin in 1793. Federalists counterattacked by claiming that
13328-773: Was elected president of the New York Historical Society . In the mid-1840s, he opposed President James K. Polk 's expansionist policies and wrote a widely-read pamphlet, Peace with Mexico , that called for an end to the Mexican–American War . Gallatin was deeply interested in Native Americans, and he favored their assimilation into European-American culture as an alternative to forced relocation . He drew upon government contacts to research Native Americans, gathering information through Lewis Cass , explorer William Clark, and Thomas McKenney of
13447-455: Was frequently criticized by Smith's brother, Senator Samuel Smith , as well as journalist William Duane of the influential Philadelphia Aurora . He considered resigning from government service, but Madison convinced him to stay on as a key cabinet official and adviser. In 1810, Gallatin published Report on the Subject of Manufactures , in which he unsuccessfully urged Congress to create
13566-574: Was named after Gallatin. Gallatin's name is associated with NYU's Gallatin School of Individualized Study . New York University 's internal course enrollment website for matriculating students is named "NYU Albert", after Gallatin. In 1791, Gallatin was elected to the American Philosophical Society . Gallatin is featured on three U.S. stamps, including one issued in 1967 with the unusual denomination of 1¼¢. Gallatin
13685-459: Was no longer the domain of politicians as every voter was called on to participate. The new strategy of appealing directly to the public worked for the Federalists as public opinion shifted to support the Jay Treaty. The Federalists controlled the Senate and they ratified it by exactly the necessary ⅔ vote (20–10) in 1795. However, the Republicans did not give up and public opinion swung toward
13804-471: Was taken into the care of Mademoiselle Pictet, a family friend and distant relative of Gallatin's father. In January 1773, Gallatin was sent to study at the elite Academy of Geneva . While attending the academy, Gallatin read deeply the philosophy of Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Voltaire , along with the French Physiocrats ; he became dissatisfied with the traditionalism of Geneva. A student of
13923-403: Was tasked with enforcing it against smugglers, who were able to evade the embargo in various ways. The embargo proved ineffective at accomplishing its intended purpose of punishing Britain and France, and it contributed to growing dissent in New England against the Jefferson administration. Overcoming Jefferson's declining popularity and the resentment at the embargo, Secretary of State Madison won
14042-573: Was the most inveterate monarchist of them all. The Federalists, with twice as many newspapers at their command, slashed back with equal vituperation. John Fenno and "Peter Porcupine" ( William Cobbett ) were their nastiest penmen and Noah Webster their most learned. Hamilton subsidized the Federalist editors, wrote for their papers and in 1801 established his own paper, the New York Evening Post . Though his reputation waned considerably following his death, Joseph Dennie ran three of
14161-609: Was war with Britain, a war that the United States was ill-prepared to fight. The Republicans wanted to pressure Britain to the brink of war (and assumed that the United States could defeat a weak Britain). Therefore, they denounced the Jay Treaty as an insult to American prestige, a repudiation of the American-French alliance of 1777 and a severe shock to Southern planters who owed those old debts and who would now be never compensated for their escaped slaves who fled to British lines for their freedom. Republicans protested against
#93906