The Constitution and The New RepublicUnit #4 – US History

The Bill of Rights• Amendment 1 – Freedom of Religion • Amendment 1 – Freedom of Speech • Amendment 1 – Freedom of the Press • Amendment 1 – Freedom to Assemble • Amendment 2 – Right to keep and bear arms• Amendment 3 – Protection from Quartering Troops• Amendment 4 – Protection from unreasonable search and

seizure• Amendment 5 – Double Jeopardy• Amendment 5 – Protection from Self-Incrimination• Amendment 6 – Rights of a citizen accused of committing a

crime• Amendment 6 & 7 – Right to Impartial Jury Trial• Amendment 8 – Protection from cruel and unusual punishment• Amendment 9 – Rights of the people which are not specifically

mentioned in the Constitution• Amendment 10 – Limitation of the Power of the Federal

Government

Northwest Ordinance of 1787• One of the most important achievements of the National Congress

under the Articles of Confederation, the ordinance established a system for governing land in the Northwest Territory upon which our modern system for establishing territories & states is based.

• The Northwest Territory was the territory north of the Ohio river and between Pennsylvania and the Mississippi River. In 1785 the National Congress designed a system for settling this territory, dividing the land into a grid of square miles.

• In 1787 the Northwest Ordinance gave Congress the authority to appoint a territorial government, including a governor, secretary and 3 judges.

• Under the Ordinance once a territory had 5,000 men it could establish its own elected assembly, or territorial congress, but the Governor would still be appointed by Congress.

• Once a territory had a population of 40,000 it could request admission into the United States, as long as the people adopted a democratic constitution.

• Under this ordinance the Midwestern states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota gained admission into the United States.

• The Ordinance also made slavery north of the Ohio River illegal, a decision which would give non-slavery states a majority in the national government in the future.

Northwest Ordinance of 1787

•What was made illegal north of the Ohio River by the Northwest Ordinance of 1787?

Closure Question #1: What were the similarities and differences among early state governments?

• Upon declaring independence in 1776, the Congress invited each new state to create a constitution to establish a government. Although these documents varied, they all called for republics, or governments in which the people elect their representatives. But the Patriots disagreed over the proper design for these republics.

• The more democratic Patriots wanted to create state governments with strong legislatures and weak governors (or with no governor at all). Seeking greater rights for the people, these leaders preferred a unicameral legislature, or one with a single house, whose members were elected by the people. Pennsylvania and Georgia adopted these more democratic constitutions.

• Most states, however, including Massachusetts and New York, chose to create more conservative state constitutions. These state governments had a bicameral legislature and a strong governor. A bicameral legislature is a lawmaking body with two houses – a Senate and a House of Representatives. These constitutions counterbalanced the power of the common voters in the House with the power of wealthy, well-educated gentlemen in the Senate.

Articles of Confederation• The original constitution for the union of the states,

established in 1777. • Confederation – A league or alliance of states that agree to work together.

• The Articles of Confederation created a week central government, officially stating that “Each state retains its sovereignty, freedom and independence.” (Article 2)

• The nation government of the United States under the Articles was up of a congress of delegates from each of the 13 states, with each state having 1 vote. The delegates were chosen by the state legislatures, not regular voters.

• The power of the National Congress was limited to foreign affairs; declaring war, negotiating peace, and carrying out diplomatic relationships with foreign countries and tribes.

• Under the Articles of Confederation the National Congress did not have power to raise taxes and, as a result, was unable to carry out any national programs, such as maintaining a national army.

Articles of Confederation

•Under the Articles of Confederation, what did the National Congress did not have power to raise?

Federalism• A system of government in which

the right to rule is divided between a national central government and individual state governments. The rights given to the federal governments and state governments are outlined in a constitution.

• The idea of establishing Federalism as the national government of the United States gained support as a result of the problems experienced under the Articles of Confederation.

• In 1786 and 1787 the outbreak of Shay’s Rebellion led the majority of the states to agree to the need for a new form of government, and a Constitutional Convention began in Philadelphia in 1787.

Federalism

•In a Federal system, the power to govern is divided between what two groups?

Closure Question #2: In what ways was the early government under the Articles of Confederation tested?• During the mid-1780s, the Spanish and British did not take the new United

States seriously. To them, the republican Confederation seemed weak to the point of anarchy or lawlessness. The Spanish had never liked American independence, and they distrusted American expansion westward because they feared it threatened their colonies of Louisiana and Mexico. To discourage settlements west of the Appalachian Mountains, the Spanish forbade American trade with New Orleans. American settlers expected to ship their produce down the Mississippi River in Spanish-held New Orleans. The Congress lost support from western settlers when it almost accepted the closure of New Orleans in return for commercial agreements to benefit northeastern merchants.

• Relations with the British Empire were also strained. In the peace treaty that ended the American Revolution in 1783, the British had tried to cultivate American goodwill. A year later, the British abandoned that policy in favor of making the Americans pay for their independence. Rejecting the new doctrine of free trade championed by Adam Smith, the British renewed their traditional mercantilism as defined by the Navigation Acts. This meant that Americans could only trade with the British Empire under rules that favored British interests. They could certainly import all the British manufactures that they wanted, but they could no longer freely send their ships to trade with the British West Indies – the most important market for American fish, lumber, and grains.

Shay’s Rebellion• An armed rebellion in Massachusetts from 1786 to 1787 led by

poor farmers who were angered by increasing debt and state taxes. Many of those who rebelled had served in the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War, including the rebellion’s leader, Daniel Shays.

• In the years following the Revolution, trade from the United States to the outside world slowed down. Most of the crops and other resources produced in the colonies had been purchased by England and her other colonies prior to the war; after the war, England stopped trade with the United States. As a result, poor farmers in the colonies, unable to sell their crops, fell into debt.

• In the mean time the National Congress, unable to raise money through taxes, was unable to pay Americans who fought in the Revolution for their military service.

• In 1785 lenders in the United States and Europe issued a demand for payment on debts from Americans. Those who could not pay faced the loss of their crops, livestock and homes, and many also ended up in debtors prison.

• In 1786 a group of 1,000 farmers in Western Massachusetts, angered by the possibility of losing their property and the National Congress’ failure to pay them for their time in the army began a revolt, surrounding courthouses to prevent any further debtor’s trials.

• Eventually the state government of Massachusetts, with its headquarters in the east, organized its own army and broke up the rebellion.

Shay’s Rebellion

•During Shay’s Rebellion, unpaid former soldiers in the Continental Army rebelled in which state?

Closure Question #3: What would you consider the greatest weakness of the Articles of Confederation? Explain.• Under the Articles, the federal Congress could not establish a common

currency, nor could it regulate interstate commerce or levy taxes. For financial support, the Congress relied solely on contributions from the states, which were unreliable. And the Congress could do nothing to compel states to pay their share. Without money, the federal government could not fund its immense war debts. Between 1781 and 1786, the Congress received only one-sixth of what it requested from the states. By 1786, it needed $2.5 million to pay the interest on its debts but had only $400,000 on hand. The states had bankrupted the nation.

