Chapter 8The New NationMr. Logan GreeneAP United States HistoryWest Blocton High School

Chapter ObjectivesWhat were the Articles of Confederation?What were the weaknesses of the United States after the Revolution?What was the Constitutional Convention?What was the struggle over ratification between the Federalists and Anti-Federalists?What were the differences among the four major regions of the United States in 1789?What is the Bill of Rights?What reaction/opposition was there to Hamiltons financial policies?What were the first two major parties in U.S. politics, and how did their ideologies differ?Why was Adams defeated in the election of 1800?

ChangesEven after the Revolutionary War most of American society did not changePolitics were still dominated by white, land owning menWomen were shut outHowever, many African slaves were freed as the North slave owning society collapsedAgain, Natives were virtually ignored

State ConstitutionsVirtually all states adopted new written constitutions during the RevolutionThese constitutions focused on Natural Rights, more power being granted to legislatures, and bill of rights that curbed the power of the governmentIn most states the church lost its state backingOverall these state constitutions pushed to include more citizens and gain a more democratic stance

The Articles of ConfederationFirst governing document for the United StatesLoosely set up the states togetherEach state retained its sovereigntyVERY little power for central governmentNo executive branchNo judicial branchUnicameral legislature

Fiscal CrisisThe Revolutionary War (like all wars) caused heavy debtThe AOC gave the national government no power to taxThe national currency printed by the Congress was virtually worthlessAs the financial crisis deepened leaders began calling for a more powerful central government

Economic DepressionBritain sought to keep the United States dependent after the warAmerican merchants had difficulties selling their goods while influxes of British goods entered the countryThis trade discrepancy finally led to a major depression that lasted for most of the 1780s

ReactionStates blamed Britain for the depressionDifferent regions reacted differently as the North instituted high tariffs and the South offered free tradeAll of these conflicts and economic issues led to serious problems between wealthy colonists and poor agrarian farmers who owed money

Shays RebellionLate fall of 1786 the economic conflict exploded in Western MassachusettsDaniel Shays led a group of western Massachusetts farmers who were upset over farm foreclosures and lack of aid for poor farmersThe shut down courts, legislatures, and attacked a state arsenal at SpringfieldEventually the rebellion was crushed but it highlighted the dangerous level the economic crisis was reaching

Western LandThe additional land won in the Revolutionary War needed to be surveyed and administered properlyCongress passed the Land Ordinance of 1785 that surveyed the land in a rectangular fashion and sold it for $1 an acreAs well, the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 was passed, this stipulated that 3 to 5 states be made of the Northwest Territory and how it would happenCreated the area as non slave holdingThe Southwest Ordinance of 1790 set aside the southwestern territory below the Ohio River with no prohibition against slavery

Diplomatic IssuesIn the period immediately following the Revolutionary War the United States was somewhat of a joke internationallyOther then France the US had no alliesBritain refused to give up forts in Western territories due to remaining debts and continued persecution of loyalistsAt the same time Spain pressured the Western frontier of AmericaWith no strong central government to pass measures against these threats the country was growing weaker

The Need for ChangeBy 1786 leaders like John Jay realized that if the United States was going to survive a new system of government was neededIn September of 1786 nationalist leaders called for the states to send delegates to a constitutional convention

The Constitutional ConventionOnly authorized to amend the AOCEvery state but Rhode Island representedNot universally accepted (Patrick Henry said he smelt a rat)55 men mostly lawyers and were the intellectual and economically eliteFirstly appointed George Washington as President of the Convention

Virginia PlanDrafted by James MadisonExecutive, Legislative, and Judicial BranchesRepresentation based on populationGranted power to the federal government to legislate when the states failedFavored the large states

New Jersey PlanDrafted by William PattersonOnly legislative branchEqual representation for all statesGave federal government the power to tax and regulate commerceFavored small states

Great CompromiseDrafted by Roger Sherman of ConnecticutCompromised on the Legislature by making it bicameral (2 houses) with the upper house (Senate) equally proportioned and the lower house (House of Representatives) based on populationSlaves would count as 3/5 of a free person for representation

Other CompromisesSlave trade not interfered with for 20 yearsEnacting trade legislation only required a simple majorityPresidency created with broad executive powers, 4 year term, and no term limits (everyone knew Washington would be the 1st)Draft approved on September 17

Overview of the ConstitutionFar more power than the AOCConstitution gave power to Federal government to tax, enact currency, and pass tariffsEnacted a separation of powers and checks and balancesPushed for federalism, and the division of power between the states and national government

RatificationThe Constitution had to be ratified by at least 9 of the statesAnti-Federalists: Against ratificationPatrick Henry, Samuel AdamsFederalists: For ratificationJames Madison, John Adams, George Washington, Alexander HamiltonAnti-Federalists worried about to much power in the central government and feared tyranny

The BattleThe Federalists scored early easy victories but ran into difficultiesJohn Jay, James Madison, and Alexander Hamilton published The Federalists essays to convince the publicThe promise of a Bill of Rights pushed ratification forward and by 1789 the country had a new government

New EnglandEthnically and racially uniformFew NativesDominated by the Puritan descended CongregationalistsFavored STRONG government due to their attachment to the stringent ideals of town life

