Virginia plan Set the Agenda

for the convention Will earn Madison

the title of “Father of the constitution”

Madison had a year before the convention began a year long study in the history of confederacies

Jefferson sent trunks of books from Paris

Jefferson one of two notable absences from conventionAmbassador to

Paris Other John

AdamsAmbassador to

Great Britain

In plan both houses elected by populationKnew it would upset the small states,

thought it would be pushed through This quickly became a major

problem John Dickinson suggested differing

decision until after powers that National government should have

Madison representation first Didn’t want to end up with small

states having power beyond size

Mid June New Jersey plan put forward as

counterFewer powers to a unicameral

governmentOne state one government

June 18 Hamilton introduced his own plan

Praised the structure of the house of lords and Monarchy

Virginian plan“pork still, with a little change of

the sauce”

Next day Madison stood and with a brilliant analysis ot the “vices of the political system of the U. States”

Explained why the New Jersey plan was inadequate for the needs of the country

Next day convention voted down New Jersey Plan

Hamilton’s plan made Virginia plan seem moderate

But representation still a major issue

This problem dragged on in debate for four weeks

The Great Compromise Put forward by Connecticut representatives

Population representation for house State representation for Senate

Just made it In part due to 3/5ths clause Although morally repulsed Could not argue against contribution made

to national economy

Next issue executive What shape would it take Who would elect it/him Initially planned for election by

congress/senate Late July 10 day recess Committee of detail to convert

resolutions so far into working draft

Came back on August 6th

Back to work Congress given specific set of

enumerated powers With clause enabling Congress to “make all laws which shall be

necessary and proper for carrying into execution the foregoing powers”

Created supremacy of national lawAbove state law

Late August early September Senate weakened executive expanded and

solidified Power to make treaties Appoint judges Ambassadors Other major officials

Previously held by Senate now given to President

Acting with advice and consent of the Senate Also finally worked out the electoral college

idea for election of executive

After nearly four months together in secrecy there work was done

All the discussion and compromise had formed an almost unanimous bond of commitment to support constitution

Only three delegates refused to sign the document George Mason and

Edmund Randolph of Virginia

Elbridge Gerry of Massachusetts

Ratification of the constitution would take place in each state

But, importantly it would by popular vote

Authority of the people not the states In one critical sense however this

power was limited It could only be approved or rejected

as a whole To avoid endless discussion and

revision

The Constitution was complete now all that was left was ratification

A gentle debate between people

Federalist Vs Anti Federalists

Yorktown “Remember the

ladies” Daniel Shays The Crisis #1

Sommerset case Privateers Paoli Massacre Pierre-Augustin Caron

de Beaumarchais

Pop Quiz Time get into 5 groups each Group select one of the terms from the list Discuss and come up with brief

answer/description of the term one member to present answer

Ratification Although the final comment from the

state had to be Aye or nay This of course did not apply to the

popular debate that would proceed state conventions for ratification

Anti-federalists at initial dis-advantage Press tended to favor Constitution Had to overcome prestige of convention

A vote against was a vote against Washington Criticism of constitution = support of articles

Despite some comments coming out of paranoia style politics anti-federalists gradually began to make ground

Making solid political points against ratification

Central point ratification would lead to

Consolidation of all effective power in the national government

Hadn’t original meaning of Federalism meant state power

A series of 85 essays widely published in newspapers

Under the name Publius

Alexander Hamilton James Madison John Jay

Hamilton was organizer and leading contributor Hamilton 51 essays Madison 29 Essays John Jay 5 Essays

However the name most often associated with the papers is that of Madison

Due mainly to Federalist 10 and 51

Fed 10 Exposition of the theory of powers Fed 51 Summation of separation of powers

STAGE NOW SET FOR RATIFICATION BY STATE

RATIFICATION

Had a popular vote been taken on the Constitution in the fall of 1787 probably have been rejected.

three most populous states Virginia, Massachusetts, and New York substantial majorities opposed a powerful

new national government. North Carolina and Rhode Island refused

to call ratifying conventions. 7 of 8 remaining states easy victories

for the Constitution securing the approval of the ninth proved

difficult.

To gain momentum Federalists targeted states most likely to ratify

Delaware unanimous ratification by early December before the Anti-federalists had even begun to

campaign. Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Georgia

followed within a month Georgia sought the protection of stronger

national government against hostile Indians “If a weak State with the Indians on its

back and the Spaniards on its flank does not see the necessity of a General Government there must I think be wickedness or insanity in the way” George Washington.

Another three easy victories

Connecticut, Maryland, and South Carolina

As in Pennsylvania merchants,

lawyers, and urban artisans, large landowners and slaveholders The elite

in general favored the new Constitution

Massachusetts only early state give Federalists difficulty

vote to select the ratification delegates favored the Antifederalists whose strength lay in the western areas of the

state

“These lawyers and men of learning and money men that talk so finely, and gloss over matters so smoothly, to make us poor illiterate people swallow down the pill, expect to get into Congress themselves; they expect to be the managers of the Constitution and get all the power and all the money into their own hands, and then they will swallow up all us little folks.” Delegate from western county

Antifederalist lead slowly eroded by a vigorous newspaper campaign

Federalists won by very slim margin only with promises that amendments to the

Constitution would be taken up in the first Congress.