• To survive, the Congress south a constitutional amendment to permit a federal 5% duty on imported goods. Twice, that amendment failed when a single state balked: Rhode Island in 1782 and New York in 1786. If amending the Articles was so difficult, perhaps only a new constitution could save the Union. Meanwhile, a slowdown in the trading of goods increased unemployment in the seaports and reduced the prices paid to farmers for their produce. Without the West Indian market for their shipping, Americans could not pay for their imported manufactured goods. Their debts to British suppliers mounted.

Closure Assignment #1

•Answer the following questions based on what you have learned from Chapter 5, Section 1:

1.What were the similarities and differences among early state governments?

2.In what ways was the early government under the Articles of Confederation tested?

3.What would you consider the greatest weakness of the Articles of Confederation? Explain.

Closure Question #1: Why did leaders call for the Constitutional Convention?• After Shays’ Rebellion, many Americans agreed that they needed a

stronger federal government to preserve the Union. The Congress called for a convention to meet in Philadelphia in 1787 “for the sole and express purpose of revising the Articles of Confederation.” Instead of revising the Articles of Confederation, however, the delegates created an entirely new constitution that replaced the confederation of the national Union.

• By 1787, most Americans agreed that the Articles of Confederation were flawed and needed at least two major changes. First, almost everyone wanted Congress to have the power to regulate interstate and international commerce. Second, most Americans also supported granting Congress the power to tax the people. To draft proposed amendments to the Articles, 12 of the 13 states sent delegates to a special convention in Philadelphia in May 1787. (Rhode Island declined to participate.) Once done, the delegates were supposed to submit the proposed amendments to ratification by the 13 state legislatures.

Virginia Plan• The original plan for the U.S. Constitution proposed by

James Madison, delegate from Virginia. • In the Virginia Plan Madison argued that the National Government should have the

right to tax and control trade.

• Madison was the first to suggest that the National Government should be divided into three branches – the legislative, executive and judicial.

• Madison argued that the legislative branch should be divided into two groups, a House of Representatives and a Senate. This is known as Bicameral Legislation.

• Under the Virginia Plan the number of representatives in both the House and Senate would be based on the population of the states, giving Virginia, Pennsylvania, and New York more power than smaller states like Connecticut and Rhode Island.

• A final feature of Madison’s plan was for the President to serve for 7 years, command the military, manage foreign relations, and appoint all other executive and judicial officers with the approval of the Senate.

• Critics of the Virginia Plan believed that it gave too much power to the larger states and that the President would have too much power and could become easily like a king.

Virginia Plan

•The Virginia Plan was the first proposal to suggest the establishment of 3 branches of government. Name the 3 branches.

New Jersey Plan• Supported by the small states, this plan was proposed by

William Patterson of New Jersey and argued for only minor changes to the Articles of Confederation.

• Under this plan there would be only one house in the Legislative Branch (Unicameral), the National Congress, with each state having one representative. Congress would have the power to tax and control trade.

• The Executive Branch would be a committee, not a President and appointed officials.

• Under the plan the states would remain separate countries except for the few powers given to the National Congress.

• The Federal Convention opened in the Pennsylvania State House, now known as Independence Hall, on May 25, when 29 delegates had finally arrived. The proceedings of the convention were shrouded in secrecy so the delegates could speak freely. Because of this, the windows of the hall were often closed for privacy. It was an especially hot summer in 1787 so the delegates were frequently uncomfortable in their closed-off space. Although Thomas Jefferson and John Adams were away in Europe serving as diplomats, the convention included most of the other leading statesmen of the day.

Closure Question #2: In addition to the two proposed frameworks for a new constitution, what other plan might the delegates have considered?

New Jersey Plan

•According to the New Jersey Plan, how many votes would each state have in the National Congress?

Great Compromise• In order to satisfy both the small states and large states, Roger

Sherman of Connecticut proposed that a compromise be made between the two. This was known as the Connecticut Compromise, or the Great Compromise.

• To satisfy the small and large states, in the Senate each state would have the same number of representatives, 2. In the House of Representatives, the number of representatives for each state would be based on population.

• Under the Compromise delegates also agreed that the states would be allowed to pass their own laws, however they would not be allowed to print their own money or have anything to do with currency. This plan created a federal system of government.

• The conventions leading thinkers were Alexander Hamilton and James Madison. Bold in action, Alexander Hamilton was very conservative in principles. Disliking democracy, he praised the British constitution, including its king and House of Lords, as “the best model the world has ever produced.” James Madison showed his eagerness to participate in the convention by arriving in Philadelphia 11 days early. He had also sent a letter to George Washington in April outlining his thoughts about what should be debated at the convention. Madison had concluded that only a strong nation could rescue the states from their own democratic excesses. Although a critic of democracy, Madison favored republicanism rather than a constitution modeled after the British system. Closure Question #3: How did the Great Compromise satisfy both the small and

the large states?

Great Compromise

•In the Great Compromise, delegates at the Constitutional Convention agreed that each state would have an equal number of votes in which of the two houses of Congress?

Three-Fifths Compromise• Agreement reached at the Constitutional Convention which

allowed slave states to count each slave as three-fifths of a person to be added to the states population. This compromise gave the Southern states a greater number of representatives in the House of Representatives and a greater number of votes in the electoral college.

• After the delegates at the Constitutional Convention came to an agreement as to how the National Government would be established, the greatest debate took place between delegates from the Northern and Southern states over the issue of slavery.

• Southerners feared that under the new national government they would eventually be controlled by the North and their slave system would be destroyed, which would severely damage their agricultural economy as well. Delegates from South Carolina and Georgia threatened to leave the convention if the new constitution did not protect slavery.

• James Madison and other leaders, hoping to keep the states unified, added three protections of slavery to the Constitution. 1st, the Constitution stated that the National Government could not stop the importation of slaves for 20 years. 2nd, the Three-Fifths Compromise allowed the Southern States to add their slaves to their overall population numbers, increasing their power in the Legislative Branch. 3rd, the Constitution required all states to return any runaway slaves to their owners.

Three-Fifths Compromise

•Delegates from which region of the United States argued that slaves should be counted equally as freemen in a state’s population?

Closure Assignment #2

•Answer the following questions based on what you have learned from Chapter 5, Section 2:

1.Why did leaders call for the Constitutional Convention?

2.In addition to the two proposed frameworks for a new constitution, what other plan might the delegates have considered?

3.How did the Great Compromise satisfy both the small and the large states?

Ratification• Official approval of a new law or

constitution.• On September 17th, 1787 the Constitutional Convention in

Philadelphia concluded, and 39 out of the 42 delegates present signed the document.