The Mid-AtlanticNew York, New Jersey, PennsylvaniaEXTREMELY diverseNo majority ethnicity (English 40%)Freedom of religionVirtually no slaveryWheat is a seasonal crop so slavery was not practicalComplex political climate

The SouthCash crops dominate all facets of lifeDespite the Revolutionary ideals of liberty and equality the majority of slave owners maintained their slave property

The Growing WestTension and violence overall mark the Native-White relationshipHarsh living conditions with very high mortality rate (especially among children)Settlers are majority white poor farmers from the East

The New GovernmentThe new government consisted mainly of the framers of the Constitution who although organized were new to the political gameWashington becomes known as Mr. President, refused to shake hands, and kept a distance from the publicThe absolute first order of business was to craft a Bill of Rights to calm the anti-federalists

The Bill of RightsMost enduring legacy of the first congressOriginally 12 proposed, 10 approved1st 8th Amendments concern personal rightsPowers NOT granted to the national government are retained by the States

Departments and CourtsFour departments are created that would become the Presidents cabinetState: Thomas JeffersonWar: Henry KnoxTreasury: Alexander HamiltonJustice (Attorney General): Edmund RandolphThe Congress also created the Judiciary Act of 1789 that set out the hierarchy of the Federal courts

Revenue Trade and EconomicsPoliticians agreed that the main source of revenue for the country should be tariffsThe Tariff Act of 1789 created a 5% tariff on importsAs well, the Tonnage Act of 1789 treated all countries ships equally in an attempt to encourage trade

The ManAlexander HamiltonThe country had a $52 million debt from the RevolutionHamilton prepared reports on the economyRepay the debt in FULLFederal government should assume ALL state debtExcise tax on whiskeyChartering of the National Bank to control currency and stabilize the economyNational Government should encourage and push for industry

Hamiltons Programthe FightHamiltons plan was so bold it begged for oppositionSoutherners argued their states had already paid their debt offAssumption passed the Congress with the promise of the new National Capital being located on the banks of the Potomac RiverOverall, Hamiltons plan passed; however, most of his supportive measures for industry died

PartiesBy the end of Washingtons first term the nation split into two partiesFederalists In the North, mainly people involved in the market economyLed by HamiltonRepublicans Truly national, those who sought for America to be agrarianLed by Jefferson and MadisonWashington stays above the party politics and is reelected

The French RevolutionThe French Revolution was like the American Revolutionif Wes Craven had directed it that isWhere as the American Revolution was defined by battles and overall civility the French Revolution was defined by cutting peoples heads offFederalists condemned the French Revolution and its violence while the Republicans supported the ally of the United StatesHamilton convinced Washington to declare the country neutral in Frances war with BritainJefferson and Madison condemned Hamilton as a coward

The FrontierThe West was still a very unstable countryEven after the Treaty of Greenville that destroyed the Ohio Confederacy, white settlers distrusted the Washington governmentIn Western Pennsylvania a group of farmers openly refused to obey Hamiltons tax on whiskeyWashington personally led an army into Pennsylvania to crush the Whiskey Rebellion and show the national government would not be challenged

TreatiesJays TreatyTreaty with Great BritainAllowed Britain to harass American shipping, gave Britain most favored nation, Britain left forts in WestTreaty of San LorenzoGave America usage of New Orleans and Mississippi River

Washington OutTwo terms were enough for WashingtonWashington announced his retirement late in his second termHe pleaded in his Farewell Address to avoid party politics, entanglements with foreign nations, and sectionalism

Election of 1796John Adams was the Federalists pickThomas Jefferson was the Democratic-RepublicanAdams wins despite Alexander Hamiltons interferenceHamilton attempted to have Thomas Pickney elected so Hamilton would have more powerSince Jefferson came in second he became Vice-President creating a partisan administration

The XYZ AffairBy the Fall of 1797 France and America were close to warAdams sent three men to Paris to negotiateThe three men were confronted by French officials known as X, Y, and Z who demanded a bribe to start negotiationsThis began a quasi-war that almost erupted into full warTo prepare Hamilton was made second in command of the army and the Direct Tax of 1798 was passed on slaves, land, and dwellings to support the build up

The Alien and Sedition ActsWith increasing Republican discord Adams passed the Alien and Sedition ActsOne of these acts made it illegal to publish stories against the governmentRepublican leaders fought back claiming states rights over the federal government and threatening nullification (nullifying a federal law) with the Virginia and Kentucky ResolutionsThe backlash over the laws and the direct tax pushed voters to the Republican side for the Election of 1800

The Federalists EndAdams fearful of the results of a war with France reopened negotiations and passed the Franco-American Accord of 1800 brought an end to the quasi warWithout a French war the Federalists had very little major election platforms for 1800Even though Federalists attacked Jeffersons deist (religion that said God did not interfere in day to day life) faith, Jefferson won a close election and became the third President of the United States of America

Chapter ObjectivesWhat were the Articles of Confederation?What were the weaknesses of the United States after the Revolution?What was the Constitutional Convention?What was the struggle over ratification between the Federalists and Anti-Federalists?What were the differences among the four major regions of the United States in 1789?What is the Bill of Rights?What reaction/opposition was there to Hamiltons financial policies?What were the first two major parties in U.S. politics, and how did their ideologies differ?Why was Adams defeated in the election of 1800?