SUMMARY OF ALEXANDER HAMILTON’S GOVERNORSHIP (1798-1800)
Cabinet
Attorney General: Charles Lee (1798-1800)
Secretary of Foreign Affairs: John Jay (1798-1800)
Secretary of Finance: Oliver Wolcott Jr. (1798-1800)
Secretary of War: James McHenry (1798-1800)
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Preparation
With the grand success of the National Party in the Assembly, Hamilton got to work with waging his war against France. Securing an alliance with Britain through the Treaty of London, America would soon find itself at war with France and its ally Spain.
Through a combination of France and Spain being stretched too thin to fight effectively, and America possessing a gargantuan military thanks to its levée en masse policy, the Gulf of Mexico was successfully blockaded, and the colonial forces starved. America would then conquer its way through Louisiana, Florida, and the Caribbean until it stood as a champion.
However, instead of making peace and consolidating the new territories, Hamilton had committed to a great gamble by, with the approval of the British, sending American troops directly to Europe to help put down the French Revolution for Good.
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Stability
The American Revolution was a revolution of intellectuals; elites coming together to organize an overthrow of British rule, guiding the people along the way. The end result was initially instability, under the mob rule provided by the Articles of Confederation, but when the new Constitution came into effect, stability came and America prospered. The same could not be said for France.
The French Revolution was a revolution of the mob; angry men coming out to vent themselves by storming buildings, ransacking cities, and plunging the nation into a sea of blood. Royals, nobles, religious figures, anyone suspected of being an opponent of the revolution was sent to the guillotine. It was one thing to throw off the shackles of tyranny; it was another thing altogether to frenziedly execute anyone associated with the old order.
Though the Jacobin Club had been dissolved long ago, its ideals have not. There are still many radicals in the world who continue to unwaveringly support such ideals even in the face of the French themselves rejecting it; the Committee of Public Safety had been overthrown many years ago in favor of the more moderate Directorate. Chief among these remaining Jacobins was Thomas Paine, the head of the Country Party’s radicals. It was one thing to be a Jacobin; it was another thing entirely to be a Hébertist like him.
With the damage done by Jacobinism as clear as day, Hamilton knew what he had to do. For the sake of not just America, for the sake of not just Europe, but for the sake of the world, the French Revolution had to be stamped out for good. McHenry was shortsighted. It was too risky to just indirectly assist the British. As Jay had prescribed, America had to go to Europe and take the fight directly to France’s shores.
This would be a watershed moment in American history; Alexander Hamilton, the first governor of the United States, had held the burden of every one of his actions setting a precedent for future governors to follow, yet none would be quite like this one. America was destined to be actively involved in the world, and for sure every governor following Hamilton would look back to him to deal with their foreign policy. God save America, for there was no turning back now.
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Outrage
Just as Charles Lee was about to strike at the heart of the Friendly Tribune and make an example of their leaders, Hamilton requested a meeting with him. Happy to finally be in contact with someone else in the executive branch, he complied and met with the governor.
Hamilton met with Lee regarding public order; sending troops abroad was highly unpopular. Even the newspapers which usually backed Hamilton even in his darkest times were questioning the wisdom of sending troops across the sea. What business would America have fighting in Europe? It made sense to punish the French and their allies in Madrid for their misdeeds and to seize their North American holdings, but there was no land to gain in Europe. The land there was not to colonize, for it was the homeland of colonizers.
Hamilton had a simple request for Lee: don’t let the newspapers know a thing about the war in Europe. If anything bad happened, even if it was small, the newspapers would go nuts over it, and the people would follow. Hamilton specifically requested that the Security Act be invoked as soon as any newspaper started speaking up, and that the use of National Marshals against such papers be liberal.
“The papers are your enemy, the papers are your enemy. The isolationists are your enemy, the pacifists are your enemy, the pacifists are your enemy. Write that in your journal 100 times.” was what Lee was told by Hamilton. So, with gusto, he got to work keeping every goddamn paper in-line.
Unfortunately for Hamilton, it wasn’t just the public he had to worry about, as he had to now contend with the sole cabinet member who opposed his decision: Secretary of War James McHenry. This was inevitable. If he sided with McHenry, he’d have to confront Jay. Regardless, he had to get McHenry to support this since waging a war was going to be difficult without the secretary of war supporting said war.