• The Articles of Confederation, the previously established system of government for the states, required that in order for any change to be made to the system of government all 13 states would have to approve the change by a popular vote. Believing that under this system the new Constitution would not pass, the delegates at the Constitutional Convention changed the rules, deciding that only 9 of the 13 colonies needed to approve the Constitution in order for it to be legal.

• Throughout the colonies debate raged between those who supported the Constitution (Federalists) and those who opposed it (Antifederalists).

• With the support of George Washington and Benjamin Franklin, the two most influential figures in the colonies, the Constitution was supported by 11 states, becoming law in 1788.

Ratification

•Between 1787 and 1789 citizens of the United States voted on the ratification of what document?

Federalists

• People who supported ratification of the Constitution.

• Federalists argued that the Articles of Confederation were flawed and that the Constitution would fix the problems caused by it. The most influential Federalists were Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, John Jay, George Washington, and Benjamin Franklin. They argued that only a new government based on the proposed Constitution could overcome the difficulties facing the new nation.

• By drafting a new Constitution, the delegates had exceeded their mandate. They were only supposed to propose amendments to the Articles of Confederation. Official approval, or ratification, of an entirely new constitution was doomed if all 13 states had to approve it as the Articles required. To improve the odds of ratification, the delegates arbitrarily decided to change the rules. They determined that approval by nine states would suffice.

• They also took the ratification decision away from the state legislatures, for they would most certainly oppose a new constitution that would deprive them of some power. Instead, the delegates ruled that specially elected conventions would determine a state’s choice for or against the Constitution. Tow groups soon emerged in the debate: the Federalists, who favored ratification, and the Antifederalists, who opposed it.

Federalists

•Name one important Federalist.

Anti-Federalists• Those who criticized and opposed the Constitution.• Anti-federalists argued that the Constitution took away many of the liberties

earned by Americans in the Revolution. They argued for the protection of individual rights. Their protests eventually led to the adoption of the Bill of Rights. Influential Anti-federalists included Samuel Adams, John Hancock, and Patrick Henry.

• The Anti-federalists denounced the constitution as a retreat from the liberty won by the Revolution. The Anti-federalists especially disliked the lack of a bill of rights that would provide basic liberties, protecting the people from the powers of the government. They noted that the Constitution greatly increased the powers of the central government and provided a more elitist government by concentrating power in relatively few hands at a great distance from most voters.

• The Anti-federalists believed that liberty could not survive unless the federal government remained weak, which meant that most power would belong to the democratic state governments. Most farmers recognized that the Constitution threatened the state debtor-relief laws that had rescued their farms from foreclosure, Common farmers also distrusted the lawyers, merchants, and other wealthy men who promoted the Constitution, viewing them as aristocrats hostile to the Republic. In South Carolina, farmers protested by staging a mock funeral around a coffin with the word Liberty on the side. Closure Question #1: What was the main argument of the Antifederalists?

Antifederalists

•Name one important antifederalist.

John Jay (1745-1829)

•Dedicated Federalist and New York attorney, John Jay wrote the Federalist Papers along with James Madison and Alexander Hamilton.

• The Federalists Papers were a series of essays published in newspapers throughout the United States which argued for the Constitution and against the Articles of Confederation.

Federalist Papers

•John Jay worked with two other men to author the Federalist Papers. Name one of them.

Checks and Balances

Checks and Balances

•Under our current system of government, how is the Executive Branch able to check the Legislative Branch?

Bill of Rights• The first 10 amendments to

the United States Constitution which were passed by Congress in 1789 and focus on protecting the rights of individuals.

• The Bill of Rights was adopted as a compromise between Federalists and Antifederalists.

• The Bill of Rights was written by James Madison and were based on the Bill of Rights written in the Virginia Constitution.

Bill of Rights

•Americans are guaranteed what freedom by the 2nd amendment?

Closure Question #2: Why did Madison feel it was necessary to add the Ninth Amendment?

• In the newly elected Congress, Madison drafted the Bill of Rights. Many of these amendments relied on an earlier Virginia bill of rights. Madison limited the amendments to guarantees of individual rights, leaving the federal framework the same. He also avoided any sweeping preamble that declared all men equal in their creation and rights. That omission enabled slave owners to persist in denying rights to their slaves. The protected rights included freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition; protection from unreasonable search and seizure; and the right to a speedy public trial.

• Madison feared that any finite list of rights would later be abused to deny any left unmentioned. So the Ninth Amendment provided: “The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.” That left open the subsequent development of additional rights. Congress passed the Bill of Rights in 1789.

Popular Sovereignty• The principle that all

government power comes from the people. In other words, the government receives its authority to act from the people.

• The Constitution of the United States is founded on this principle, with one of its main purposes being to make sure that the government does not control citizens.

Popular Sovreignty

•In the United States the power to govern comes from who?

Electoral College• Under the Constitution, a body

of elected representatives select the President and Vice President of the United States.

• The number of delegates for each state is determined by the population of the states.

• Originally the President was not chosen by popular vote, but instead was chosen only by the vote of the members of the Electoral College.

• In the early 1800’s members of the electoral college agreed to cast their votes for president based on the popular vote within the state. The candidate that wins the popular vote receives all of the electoral votes from the state.

Electoral College

•In modern presidential elections, which state has the most electoral votes?

Closure Question #3: Why do you think the delegates made amending the Constitution difficult?

• The Constitution became the supreme law of the land in 1789, and with amendments, it has endured for more than 200 years. At about 7,000 words, the Constitution is relatively brief and often ambiguous. Therefore, it invites debate. Some politicians, including Thomas Jefferson, argued that the Constitution should be interpreted narrowly and literally to restrict federal power. But most Federalists, including George Washington, insisted that the Constitution be read broadly and allow for the expansion of federal power when necessary.

• How is it that a Constitution written when the nation was little more than a small colonial outpost continues to guide the actions of the government today? The Framers knew they could not anticipate future social, economic, or political events. They, therefore, worded parts of the Constitution to permit flexibility. The Constitution has survived and thrived in part because it provides a process for its own amendment, that is, for changes in its content. The Constitution makes amendment possible but difficult. Two thirds of both houses of Congress must approve an amendment, which becomes law only when ratified by three-fourths of the states.

Closure Assignment #3

•Answer the following questions based on what you have learned from Chapter 5, Section 3:

1.What was the main argument of the Antifederalists?

2.Why did Madison feel it was necessary to add the Ninth Amendment?

3.Why do you think the delegates made amending the Constitution difficult?

Precedent• An act or statements that becomes a

tradition to follow. Most of the traditions of the Executive Branch were established by President George Washington, such as the formation of the Presidential Cabinet, a group of advisors to the President on key issues such as defense and education.

• Following the establishment of the first national government, with George Washington as President, officials realized that the Constitution did not cover everything that needed to be done. As a result, these early leaders made up a lot of things as they went.

• For example, feeling the need to have advice from intelligent people regarding how to enforce laws and handle foreign issues, George Washington gathered a group of men, including Alexander Hamilton and John Jay, to serve as his advisors. These men were eventually give titles, such as Secretary of Defense, Secretary of State, and Secretary of the Treasury. This organization set a precedent for the establishment of the President’s cabinet.

