The American Pageant: Chapters 9 and 10

Society of CincinnatiFormed by The Continental Army officersMembership limitedPassed on values of the Revolution

Virginia Statue for Religious Freedom- created in 1786 by Thomas Jefferson

The Philadelphia Quakers in 1775 founded the first anti-slavery society.

The 1st Continental Congress called for the complete abolition of the slave trade in 1774.  Northern states: Slavery or gradual emancipation

Mass. firstNo states south of Pennsylvania abolished slavery.

States created own constitutions Mandate of Second Continental CongressRepresented fundamental law

Poor economyNo imports from BritainWar debt

The Second Continental Congress issued a set of laws called the Articles of Confederation in 1781

First frame work/outline for our federal government

Split power between National Government and States

Established National governments ability to wage war, sign treaties, coin money, run post office

Land Ordinance of 1785Sale of land36 sections of one scare mile (640 acres)Land reserved for education (section 16) and

veterans (8,11,26 &29)

Land north of Ohio River and East of Miss. River would be open

Between 3 and 5 statesExcluded slavery

Congress could not collect taxes

Each state had one vote regardless of population

No executive branch No national court

systemAll states needed to

agree to pass any lawLacked national unity Weak Central Gov’t

Most serious problem

Weakness of the Central (National) government

Farmers in Mass. rose up in protest over increased taxes/debts they owed to creditors

Daniel Shay led 1,200 farmers toward the arsenal in Springfield

The event caused alarm throughout the republic

1787

Need to strengthen the central government

Members decided to create an entirely new Constitution instead of amending the Articles

“Compromise”

Virginia Plan: Bicameral Legislation based on state population

New Jersey Plan: Unicameral Legislation based on one state = one vote

Roger ShermanBicameral Congress

with House of Reps based on population (VA Plan) and Senate based on one state = one vote (NJ Plan)

Division of powers

Next difficult issue: Slavery

Southern states wanted slaves included in the population figures used to determine Representatives

Northern states which had few slaves, disagreed

Compromise was to count each slave as 3/5ths of a person

Unanimous vote from all 13 colonies to amend AoC

Delegates adopted 9 vote ruleIndividual state conventionsAnti-federalists

Against Constitution (stronger gvt.)Sam Adams, Henry, LeePoorest classes

FederalistsFor ConstitutionWashington & FranklinControlled the press

John Jay, James Madison, and Alexander Hamilton

“Publius”85 essays on how government would run bestPro-Constitution#10 – large republic#84 – against Bill of Rights#78 – judicial review

Quickly signed by many (see page 183)Mass. signed after guarantee of Bill of Rights9 states ratified by June of 1788 (6 months

later)Officially adopted: June 21st, 1778

Holdouts: VA, NY, NC, RIRhode island last in 1790

Population of America was doubling every 25 years.

90 percent of that population was rural. Only 5 percent lived wast of the Appalachian

Mts. Kentucky, Tennessee, Ohio, and Vermont were

admitted as states.The people in the west were less trusting of

the government and were also oppressed by the Spaniards that blocked the Mississippi River.

Unanimously drafted as president by the Electoral College in 1789 DID NOT want the job

Started the CabinetSecretary of State: Thomas JeffersonSecretary of Treasury: Alexander HamiltonSecretary of War: Henry Knox.

Wrote to appease Anti-Federalists who were worried that a big government would try to suppress those rights if they were not specifically stated in the Constitution.

Drafted by James MadisonThe Judiciary Act of 1789

created an organized court system Office of Attorney General was created and filled

by Edmond Randolph. John Jay became the first Chief Justice. There were 5 associate justices with a total of 6

justices on the bench.

Funding at Par – federal gov’t would pay off debts at face value + interest using bonds and funded by tariffs.

Assumption - Federal gov’t would “assume” all state debts.capital would be located at the mouth of the

Potomac River to appease states with small debtsCustom duties/Excise taxesBank of the United States –

Private institution that held the money of the central government

Coin money to keep the currency stable..

Jefferson said bank was unconstitutional because it was not in the constitution.

Hamilton came back by saying it was necessary and proper and the “elastic clause” would permit this action.

Washington asked Jefferson and Hamilton to prepare reports on why each of their opinions should be upheld. Hamilton’s proposal accepted.

Moonshiners protested the excise tax on whiskey by a violent revolt that was ultimately suppressed by a militia raised by George Washington.

This showed that government had power to levy taxes and it was uncalled for if somebody tried to overthrow that power.

Did not exist in Washington’s administration because he believed these were deadly for a unified government.

Formed after Jeffersonians (democratic-republicans) could not see eye to eye with the Hamiltonians (Federalists).

Washington proclaimed neutrality in the war. Jeffersonians Democratic Republicans did not like the idea of

being neutral wanted to follow through with the Franco – American treaty

and fight against the British, who were against the French. Washington and Hamilton agreed that it was too much of a

gamble to start a war when the country is fragile. Overall the neutrality helped the French. If America entered

the war, Britain would blockade the route to the West Indies, preventing supplies from going into the French West Indies.

France tried to send Edmond Genet to persuade the Americans into joining the war but he went overboard and negotiations did not go incredibly well.

British gave Native Americans firearms to try to prevent expansion of the Americans as a way of safeguarding Canada.

However when the Native Americans were defeated, the British refused to shelter them.

As a result we have the Treaty of Greenville that gave the Native Americans money and the right to hunt in the Old Northwest in exchange for the revocation of ownership rights to the land.

British attacked American ships and damaged about 300. They did this as they thought Americans were helping France out by delivering supplies to them in the West Indies. The Jeffersonians were outraged and had even more of a reason to promote war against Britain.

The Federalists disliked war as Hamilton’s Policies depended on trade with Britain.

This forced the Americans to pay back their debt to England in order for England to get out of the forts in North America. This was unpopular as it was giving the British

something for nothing almost.Pinckney’s Treaty resulted in Spain giving

America the right of deposit at New Orleans. Did this in order to keep American friendly to Spain

and away from over-friendship with the British.Washington’s Farewell address advised

Americans to stay away from political parties and long term treaties, both fell on deaf ears soon.

Federalist71-68 electoral vote that led to JA being the

Pres and TJ being VP.

French were mad about Jay’s Treaty and began to attack American ships.

Adams sent three mediators (called X, Y, and Z) to France to work something out. Known as the XYZ affairThe French asked to have $250,000 in order to see

the Talleyrand (foreign minister)Americans began to chant “war’.

A Navy was created and the Marine Corps were reestablished. Army of 10000 men was authorized (not actually raised).

Little bloodshed but American ships taken

Though his party supported a war, Adams was willing to give one last try at peace.

Napoleon was now in power and was eager to end the warfare as he was busy trying to conquer Europe.

The Convention of 1800 was signed in Paris where France agreed to end the Franco-American Alliance but the Americans paid for damages to French Ships.

Naturalization Act - Since immigrants were mainly Jeffersonian, this act made the naturalization period 14 years in order to hopefully oppress any anti-Federalists.

Alien Acts – Gave the government the right to deport any “dangerous” alien even in peacetime. (these weren’t really enforced)

Sedition Act – Made it illegal to speak out against the government. This was to try to suppress Anti-Federalist ideas. Tough unconstitutional, the biased Federalist judges did not have the nerve to strike down the promotion of their own party.

Fearing that the Federalists would remove other constitutional rights, Jefferson and Madison drafted secret resolutions that would use a theory that if a state government catches the federal government doing something corrupt such as violating the constitution, the state had a right to nullify that law.

Although this was not adopted by other states it was a great attempt. Eventually the Supreme Court would receive the power to declare laws unconstitutional and not the state.