The meeting was brief, as McHenry’s opposition stemmed less from the idea of sending troops to Europe and more so because he believed that it wasn’t winnable and also that the troops would be better off pacifying the newly-occupied territories. Hamilton reassured him of victory being possible, citing the army’s size swelling to almost 6-digits from its already massive size of 80,000 at the war’s start. Furthermore, Hamilton reminded McHenry of the Security Act’s potency in dealing with uppity non-citizens and Attorney General Lee’s efficiency in enforcing the act. National Marshals would be fine enough to secure the territories while the bulk of the army was in Europe, though a small force would be left behind to deal with it.
It seemed the meeting was over, but McHenry had one last concern to mention, on behalf of Secretary of Finance Wolcott, who had been frequently absent for “personal reasons” since the passage of the Fourteen Points. The problem was that of funding such an operation. Funding was generally fine for most of the war due to the Economic Reorganization Act, but fighting such a war in Europe was risky from a fiscal perspective. Hamilton reassured McHenry that he had a plan in mind just in case the money ran dry, though he wouldn’t elaborate. Satisfied, the meeting ended, and Hamilton got to speaking with Britain over the Jay Plan.
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Cooperation
For once, William Grenville would see the governor himself, as opposed to John Jay. He could only hope that whatever happened here would leave a good impression; he had high expectations for such a man like Hamilton. Though, he knew little about why this meeting was called on such short notice, and why Hamilton himself was even there to begin with.
So, the meeting began. Hamilton first began to ask questions about what was going on regarding the European theater. Grenville answered by bringing up the two main campaigns: the slightly successful campaign in Holland, and the stalemating campaign in Italy and Switzerland. The former was only successful due to the arrival of Prussian forces, which had been turning the tide of war, while the latter was a stalemate due to mountainous terrain making offensives nearly impossible against the might of the French Army.
The Battle of Novi, which resulted in a victory for Austro-Prussian forces in Italy.
With that now known, Hamilton informed Grenville of his intention to send American troops over to Europe in order to assist in putting down the French Republic. Furthermore, to surely get Grenville’s approval, he even claimed he intended to go himself. This completely stunned Grenville. Though he knew that Hamilton had a preference for Britain over France, he was still a revolutionary, and him outright planning to send troops across the Atlantic to put one down seemed completely backwards. Still, help was help, and so he happily informed Hamilton that such action would be appreciated.
Of course, the devil was always in the details. The American Army was an extremely large army. If there was one similarity between America and France, it was that they both practiced levée en masse. With all of those troops, lots of food, ammunition, and other supplies were going to be needed to keep them supplied enough to fight. Hamilton acknowledged that he could only give them so many supplies. The bulk of their supplies once they arrived would have to be from Britain and other nations in the Coalition. Wanting nothing more than the final destruction of the French Revolution, Grenville promised logistical support for the troops.
Viewing the meeting as successful, the two ended it there. Hamilton was set to take an unprecedented action; America was going to fight across the sea. Such an action had untold rewards, but doing so possessed unbelievable risks. If anyone could prevail, however, it would be Hamilton.
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Leaked
American troops had landed in Europe, ready to fight. The journey took a bit longer than expected; the seas were rougher than usual, but they still made it. This was it. This was the twilight of the French Revolution.
Unfortunately, back at home, the press caught wind of the staggering number of America’s men landing in Europe. While nothing bad had happened to them yet, Hamilton had underestimated just how much the public opposed any action in Europe.
Despite the best efforts of Attorney General Lee, the press was able to make hay with this. Particularly, that damned Friendly Tribune, right before its final shutdown after Lee had discovered its headquarters in the basement of a building that was supposed to be for textile manufacturing. The whole damn place was run by Quakers. Lee felt incredibly stupid for not making the blatantly obvious connection earlier. Regardless, the newspaper was destroyed in one fell swoop, and those who worked for it were subsequently arrested and convicted.