Mark Spitz set the precedent for Michael Phelps to follow.

Precedent

•What important American is responsible for establishing the precedent of appointing a Presidential Cabinet?

Closure Question #1: Would the federal government have survived if the first President had not had widespread respect? Explain.• The new government started out with huge problems. It had inherited a

national debt of $52 million from the Confederation – a huge burden for a nation with a farm economy and only about 3 million people. With no navy and an army of only around 400 men, the United States was not respected by other countries. At New Orleans, the Spanish closed the Mississippi River to American trade. Along the Great Lakes, the British kept forts within American territory.

• Fortunately, the new government enjoyed extraordinary leaders. In 1789, the new electoral college unanimously elected George Washington as President of the United States. As a revolutionary leader, Washington enjoyed widespread respect and popularity. Yet he took the difficult job reluctantly.

• Massachusetts patriot John Adams was elected Vice President. Washington’s administration, or the officials in the executive branch of the government, began with just himself, Adams, and about a dozen clerks. Besides the newly elected Congress, there were few other federal officers. There were also few set rules to guide the administration. Quickly after taking office, Washington began setting important precedents.

Excise Tax• A tax on the producer of specific goods,

commodities, and activities. Faced with high national debt due to the inability of the national government to raise taxes under the Articles of Confederation, George Washington turned to Alexander Hamilton, who was chosen by Washington to serve as the nation’s first Secretary of the Treasury.

• The first taxes enforced by the United States government under Hamilton’s direction were on imported goods (tariffs) and goods produced in the country (excise). These taxes charged the producer for the right to sell their goods in the United States.

• Many people in the United States, including Thomas Jefferson, opposed excise taxes on the principal that citizens of the United States should be able to sell their products without charges within the United States. Anger over the excise tax placed on Whiskey led to a rebellion in Pennsylvania known as the Whiskey Rebellion.

Current Excise Tax on Alcohol in the USA

Excise Tax

•What two products were the first to be taxed by the United States Government?

Whiskey Rebellion (1794)• Uprising of farmers in western Pennsylvania who

refused to pay the national excise tax on Whiskey and attacked federal tax collectors.

• In response to the rebellion,. Alexander Hamilton led 12,000 militiamen to western Pennsylvania

• Faced with a large army the small group of rebels broke, with most running away or staying home. Hamilton’s army arrested 20 suspected rebels, but only 2 were convicted for rebellion.

• Antifederalists, such as Thomas Jefferson, mocked the National Government for its handling of the rebellion in sending 12,000 soldiers to capture and convict only 2 men.

Whiskey Rebellion

•Which member of George Washington’s Presidential Cabinet convinced Washington to raise an army of 12,000 men to put down the Whiskey Rebellion?

Closure Question #2: Why did Hamilton believe that wealthy Americans were necessary to secure the nation’s economic future? • Alexander Hamilton was tasked by President Washington with paying

off the young nation’s immense debts and setting it on a course of economic security. Hamilton despised the nation’s agricultural economy as backward. He wanted to quickly develop a commercial and industrial economy that could support a large federal government along with a strong army and navy. He saw the national debt of $52 million and the additional $25 million in debts owed by the individual states as assets. Rather than pay down those debts using cash reserves, he meant to fund them by selling government bonds, which would pay annual interest to the holders. Such bonds delighted investors, who welcomed an opportunity to reap annual profits.

• Hamilton saw three great benefits from his system. First, it would establish the nation’s financial credibility, making it easier to borrow money in the future. Second, it would buy political support from the wealthiest Americans, which Hamilton believed was essential for the government’s stability. Third, it would enrich investors, who could then build new ships, wharves, storehouses, and factories. In other words, his plan would promote the accumulation of capital needed for commercial and industrial growth.

Democratic Republican• Political party, established by Thomas Jefferson and

James Madison, which opposed a strong centralized government. Though unintended by the founders of the country, a two-party political system developed in the 1790s, with the Democratic Republicans opposing the Federalists.

• The Whiskey Rebellion highlighted a growing division in the country between those that lived in cities, who tended to work in skilled labor, and those that lived in small towns, who worked predominantly as farmers. This divide was also determined by where people lived; Southerners tended to support the Democratic Republican party while Northerners supported the Federalists.

• During the 1790’s the majority of elected officials were Federalists, including the first two Presidents; however, the Democratic Republican party grew steadily, especially gaining support from common people who worried that the Federalists gave too much power to the wealthy.

Thomas Jefferson, founder of the Democratic Republican Party

Democratic Republican

•The Democratic Republican Party was founded by what important American leader?

Closure Question #3: How did American structure their debates about the economy in terms of interpreting the Constitution?

• The southern states, which were overwhelmingly agricultural, had done a better job of paying their own debts. Why, southerners wondered, should they pay federal taxes to bail out the northern states? And why should their tax dollars flow into the pockets of creditors in the Northeast? Opposition to Hamilton’s plans grew steadily in the South.

• To justify his ambitious programs, Hamilton interpreted the Constitution broadly, relying on its “implied powers” and its clause empowering Congress to enact laws for the “general welfare”. His broad interpretation, or loose construction, appalled his critics, including Jefferson and Madision. They favored a strict construction, or limiting the federal government to powers explicitly granted by the Constitution. They opposed Hamilton’s plans for assuming state debts. Fearing that a national bank would benefit the North at the expense of the South, they also argued that the Constitution did not authorize Congress to charter one.

Closure Assignment #4•Answer the following questions based on what

you have learned from Chapter 6, Section 1:1.Would the federal government have survived if

the first President had not had widespread respect? Explain.

2.Why did Hamilton believe that wealthy Americans were necessary to secure the nation’s economic future?

3.How did American structure their debates about the economy in terms of interpreting the Constitution?

Closure Question #1: Why did the British support Native American resistance to westward expansion in the United States?

• Although the United States had gained a vast new territory west of the Appalachians from the Treaty of Paris, the British kept their forts on the American side of the Great Lakes. Hoping to limit American settlement in the Northwest Territory, the British provided arms and ammunition to the Miami Indians and their allies, who were actively resisting American expansion into their lands. In 1790, Native Americans led by the war chief Little Turtle defeated a small force sent by President Washington to stop attacks against settlers. In 1791 in the Ohio Valley, British guns helped a confederation of many Indian nations, again led by Little Turtle, to crush a larger American force commanded by General Arthur St. Clair.

• But the tide turned in August 1794 when federal troops led by General Anthony Wayne defeated the Native American confederacy at the Battle of Fallen Timbers, named for the fallen trees that covered the battle site. Wayne’s decisive victory forced the Native Americans to accept his peace terms. In the treaty of Greenville, Native American leaders ceded most of the present state of Ohio to the U.S. government. This also opened the Northwest Territory to settlement.

