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The United States: A New Nation •1783 - 1800 •1. The Origins of the Constitution •2. The Constitution of the United States •3. The Federalist Era (George Washington and John Adams) •Americans faced many challenges as they attempted to forge national unity under the guidelines of the Articles of Confederation. •Political problems soon arose that led to the drafting of the Constitution of the United States. •Newly elected government officials, the president and members of Congress, set out to put the Constitution into action The Origins of the Constitution •1. The Articles of Confederation •2. Movement Toward a Stronger Government • • • On June 11, 1776, the Continental Congress resolved that a committee should be appointed to draw up articles of confederation among the colonies. The Congress urged the colonies to draft new constitutions to replace their British royal charters John Dickinson headed the committee “Under the Authority of the People” • • • • “You and I have been sent into life at a time when the greatest lawgivers of antiquity would have wished to live. . . . How few of the human peace have ever enjoyed an opportunity of making . . . Government . . . For themselves or their children.” John Adams What does this suggest about the challenges Americans faced at the beginning of our new nation? What does this quote suggest about the few? John Locke • • Enlightenment thinker and English philosopher who theorized natural rights, life, liberty, and property The role of government was to protect these rights State Constitutions Republicanism – political leaders receive their authority from the citizens to make and enforce laws Most will limit power of governor (no veto) and limit term Most had bicameral legislatures. Property required for voting. Some had universal white male suffrage. Most had bills of rights. Many had a continuation of state-established religions while others disestablished religion. The Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom • • • • Statute stated that the human mind was created free and that government control over religious beliefs or worship was tyrannical. Written by Jefferson, Governor of Virginia James Madison, fellow Virginian, declared “Religion . . . Must be left to conviction and conscience of every man.” By 1833, every state had forbidden the establishment of official state churches supported by tax dollars. (separation of church and state) Thomas Jefferson James Madison The Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom • • • “Whereas Almighty God has created the mind free, that all attempts to influence it by temporal [civil] punishments or burdens . . . Tend only to . . . Beget [produce] habits of hypocrisy and meanness . . . [and] that to compel a man to furnish contributions of money for the propagation of opinions which he disbelieves is sinful and tyrannical; that even . . . Forcing him to support this or that teacher of his own religious persuasion [belief] is depriving him of the comfortable liberty. . . . Be it enacted by the General Assembly that no man shall be compelled to frequent or support any religious worship, place, or ministry whatsoever. . . . All men shall be free to profess . . . Their opinion in matters of religion.” Thomas Jefferson, 1779 Republican Motherhood • • • • Proposed that American women could influence politics and society through their work in the home. Women would offer moral guidance to their husbands and educate the young children in the principles of democracy. Can you believe that many believed that women should not involve themselves in politics!!! Judith Sargent Murray – one of the first female playwrights in the United States – began to redefine the ideal of motherhood “While we are pursuing the needle, or the superintendency [management] of the family, I repeat, that our minds are at full liberty for reflection; that imagination may exert itself in full vigor; and that if a just foundation [be] early laid, our ideas will then be worthy of rational beings.” Judith Murray, The Massachusetts Magazine, 1790 Republican Motherhood • • James Peale, The Artist and his family, 1795 What does this image suggest about women during the early 1800’s? The Articles of Confederation • • John Dickinson of Pennsylvania formed the basis of the articles as proposed to Congress and, after some debate and a few changes, America’s first constitution was adopted November 15, 1777. The Articles of Confederation provided for a new central government with specified powers. Confederation limited the powers of the national government Confederation Powers • • • • • conduct foreign affairs maintain armed forces borrow money issue currency establish a postal system State Powers • Any power not given to the national government was given to the states. • The state could regulate commerce, or trade, within the state itself as well as with other states. • It also had the power to impose taxes on its citizens. Weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation A unicameral Congress [9 of 13 votes to pass a law]. 