But this wasn’t going to be the end of it. Absolutely not. The news was out there. Shutting down the papers wouldn’t make that any less true. Already, people were visibly angry about it. Protests began popping up in Philadelphia, and Quakers were running amok denouncing the intervention in Europe. Lee had failed his one job, God help him.
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Timing
What a disaster. Hamilton was all the way in Europe fighting, the people had just gotten wind of the highly unpopular direct intervention, and worst of all, it was election season. Whether Hamilton forgot or simply didn’t care was up in the air. Regardless, for the first time since the Whiskey Rebellion, Hamilton’s allies felt like they would lose.
The National Party was very divided on the direct intervention. They were already divided on the matter of war to begin with; passing the Mobilization Act was no easy feat. But taking the fight to Europe? Many in the party had privately found Hamilton to be insufferable, and a small few in the Assembly began to openly criticize the war. Senate President Pinckney, who acted as governor in Hamilton’s absence, could only thank God that the Senate Nationals had more party discipline.
The Country Party, on the other hand, was vehemently opposed to the war from day one. They saw it as completely ridiculous and counterproductive considering they were a revolutionary nation; what kind of revolutionary nation fights other revolutionary nations? The initial war in North America swayed some of them and the anti-war public into supporting it due to the successes, but war in Europe was insane.
Yet this war was so controversial, that it broke the two-party system. The Quakers, who found no home in either party due to their opposition to mobilization and war as a whole, which made the National Party unfit for them, and their opposition to slavery and Revolutionary France’s worst excesses made the Country Party unfit for them. So, under the leadership of famed abolitionist Elias Hicks, a new party was born from the ideals of the Quakers: the Friendship Party.
Elias Hicks, Quaker, abolitionist, and founder of the Friendship Party.
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THE 1800 UNITED STATES ASSEMBLY ELECTIONS
National Party
The cockade of the National Party.
The National Party stands as the nation’s dominant party. With a supermajority in the Assembly and a working supermajority in the Senate, the nation bows to the whims of the party; more often than not the wishes of Governor Hamilton. The Nationals support Hamilton’s entire domestic program of the Fourteen Points, high tariffs, internal improvements, and defending the Bank.
The party, however, stands in its most divided state since the Whiskey Rebellion. With many members already skeptical of the Mobilization Act and the prospect of war with France, Hamilton’s decision to personally lead American troops into Europe has caused factionalism to once more present itself in the party, with a noticeable chunk of the party opposing such action.
The Louisianans are the less dominant, more moderate faction of the party, headed by Massachusetts Governor John Adams. While still remaining mostly loyal to Governor Hamilton, they do hold some opposition to his domestic policies, most notably the levée en masse provision of the Mobilization Act. Most notably, however, is their opposition to Hamilton’s current foreign policy. The Louisianans are highly opposed to directly intervening in Europe, believing that consolidating the newly conquered territories, most notably Louisiana, is much more beneficial to the nation than recklessly sending American troops overseas, instead favoring indirectly supporting the Coalition through giving arms and loans.
The Rejuvenationists are the current dominant faction of the party, and are obstinately loyal to Governor Hamilton. Headed by Senate President Charles Cotesworth Pinckney, they dance to the tune of Hamilton’s every word as they lend their support towards his complete domestic agenda alongside supporting rigorous enforcement of the Mobilization Act’s levée en masse provision. On foreign policy, they believe in continuing the war until the French Revolution is fully stamped out, in order to destroy the threat of Jacobinism one and for all and rejuvenate America’s standing in the global community. Most controversially, some radicals in the faction have even proposed a postwar military alliance with Britain in order to ensure a maintenance of the postwar order.
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Country Party
The cockade of the Country Party.
The Country Party has, for most of its history so far, been a joke of a party. Opposing Hamilton’s popular agenda and being dominated by radicals alienated many voters, resulting in it never finding a true mandate in the Assembly. However, with Hamilton’s direct intervention in Europe causing the greatest uproar against the governor since the Whiskey Rebellion, the party may finally find a chance to win.
Opposing Hamilton’s domestic agenda, the party calls for a reduction in tariffs, an end to the whiskey tax, and an exit from the war paired with an immediate repeal of the Mobilization Act. However, the party still holds factions, with radicals calling for an end to national internal improvement programs, the bank, and even the standing army, while moderates wish to see a continuation of internal improvements, a reduction in the power of the bank, and the maintenance of a voluntary standing army.