Closure Question #2: How did American debates about foreign policy in the 1790s reflect the beliefs of the political parties?

• In 1789, Americans welcomed news of the French Revolution, a republican uprising in France. Grateful for French help during the American Revolution, Americans now saw the French as fellow republicans in a hostile world of aristocrats and kings. In 1793, however, leaders of the French Revolution began executing thousands of opponents, including the French king and his family. They also declared war on the monarchies of Europe, including Great Britain.

• In response, American divided along party lines. The Democratic Republicans regretted the executions but still preferred the French Republic to its monarchial foes. Jefferson regarded the French Revolution as “the most sacred cause that ever man was engaged in.” But the Federalists decided that the French revolutionaries were bloody anarchists out to destroy religion and social order. They suspected that the Democratic Republicans meant to do the same.

XYZ Affair (1796)• In 1789 Revolution broke out in France as lower-class French citizens overthrew the

wealthy aristocracy and royalty.• American opinion of the French Revolution was divided; many Americans saw the French

rebels as lovers of freedom like themselves. Others, upon learning of the thousands killed by the guillotine and the new government’s anti-religion policies saw the French Revolutionaries as savages.

• When the new Republic of France, under the leadership of Napoleon, began war against England the United States officially declared itself neutral.

• The French viewed the United States’ refusal to join them in their fight against the British as an insult and began to seize American merchant ships sailing in the Atlantic ocean.

• In response to French seizure of American merchant ships, President John Adams sent a group of American diplomats to negotiate peace with 3 French officials, known in code as X, Y, and Z.

• The French officials demanded that the United States pay $250,000 to France in order to stop conflict. In response, Adams stopped negotiations and told the story to the American public, calling it the XYZ Affair.

• The XYZ Affair changed American opinion of France, who had been allies with the United States in the Revolutionary War.

XYZ Affair

•How much money did the French government demand as ransom for the American sailors and ships they had stolen?

Alien and Sedition Acts (1798)• Laws passed by the Federalist

controlled Congress that authorized the President to arrest and deport immigrants who criticized the federal government and arrest any citizen who publicly criticized the government.

• The law was aimed at the Democratic Republican party specifically, as most immigrants supported the Democratic Republican party, and it was predominantly Democratic Republicans who criticized the government for their handling of foreign affairs, especially with France.

The first fight in Congress between Matthew Lyon (Democratic Republican) and Roger Griswold (Federalist) in 1798. Lyon was the first man arrested under the Sedition Act, but was considered a hero by Democratic Republicans and was re-elected to Congress while in a jail cell.

Alien and Sedition Acts

•Which American President supported the passing of the Alien and Sedition Acts?

Closure Question #3: Does having a President and Vice President from different parties help or hinder government? Explain.

• The Federalist candidate, John Adams, narrowly defeated Thomas Jefferson in the 1796 presidential election. The nation voted along regional lines, with Jefferson winning most of the southern electoral vote and Adams carrying almost all of the northern states. Due to an awkward feature of the Constitution, Jefferson, as the second place finisher, became Adams Vice-President.

• Although honest and dedicated, Adams could also be stubborn and pompous. Lacking tact, he made few friends and many enemies. Those foes included Hamilton, who had retired from public office but who tried to control the Federalist Party and the national government from behind the scenes. His meddling weakened the Adams administration.

• In two Democratic Republican states, the state legislatures passed controversial resolves in response to the acts. Written by Jefferson and Madison in 1798 and 1799, the Virginia and Kentucky resolutions declared the Sedition Act unconstitutional. The resolves even hinted that states had the power to nullify federal laws that were unconstitutional. Though this doctrine of nullification threatened to dissolve the union, no other state legislatures adopted it.

Midnight Judges• The Judiciary Act of 1801, which was

passed shortly before Thomas Jefferson replaced John Adams as President of the United States, reorganized the Federal Court System, creating 6 new circuit courts and 10 new district courts to lighten the case load placed on the Supreme Court.

• In establishing these new courts, Adams used his executive authority to appoint Federalists as judges in the new courts. Democratic Republicans viewed these last minute appointments as an effort by Adams to undermine the newly elected Democratic Republican President by “packing the courts” with Federalists.

Midnight Judges

•Prior to leaving office, John Adams appointed judges who were loyal to which political party?

Closure Assignment #5

•Answer the following questions based on what you have learned from Chapter 6, Section 2:

1.Why did the British support Native American resistance to westward expansion in the United States?

2.How did American debates about foreign policy in the 1790s reflect the beliefs of the political parties?

3.Does having a President and Vice President from different parties help or hinder government? Explain.

John Marshall (1755-1835)• Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court from

1801 to 1835 and a strong Federalist, Marshall participated in more than 1,000 court decisions, more than any other Supreme Court Justice in U.S. History.

• Marshall was born in Virginia and was a cousin to Thomas Jefferson.• During the Revolutionary War Marshall fought in the Continental Army. He was at

Valley Forge and was trained by Friedrich von Steuben. He achieved the rank of Captain and served in the army until 1781.

• Marshall studied at the College of William and Mary and following the Revolutionary War he set up practice as an attorney in Richmond, Virginia.

• In 1788 Marshall was one of the delegates chosen to represent the State of Virginia at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia. In 1798 he was elected to the House of Representatives from Virginia.

• Though they were cousins, Marshall and Jefferson became political enemies as Marshall supported Federalism and a strong national government.

• Marshall was one of the “Midnight Judges” appointed by John Adams shortly before he left office as President of the United States in 1801.

• Marshall established four precedents as the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court: 1) The Supreme Court claimed power to review the acts of the President and Congress to determine if they were Constitutional. (Judicial Review) 2) Federal Laws were superior than State Laws. 3) The Constitution should be broadly interpreted so as to give greater power to the National Government. 4) All contracts were binding and could not be altered by state governments.

John Marshall

•What was John Marshall’s personal connection to Thomas Jefferson?

Marbury v. Madison (1803)• Supreme Court ruling led by John Marshall which

established the power of judicial review.• William Marbury, a Federalist, was one of the midnight judges appointed

by John Adams in 1801. However, Adams had signed the appointment papers without time have them delivered. They were found by James Madison, the new Secretary of State under President Thomas Jefferson, and Madison refused to deliver the appointment papers.

• Marbury brought a civil suit against Madison which was taken to the Supreme Court.

• Justice Marshall and the court ruled in favor of Madison, declaring that Marbury’s last minute appointment by Adams was unconstitutional.

• While the ruling was a minor victory for the Democratic Republicans, in the long term it established a precedent which Madison and Jefferson hoped to avoid, giving the Supreme Court the ultimate authority to determine the Constitutionality of an action or law. Jefferson and Madison wanted the state legislatures to have that power.

Marbury v. Madison

•In the case of Marbury v. Madison, in whose favor did the Supreme Court rule?

Judicial Review• The authority of the

Supreme Court to determine if the acts of Congress and the President are permitted by the US Constitution.