13 out of 13 to amend the constitution The Congress could not regulate commerce, or trade Representatives were frequently absent. Could not tax or raise armies. No executive or judicial branches. Faced severe financial problems caused by the Revolutionary War Bureaucracies • • • Although there was no executive, the Congress set up specialized departments to handle affairs Robert Livingston of New York headed the Office of Foreign Affairs. Robert Morris of Pennsylvania became superintendent of the Office of Finance. Robert Livingston Robert Morris Wholesale Price Index: 1770-1789 •Inflation in the colonies •Prices skyrocketed during the revolution because of the lack of supply of goods •The result was hyperinflation – the worst in American history to date •Britain decided to close some of its colonial markets to American commerce and at the same time flooded the United States with inexpensive goods •This undercut American manufacturing American Exports, To & From Britain: 1783-1789 •The colonists were importing more goods to Great Britain and not exporting goods to her. •As a result this created a huge trade deficit and led to a depression – a sharp drop in business activity accompanied by rising unemployment Occupations in the Colonies •Northern Colonies are mostly professionals and/or merchants •Southern Colonies are mostly plantation owners and/or farmers State Claims to Western Lands •Another major issue in the Congress - several states fought over the control of the Allegheny Mountains and the land just east of the Mississippi •To promote national unity, New York and Virginia ceded their disputed land to the Confederation Congress •Maryland refused to at first until she was granted the land she felt she was entitled to, but by 1781 all the former 13 British colonies officially became the United States of America Land Ordinance of 1785 •Members of Congress knew that the western lands remained a problem. •Land Ordinance - marked off the land into townships and divided each township into 640-acre tracts (6 miles by 6 miles) •One dollar per acre and one section for a school – first national government aid to public education. Northwest Ordinance of 1787 One of the major accomplishments of the Confederation Congress! Set up a system for governing the Northwest territory Banned slavery in the territories, but the return of fugitive slaves must be given back to owners Statehood achieved in three stages: 1. Congress appointed 3 judges & a governor to govern the territory. 2. When population reached 5,000 adult male landowners elect territorial legislature. 3. When population reached 60,000 elect delegates to a state constitutional convention. Led for a need for a stronger government to govern the west Shays’ Rebellion: 1786-7 The depression in the states left farmers with fewer markets for their goods and little money to pay their debts Daniel Shays, in 1776, led a group of angry farmers to Springfield, Massachusetts, with intent to seize a federal arsenal The governor of Massachusetts sent in the state militia that crushed the rebellion Shays’ Rebellion: 1786-7 His rebellion led for a need for a stronger national government Spain in the United States •Disputed Territorial Claims Between Spain & the U. S.: 1783-1796 •Spain wanted to confine the United States to the land east of the Appalachian Mountains •The Spanish regained Florida during the Revolution and hope to expand northward into the Ohio River Valley •Led for a need for a stronger national government The United States in 1787 Spain controlled the area known as the Louisiana, which she ceded to Napoleon in 1800 The United States settled the first thirteen states and would also settle the frontier The quest for westward expansion and the institution of slavery in the new territories will result in the Civil War George Washington and Federalism •“There could be no stronger evidence of the want of energy in our governments than these disorders.” (Shays Rebellion) • Shays rebellion led for a need for a Confederation Congress with more powers to handle the problems caused by the depression, civil unrest, land ordinances, and foreign threats George Washington Movement toward a stronger federal government U.S. Capitol Building • • A federal form of government divides power between individual states and the central government. In the United States this term refers to a national government. Annapolis Convention (1786) 12 representatives from 5 states [NY, NJ, PA, DE, VA] GOAL address barriers that limited trade and commerce between the states. Not enough states were represented to make any real progress. New York representative Alexander Hamilton sent a report to the Congress to call a meeting of all the states to meet in Philadelphia to discuss the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation and the need for a stronger national government In the meantime, the Confederation Congress had little power to handle all the pressing issues in the colonies Annapolis State Hall The Constitutional Convention • • • • Independence Hall The Call to Philadelphia May 14, 1787 Fifty-five representatives from twelve states gathered at Independence Hall, also known as the Pennsylvania State House, to begin the work of revising the Articles of Confederation. Rhode Island did not send a delegate. The Delegates Washington • • • • • “Gentlemen, I am sorry to find that some one member of the body has been so neglectful of the secrets of the Convention as to drop in the State House a copy of their proceedings. . . . I know not whose paper it is, but there it is, let him who owns it take it” “Make sure you take good notes in Mr. Schenk’s class so you can be the father of something great!” Mr. Madison 1778 “Good luck Mr. Schenk” The president of the Constitutional Convention was George Washington. Benjamin Franklin was the oldest and known as the “peacemaker” of the convention. James Madison -the “Father of the Constitution.” Alexander Hamilton was a strong supporter of a powerful national government. Thomas Jefferson, John and Samuel