By May 1788, eight states had ratified only one more needed

North Carolina and Rhode Island hopeless for the Federalist cause New Hampshire

seemed nearly as bleak More worrisome failure

to win over largest and most important states

Virginia and New York.

New Hampshire Federalists

succeeded in getting convention postponed from February to June

Federalist publicity machine rolled in

provided the decisive ninth vote for ratification June 21, 1788.

The Big Holdouts: Virginia and New York

Although Virginia home to Madison and Washington influential Antifederalist group led by

Patrick Henry and George Mason made the outcome uncertain.

Federalists barely won ratification Had to propose

twenty specific amendments that the new government would promise to consider.

At New York's ratifying convention, Antifederalists predominated impassioned debate and lobbying Plus news of Virginia's ratification

finally tipped the balance to the Federalists Antifederalists' approval of the document was

delivered with list of twenty-four individual rights they hoped would

be protected thirty-three structural changes they hoped to see in

the Constitution New York's ratification ensured the solidity and

legitimacy of the new government.

It took another year and a half for Antifederalists in North Carolina to come around.

Fiercely independent Rhode Island held out until May 1790 even then it

ratified by only a two-vote margin.

In less than twelve months, the U.S. Constitution was both written and ratified.

remarkable for the late eighteenth century horse-powered transportation and

hand-printed communications Federalists had faced a formidable

task by building momentum and

assuring consideration of a Bill of Rights

They carried the day.

NO CLASS Next Thursday

Also only 2 documents per chapter for last section of portfolio

MYTHS OF THE REVOLUTION

already discussed role that Paul Revere had in Revolution

Role more limited than most school texts tell

His role the solo dashing rider

spreading the word that the British were coming

not a true part of history

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was the man most influential in creating the image

In 1860 as the civil war loomed America needed a new hero

Washington although the father of America could not be put up as a hero

Hearing the story of the riders Longfellow picked upon Revere and penned the words

“Listen, my children and you shall hear

Of the midnight ride of Paul Revere”

And a hero and myth were born In a similar way many other

myths were also created

Molly Pitcher

The story On Monmouth battle field A woman brings out water to the

hot and tired soldiers reviving them for battle

Her husband falls down dead She leaps to his place and

continues to fire the weapon Inspiring other to fight on After the battle Washington gives

her a medal

In reality what is the story of Molly Pitcher?

It is really a story of two women or maybe more

The first one is Margaret Corbin Corbin did take the place of her fallen

husband But not at Monmouth the site of Molly

Pitcher’s adventures but at Fort Washington

And this person was known as Captain Molly

This maybe where some of confusion lies

In the early to mid 1800s George Washington Parke Custis

Martha Washington’s grandson Wrote reminiscences of the war in

which he had the Molly Pitcher story

But with Captain Molly in the lead

1848, 70 years after the battle Nathaniel Currier painted Molly Pitcher, the Heroine of Monmouth

A new name and a new legend Gone was the pail In came the pitcher During 1860s several more

texts ran the story with the name Molly Pitcher

Only one problem This was a legend without a

body American ingenuity plays

through

Just before the centennial celebrations began in Carlisle Pennsylvania

Wesley Miles44 years earlier he had been at the

funeral of Molly McCauley the real person behind Molly

Pitcher! Town elders overjoyed

now they had a reason to celebrate

raised $100 and put a stone on the unmarked grave

Other residents suddenly came forward

More and more stories came out

Organizations began to support the causeA new stone Cannons by the

grave All of this based on

the desire for a heroine and the word of one old man

PATRICK HENRY

March 23, 1775 “…is life so dear,

or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! – I know not what other course men may take; but as for me, give me liberty, or give me death”

Where does this come from? The speech of March 23rd was

reported as being very inspiring Henry was a great orator

No record of the speech was made

In 1805 William Wirt began to write a biography of Henry

1817 the biography was finishedIncluded the liberty or death speech

Wirt had corresponded with men who were there

one man provided a word for word descriptionSt. George Tucker

Could he really have remembered a speech of 1,217 words exactly?40 years after the date?

The second of July 1776, will be the most memorable epocha in the history of America, I am apt to believe it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festivalJohn Adams to his wife Abigal on

July 3rd 1776 The day after Congress voted

for independence

Spring 1777 Congressional Journal Created an entry that stated the

Declaration of Independence was signed on July 4th

Omitted mention ofJuly 19 day New York gave its

assentAugust 2 first day any delegate

apart from John Hancock actually signed the document

In the late eighteenth century and beyond

Individuals and individual moments who could be valorizedBoth real and fictive

Came to symbolize the revolution

Remembering these symbols allowed people to forget the horrors of war

forget any doubts they may have had and celebrate America

In so doing however, did they forget the individuals who suffered to defeat a country who thought it self superior

only to create an exceptional America that had to be better than anywhere else?

For those Ed major among you who may want to include these ideas into your classes

Check out http://www.rayraphael.com/

Remember No Class next Thursday