• The authority was established in 1803 in the case of Marbury v. Madison. Chief Justice John Marshall applied four of Hamilton’s principles to interpret the Constitution. First, his Supreme court claimed the power to review the acts of Congress and of the President to determine if they were constitutional. Second, he insisted that federal laws were superior to state laws. Third, like Hamilton, Marshall broadly interpreted the Constitution to find implied powers for the national government. Fourth, he insisted upon the “sanctity of contracts.” This limited the power of state governments to interfere with business.

Judicial Review

•In our current governmental system, which government entity exercises the power to determine whether the acts of the president of legislature are unconsitutional?

Closure Question #1: How did Jefferson view the Supreme Court precedent of judicial review?

• In 1803, Marshall first asserted the power of judicial review in the case of Marbury v. Madison. In early 1801, outgoing President John Adams had appointed William Marbury, a Federalist, a justice for the District of Coloumbia. The incoming Secretary of State, James Madison, refused to deliver the official papers of appointment. When Marbury complained to the Supreme Court, Marshall ruled in favor of Madison by declaring unconstitutional part of the Judiciary Act of 1789.

• The ruling was a stroke of genius. Marshall gave the Democratic Republicans what they wanted by denying Marbury his appointment. But in doing so, Marshall claimed a sweeping power for the Supreme Court that the Democratic Republicans did not want that Court to have. After all, the Constitution was silent on what institutions should judge the constitutionality of congressional actions. In the Kentucky and Virginia resolutions of 1798, Jefferson and Madison had claimed that power for the state legislatures. Because of Marshall, today we accept that the Supreme Court will review the constitutionality of federal laws.

Bureaucracy•An administrative

organization with officials and regular procedures.

•Members of the bureaucracy in the United States are appointed by elected officials.

•Example: The President’s Cabinet

Bureaucracy

•During his presidency, did Thomas Jefferson work to increase or decrease the size of the U.S. government’s bureaucracy?

Louisiana Purchase (1803)• Organized by President Thomas

Jefferson, the United States purchased 828,000 square miles of land from France for $15 million dollars.

• Following the French Revolution a military dictator, Napoleon Bonaparte, came to power in France and began a war of conquest against all Monarchies in Europe.

• In 1801 Napoleon’s army conquered Spain, and as a result gained control of all Spanish owned territory in the Americas, including the land west of the Mississippi River from Louisiana in the south to Minnesota in the North and stretching west to the Rocky Mountains.

• In response to the rise of Napoleon Thomas Jefferson briefly contemplated joining the British to fight against Napoleon. However, to avoid war Jefferson decided instead to attempt diplomacy.

• Napoleon came to the realization that if he intended to conquer Europe he would need all possible resources at his disposal in Europe. As a result, he decided to abandon any idea of establishing a French presence in the Americas for the time being and instead, when talks with the Americans began, offered to sell French territory in North America.

Louisiana Purchase

•In the Louisiana Purchase, the United States gained 828,000 square miles of territory. Name one modern state that is located in the territory of the Louisiana Purchase.

Closure Question #2: What was Jefferson’s main reason for purchasing the Louisiana Territory from France?• Jefferson insisted that farm ownership – which freed citizens from dependence

on a landlord or on an employer – was essential to the freedom of white Americans. Yet without expansion there would not be enough farms for the rapidly growing population. With the population doubling every 25 years, the nation needed twice as much land every generation to maintain farm ownership.

• To get more land, Jefferson wanted the United States to expand to the Pacific – despite the fact that much of the continent was already inhabited by Native Americans and European colonists. At first, Jefferson believed that Spain’s vast Louisiana Territory west of the Mississippi would be easy to conquer. He noted that the Spanish colonists were few, their empire was weak, and they were distracted by the war in Europe. Jefferson’s plans were frustrated when the U.S. got a new and more dangerous neighbor to the west. In 1801, France’s military dictator, Napoleon Bonaparte, had forced Spain to give him the Louisiana Territory.

• Jefferson reasoned that he could avoid war by offering to buy New Orleans from the French. When James Monroe and Robert Livingston, the American minister in France, approached Napoleon, they found him surprisingly receptive. Napoleon’s imperial plans had been foiled by slave rebels in the Caribbean colony of Saint Domingue, which is now Haiti. Without a French army to occupy Louisiana, and needing money to fight the British, Napoleon decided to sell all of the Louisiana Territory.

Lewis and Clark• Authorized by President Thomas Jefferson in 1804, Merriwether Lewis

and William Clark became the first Americans to explore the territory gained in the Louisiana Purchase, traveling from St. Louis to the Pacific Ocean with the help of a Shoshone woman, Sacajawea.

• Merriwether Lewis (1774-1809) was a native Virginian who joined the Virginia militia in 1794 and was among the group sent to stop the Whiskey Rebellion in that same year. He joined the U.S. Army and served as a Lieutenant from 1795 and 1801 under the command of William Clark. He met Thomas Jefferson in Virginia at meetings of the Democratic Republican party and served as an aide to Jefferson during his first 3 years as President.

• William Clark (1770-1838) was also a native Virginian from a modest family. Unlike Lewis, he did not receive a formal education. He joined a volunteer militia force in Kentucy in its fight against native Indians in 1789. Afterwards he joined the United States Army, commanding troops along the western frontier in various wars with Indians. He retired from military service in 1796.

• It was Lewis who was chosen by Thomas Jefferson to lead the Corps of Discovery, a newly commissioned branch of the military with the task of exploring the west. Lewis asked his old commander, Clark, to join him on the expedition. The two led a group of 33 men from St. Louis in August of 1803, following the Missouri River west. By the winter of 1804 they stopped to camp in present day North Dakota and established good relations with the Mandan Indian tribe. While encamped the group met a French-Canadian fur trapper, Toussaint Charbonneau, and his young Shoshone wife, Sacagawea. Sacagawea served as a translator for the expedition as it continued west, and also guided the group at certain times. The group reached the Pacific Ocean in modern day Washington in December of 1805.

• On the journey the explorers observed and described 178 plants and 122 animals, including the Grizzly Bear, Beaver, Porcupine, Mountain Lion, Deer and Rattlesnake. Lewis and Clark helped create the first reliable map of the western United States, paving the way for future American settlement in the area.

Lewis and Clark

•Lewis and Clark began their expedition to explore the west in what modern American city?

Sacajawea (1788-1812)• A Shoshone teenager who served as a translator and guide for

the Lewis and Clark Expedition in their journey from North Dakota to the Pacific Ocean.

• Born in present day Idaho, between the ages of 10 and 12 Sacajawea and several other girls were kidnapped after a battle between the Shoshone and Hidatsa Indians.

• The Hidatsa carried her to North Dakota, where at the age of 13 she was taken as a second wife by Toussaint Charbonneau, a French Canadian fur trapper living in the area.