The Normalists are the moderates, headed by Assembly Minority Leader DeWitt Clinton. Calling for a return to normalcy from the turbulent rule of the National Party, the Normalists call for an immediate peace, a repeal of the Security Act, a reduction in tariffs and the whiskey tax, and the pursuit of American neutrality. However, unlike their more radical counterparts, they still believe in national internal improvement programs and only weakening the Bank. Furthermore, they don’t believe in abolishing the standing army, viewing it to be necessary to fight both domestic and foreign threats to national sovereignty.
The Brumaireians are the radicals, headed by former Assembly Minority Leader Thomas Paine. The Brumaireians support a peace treaty with France and Spain containing compensation for the conquered territories, and an issuing of arms shipments and loans to Revolutionary France, viewing them as fellow revolutionaries fighting a fight not so different from America’s own decades prior. On domestic affairs, they favor a complete repeal of the entire Fourteen Points and the Mobilization Act, alongside abolishing the Bank, national internal improvements, the whiskey tax, all protective tariffs, and the standing army, viewing them all as threats to liberty and proof of the urban class conspiring to dominate the common farmer.
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Friendship Party
*Note: This is a write-in option only.*
The cockade of the Friendship Party.
The newest party to join the American political scene, the oddly named Friendship Party seeks to further the interests of the Quaker cause, and especially the cause of pacifism. Headed by famed abolitionist Elias Hicks, the party seeks to combine various ideas from both parties paired with abolitionism. They take from the National Party’s disdain for Revolutionary France and their high support for merchants. They take from the Country Party’s support for peace and their opposition to the Mobilization Act, the Security Act, and the standing army. Their syncretic ideals are further represented by their notable members, with Moses Brown representing the merchants, William Savery representing the pro-Indian rights activists, and Robert Pleasants representing the rural folk.
However, due to the party’s affiliation with a small religious group, their hardline pacifism and abolitionism, and the fact that they’ve only just formed, the party is not even known to most voters, and is not projected to get many, if any seats. Furthermore, Quakers are mostly based in the Mid-Atlantic, and consequently, the Friendship Party is only able to run candidates in that area, with all of the candidates requiring write-ins due to not being included on the ballot.
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hi everyone! i need a second opinion - I’ve had this lovely peace lily since 2017 now and this is the first time i’ve ever seen these brown / black spots? it’s suddenly super wilted and weak looking. i’ve noticed the stems are healthy and green, just the leaves that have these spots. I can’t tell if this plant is sick or if it’s severely dehydrated. I obviously want to avoid overwatering it since I don’t want to kill the poor thing.
Since i’ve noticed this I bring it outside in the afternoon to get some fresh air and variety or partial/ indirect sunlight and then bring it back inside for the night since night temperatures are still a bit chilly. I keep it on a ledge in my living room which gets a decent amount of indirect daylight. i do my best to water it every few days, but i’ve recently been inconsistent since i haven’t been home much lately
Reason I’m stumped is because upon googling this i’ve read blackened/ spotty leaves can be pretty vague indication of ove under watering, root rot, fungal infection or even pest infestation? Also when looking up dehydrated peace lily’s to compare, they all have droopy green leaves. Mine aren’t as droopy and I have a mix of green and browning leaves. I’m timid. on how to tackle this and don’t want to send the plant into shock or harm it further.
I feel like it’s just dehydrated? but i wanted to double check since this is the only peace lily i’ve ever had! still mastering it and want to be more knowledgeable about this plant!
Any thoughts or suggestions? thanks so much!! 😇🪴💚

Our home (purchased in 2021) is a 1925 Craftsman that was last updated in the mid 1960s. One family lived here from the 60s up until 2021. Unfortunately a lot was changed beyond saving but we uncovered beautiful hardwoods and have the original cabinetry throughout. We don’t have the money now to take down the wood paneling so we painted. When we moved in, the windows had nailed down curtains in every window and it was all brown. Excuse the clutter. We’re in the midst of several projects, downsizing and this is a family home with many cats. I wanted to show our progress in the living room and dining room!