Adams, and John Jay were not at the convention. James Madison Benjamin Franklin Federal Power Versus States’ Rights • • One of the main sources of conflict was the disagreement between the large states and small states over the way they would be represented in Congress. Two plans were suggested and a compromise followed. The Virginia Plan •Edmund Randolph • • • • •Two House legislature • Edmund Randolph of Virginia He proposed that Congress be divided into two houses (a bicameral legislature), and in the first house, the members would be elected according to the population of the state. The first house would elect members of the second house. He also presented a need for an executive branch as well as a judicial branch of government. Small states opposed this plan because they felt they would have little say in government affairs. The Virginia Plan The New Jersey Plan William Paterson • • • • William Paterson of New Jersey unicameral (one house) legislature. This plan provided for equal representation in Congress, regardless of population. Small states were in favor of this plan, but it did not guarantee direct representation. The New Jersey Plan Hamilton’s Plan (British) The Great Compromise • • • • Roger Sherman of Connecticut proposed a compromise plan. According to the Connecticut Plan, Congress would have two houses: the Senate and the House of Representatives. In the Senate, each state would be given equal representation: two senators and two votes. In the House, the number of members from each state depended on population. Roger Sherman The Three-Fifths Compromise • • • The question of slaves being counted in the general population census was one that caused great disagreement. Northerners thought slaves should be counted when determining the share of federal taxes each state should pay, but not counted when determining each state’s representatives in the House. Southerners wanted the reverse. Three out of every five would be counted The Ratification Struggle • • • • The delegates at the convention agreed to change the approval process for the Constitution. In the Articles of Confederation, amendments required unanimous approval, but the Constitution required nine out of thirteen states for it to be ratified. Members of the Federal Convention suggested that each state hold a special convention to consider the Constitution. The small states, which could not survive if the union collapsed, were the first to ratify. (1787) Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Connecticut, Georgia Two Groups Emerge • • Supporters of the Constitution called themselves Federalists; they wanted the country to have a strong central government. Objectors to the Constitution called themselves AntiFederalists; they wanted more power in the hands of the states. Federalists Alexander Hamilton •Federalists-published pro ratification essays to build support Anti Federalists Thomas Jefferson The Federalist Papers • Paper No. 10 and No. 51 were two of the most significant essays from the Federalist Papers. Both were written by James Madison. In essay No. 10, Madison argues that a strong national government is necessary to reduce conflict among opposing groups. In essay No. 51, he contends that the balance of power among different branches of government would prevent any one branch from gaining too much power. • • No. 10 (1787) “Among the numerous advantages promised by a well-constructed Union, none deserves to be more accurately developed than its tendency to break and control the violence of faction [splinter group] . . . . The influence of factious [rebellious] leaders may kindle a flame within their particular states but will be unable to spread a general conflagration [larger fire] though the other states.” • • No. 51 (1788) “The great security against a gradual concentration of the several powers in the same department consists in giving to those who administer each department the necessary constitutional means and personal motives to resist encroachments [advances] of the others. The provision for defense must . . . Be made commensurate [equal] to the danger of attack.” James Madison, The Federalist Paper, 1788 Federalist vs. Anti-Federalist •Where was the highest level of concentration of Federalists? •How about Anti Federalists? •Federalists are concentrated in the Industrial New England and Middle States •The AntiFederalists were concentrated in the southern states Federalist vs. Anti-Federalist A Bill of Rights • • • • • By the spring of 1788, four more states approved the Constitution: Massachusetts, South Carolina, Maryland, New Hampshire Two key states, New York and Virginia, had not given their approval. George Mason of Virginia had earlier proposed a bill of rights to protect people against possible abuses of the powers given to the federal government. The delegates of the convention, however, rejected the bill. The lack of the bill became a rallying point for AntiFederalists in Virginia. George Mason A Bill of Rights is Approved • • • James Madison suggested that amendments be added to the Constitution protecting the rights of citizens of the United States. Virginia decided to ratify the Constitution with a bill of rights. New York, not wanting to become isolated, immediately voted to ratify the Constitution by a count of 30-27. James Madison The Constitution is Law! • • • Congress could begin the process of governing under the new document. The electors unanimously elected George Washington to be the first President of the United States. Vice President – John Adams •George Washington •John Adams