• When the Corps of Discovery arrived in North Dakota Sacajawea was pregnant with her first child. She gave birth to Jean Baptiste Charbonneau inside the fort built by the expedition on February 11th, 1805. The following month the expedition resumed, with Sacajawea in the lead.

• The group reached the Rocky Mountains in August 1805 and came in contact with a Shoshone tribe that was led by Sacajawea’s brother. As a result of the family connection the expedition was able to obtain fresh horses for the remainder of their journey.

• After the expedition was completed William Clark invited Charbonneau and Sacajawea to settle in St. Louis Missouri. Their son was educated in Saint Louis Academy under Clark’s supervision. Sacajawea gave birth to a daughter, Lizette, in 1810.

• Sacajawea died of an unknown sickness in 1812.

Sacajawea

•What was the nationality of Sacajawea’s husband?

Impressment• The practice used by the British in the early

1800’s of taking American sailors from their ships and forcing them to serve in the British navy.

• From 1793 to 1812 the British fought a brutal war against the French army lead by Napoleon Bonaparte. During the war the French Army ruled the land while the British Navy ruled the sea.

• A side effect of the war was a boost in the American economy, as farmers in the United States sold their produce for high prices to both the British and French.

• As the war wore on the British, seeking for a way to weaken the French, began capturing American ships carrying goods to France. As more and more British sailors died in comabt, the British also began the practice of impressment. By 1812 about 6,000 American citizens had been forced to serve on British warships.

Impressment

•The British used the practice of impressment to increase the size of their navy in their war with what European country and dictator?

Embargo• The stopping of trade with a certain

country in order to isolate it and cause its economy to suffer. In response to British aggression against American trading ships, President Jefferson enacted an embargo on all British goods.

• In 1807 the first embargo in United States history stopped trade between the United States and Great Britain. Thomas Jefferson authorized the embargo in response to British attacks on American merchant ships and the impressment of American sailors into the British navy.

• Jefferson’s hope was to starve the British, as most of their food source came from the United States. The plan backfired however, as the British bought their food from South American countries. Meanwhile, the economy in the United States suffered, as American merchants, sailors, and farmers lost work.

The United States has had an embargo with Cuba since 1961

Embargo

•Did the U.S. embargo on trading with Great Britain help or hurt the economy of the United States?

Closure Question #3: What was the impact of the embargo on the American economy? • The United States lacked a navy large enough to challenge the

British fleet. Jefferson balked at the high cost of building a bigger navy, which would undermine his policies of reducing the national debt and keeping taxes low. He also worried that a large military would become a threat to the Republic.

• As an alternative to war, in 1807 Jefferson persuaded Congress to declare an embargo, suspending trade by ordering American ships to stay in port. He expected the embargo to starve the British and close their factories, creating riots in the streets. Instead, the British found other markets in South America. Meanwhile, the embargo bankrupted American merchants, threw American sailors out of work, and hurt farmers, who could no longer export their crops. Exploiting voter anger, the Federalists gained support in the northern states, especially in New England.

• Even Jefferson had to admit failure, lifting the embargo just before he retired from the presidency in 1809. Despite having been easily reelected in 1804, the embargo had caused his popularity to lag. Still, he was succeeded by his friend James Madison, who defeated a Federalist rival in the election of 1808.

Closure Assignment #6

• Answer the following questions based on what you have learned from Chapter 6, Section 3:

1. How did Jefferson view the Supreme Court precedent of judicial review?

2. What was Jefferson’s main reason for purchasing the Louisiana Territory from France?

3. What was the impact of the embargo on the American economy?

Battle of Tippecanoe November 7th, 1811

• American attack on Shawnee Indian settlement of Prophetstown led by William Henry Harrison in response to numerous attacks led by Tecumseh in the Indiana Territory.

• Under the leadership of the warrior Tecumseh and his brother, the prophet Tenskwatawa, the Shawnee had attacked various American settlements from August to November of 1811.

• Harrison, as Governor of the Indiana Territory, organized a group nearly 1,000 men to attack the home village of the brothers.

• With Tecumseh away attempting to gain more allies for the Shawnee, Tenskwatawa attempted met with Harrison outside the town on November 6th promising to hold peace talks.

• At 4:30 AM the next morning the Americans awoke to find themselves surrounded by Shawnee warriors. In the fighting that ensued 62 Americans were killed and over 120 were wounded while the Shawnee suffered perhaps 50 deaths and 70 wounded. The battle ended with the Shawnee troops withdrawing, leaving the American to take the settlement, which they promptly burned to the ground.

• The American victory at Prophetstown weakened the alliance that Tecumseh hoped to form. However, Tecumseh would continue to fight Americans throughout the coming year during the beginning of the War of 1812.Closure Question #1: What alternatives did Native Americans have during the war?

Would the outcome have been different for them if they had chosen a different course of action?

Battle of Tippecanoe

•The Battle of Tippecanoe occurred in the Native American settlement of Prophetstown, which was located in what modern American state?

Tecumseh (1768-1813)• Shawnee Warrior from the Ohio Valley,

Tecumseh followed in the footsteps of Joseph Brandt, encouraging Native Americans to return to traditional values and culture and unite against the American invaders.

• Tecumseh traveled throughout North America attempting to convince Native American groups to unite against the United States. He rejected all treaties offered by the Americans and fought numerous, guerrilla style battles against American settlers from 1809 to 1813.

• Tecumseh despised the American idea of owning land. In a meeting with William Henry Harrison in 1810 Tecumseh said, “Sell a country! Why not sell the air, the clouds and the great sea as well as the earth?”

• At the onset of the War of 1812 Tecumseh joined forces with the British, participating in the British capture of Fort Detroit in August 1812.

• Tecumseh was killed in the Battle of Thames, near the Michigan/Canada border, by an American Army under the command of William Henry Harrison.

Closure Question #1: What alternatives did Native Americans have during the war? Would the outcome have been different for them if they had chosen a different course of action?

Tecumseh

•In his efforts to unite Native Americans to fight against white settlers, Tecumseh followed in the footsteps of what Native American leader from the Revolutionary War?

War of 1812• War fought on the North American continent between the United

States and Great Britain from 1812 to 1815.• From 1793 to 1814 Great Britain was involved in a brutal war with the French led by Napoleon Bonaparte. The United

States officially declared itself neutral in the conflict but continued trade with both sides during the early 1800’s.• The British, in hopes of weakening Napoleon’s army, used its Navy to stop trade between the United States and

France, capturing American merchant ships and forcing American sailors to fight in the British Royal Navy through impressment. Further angering Americans, the British encouraged their Native American allies to fight against the Americans, culminating in the Battle of Tippecanoe. (1811)

• In response to British capture of American ships and merchandise, impressment, and Indian Wars, the United States Congress, with the support of President James Madison, declared war on Great Britain in June of 1812.

• Americans believed that, since the British continued to fight the French in Europe, victory in North American would be easy. However, American plans to invade British Canada were halted by Loyal Canadians and their Native American allies in 1812 and 1813.

• In 1814 the British successfully defeated Napoleon’s army, allowing them to shift their focus to the United States. The British unleashed a 4 part attack, invading Maine, New York, Maryland & Washington D.C., and New Orleans. In the attack on Washington British forces burned the newly built city to the ground, including the first White House.

• American troops fought better on the defensive and were able to repel British attacks and push the British troops back out of the United States by the beginning of 1815. The greatest American victory took place in New Orleans where a rag-tag American army under the leadership of Andrew Jackson defeated a large British regular army.

• The War of 1812 officially ended with the signing of the Treaty of Ghent on December 24, 1814. No national borders changed as a result of the war; however, American patriotism increased as a result of the Americans successful defense of their land.

The War of 1812

•After declaring war on Great Britain in June, 1812, the military of the United States attempted to invade which country?

Closure Question #2: Why were farmers and settlers especially likely to support the War of 1812?

• In 1811, some aggressive young politicians, known as the War Hawks, took the lead in Congress. Representing farmers and settlers from the southern and western states, the War Hawks included John C. Calhoun of South Carolina and Henry Clay of Kentucky. Strongly nationalist, they denounced the impressments of American sailors and British support for Native Americans. The War Hawks pushed for a war against the British to restore national honor. They insisted that invading British-held Canada would deprive the Indians of their main source of arms and drive the British out of North America. The War Hawks also believed that the British would make maritime concessions to get Canada back from the Americans. They underestimated the value that the British put on their domination of world trade.

Francis Scott Key (1779-1843)• American lawyer and author who wrote “The

Star-Spangled Banner”, our national anthem, following the British attack on Fort McHenry in Baltimore on September 14th, 1814.

• Key was born into a wealthy, plantation owning family in Maryland. His father, John Ross Key was a judge and served as an officer in the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War

• On the evening of September 13th, 1814 Key accompanied Colonel John Stuart Skinner aboard the HMS Tonnant, a British ship. There they met with 3 British officers to discuss a prisoner exchange.

• Following their meeting the British forced Key and Skinner to stay on board their ships to keep them from giving away their position to the American army. That evening the British navy conducted an artillery attack on Fort McHenry.

• The attack went on all night, and though the Fort was severely damaged and many Americans were killed inside, the American flag remained at the top of the flagpole, inspiring Key to write the poem which would become our national anthem.

Francis Scott Key

•Francis Scott Key wrote “The Star Spangled Banner” after watching a British attack on which American city?

Closure Question #3: Compare American military strengths and weaknesses during the War of 1812 to those during the Revolutionary War.

• Humiliated by British interference with American trade, impressments, and support for Indian attacks on settlers, President Madison urged Congress to declared war on Britain in June of 1812. Although the War of 1812 deeply divided the nation, Madison narrowly won reelection later that year. Disunited, unprepared, and with only a small army and navy, the United States went to war once again with the world’s greatest power.

• In 1812 and 1813 American attempts to invade Canada were pushed back by combined British and Indian forces. The United States relied on state militias to do the fighting in these invasions. Having had no professional training, many militiamen broke rank and ran when attacked. Instead of bolstering American pride, the attempted invasion of Canada embarassed the nation.

• To the surprise of many Americans – and the shock of the British – the little American navy performed well, capturing four British ships during 1812. On Lake Erie, American ships led by Oliver Hazard Perry defeated a British flotilla in 1813, enabling an American army, commanded by William Henry Harrison, to retake Detroit.

Battle of New Orleans January 8th, 1815

• The final major battle of the War of 1812. Americans, under the leadership of General Andrew Jackson, defeated an invading British Army, establishing Jackson as a national hero.

• Attacking New Orleans was the last of four British invasion plans. Of the previous 3, 2 had been defeated (New York and Maryland) and the third was of little importance. (Maine)

• Forewarned of the British plans, Andrew Jackson and his men built elaborate “earthworks”, known in modern times as trenches. Combined with the swampy conditions of the land south of New Orleans, the Americans were well prepared for an attack.

• The British ordered a direct attack on the American trenches in the early morning of January 8th. In the attack the British suffered 2,036 casualties while the Americans only lost 71 men.

• Unknown to the soldiers involved, the United States and Great Britain had reached a peace agreement on December 24th, 1814, more than two weeks before the Battle of New Orleans actually took place.

Battle of New Orleans

•Why might the Battle of New Orleans, which took place on January 8th, 1815, be considered an unnecessary battle?

Andrew Jackson (1767-1845)• A Tennessee native, Jackson was the leader of the American army

in the south during the War of 1812, the most famous hero of the war, and President of the United States from 1829 to 1837.

• Jackson was the son of poor Scottish immigrants . His father died three weeks before he was born.

• As a young man Jackson went to a small country school occasionally but spent most of his time trying to help his mother and family survive.

• At age 13 Jackson joined a volunteer militia and served as a courier (message carrier). All of Jackson’s immediate family (2 brothers and his mother) died during the Revolutionary War. As a result Jackson had a deep hatred for the British.

• Supporting himself, Jackson studied law in Salisbury, North Carolina and became a licensed attorney in 1787. He was elected as a Representative from the newly formed state of Tennessee in 1796 and as a senator in 1797. He ran as a Democratic Republican.

• Jackson was appointed commander of the Tennessee militia in 1801 and led his troops to victory in several wars with Native American tribes, most notably the Creeks in 1812 and the Seminoles in 1817.

Andrew Jackson

•Andrew Jackson was a native of what southern state?

Treaty of Ghent December 24th, 1814

• Agreement between the United States and Great Britain which officially ended the War of 1812.

• In reality, much like the American Revolutionary War, the War of 1812 ended in a draw. The Americans were unsuccessful in their invasion of Canada and the British were unable to force Americans to become loyal to England.

• As a result of the treaty all national boundaries remained the same.

• Americans viewed the Treaty of Ghent as a triumph because it became national news shortly after the Battle of New Orleans.

Treaty of Ghent

•The Treaty of Ghent ended the conflict between the United and what European country?

Hartford Convention• Meeting held by Federalist representatives from

the New England states to discuss seceding from the United States and establishing their own peace treaty with England.

• Federalists opposed the war with England from its very beginning, believing that the plan to invade Canada was foolish.

• A British blockade on New England’s major cities severely weakened New England’s economy, causing further anger with the Democratic Republicans who had led the charge for war.

• Following the American victory in New Orleans and the Treaty of Ghent the Federalists were harshly criticized for opposing the war. As a result the Federalist Party was completely eliminated from American politics by 1820.

Hartford Convention

•The Hartford Convention led to the downfall of which American political party?

Closure Assignment #7• Answer the following questions based on what

you have learned from Chapter 6, Section 4:1. What alternatives did Native Americans have

during the war? Would the outcome have been different for them if they had chosen a different course of action?

2. Why were farmers and settlers especially likely to support the War of 1812?

3. Compare American military strengths and weaknesses during the War of 1812 to those during the Revolutionary War.