The Constitution and the New Republic

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Chapter 6.1

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 Americans feared the power of a central/federal/national government
 Wanted to maintain State’s rights and powers
 The government under the A of C was hampered by
 Factions (different groups within the whole)
 Instability
 Inability to deal with economic problems (inflation, taxes, etc.)
 Failure to deal with Shay’s Rebellion made it look bad
 Lack of power to solve social unrest (like veteran affairs and slavery)
 Merchants, wealthy landowners, and traders wanted to standardize the economic system… WHY and what does standardization mean?
 Alexander Hamilton and James Madison join forces to call for a
Constitutional Convention—where delegates will meet to overhaul the
A of C and strengthen the central government so that they could have the power to PASS TAXES

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 55 “Founding Fathers” met in Philadelphia in September of 1787
 Generally they were group of people who distrusted any concentration of power but new they needed a stronger government
 Washington chosen as President of the Convention
 Voted to close the meeting to the public and press… Why is this significant?
 James Madison introduced the Virginia Plan—bicameral legislature
(House=based on population, Senate=based on votes of the House)
 Large states have a huge advantage
 New Jersey Plan—unicameral legislature equally represented, gave congress powers to tax and regulate trade
 Gave advantage to small states
 Argument over whether slaves should be counted for taxation…
WHY? What would be the North’s position? What would be the
South’s?

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 Convention bickered for months, could not decide
 Great Compromise —July, 1787 Convention agreed to legislature and representation
 House=based on population
 Slaves count as 3/5 of a person but cannot vote
 Why would slave states want slaves to count as population?
 Senate=every state gets 2 representatives
 South prevented North from taxing the slave trade or for stopping the slave trade for 20 years

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 James Madison—the father of the Constitution
 Solved the issues of…
 Sovereignty—power flowed from the people NOT from the government
“We the people…”
 Divided Power—Federal and State government shared power—a Republic
 Limiting Power—Separation of powers created a system of checks and balances within the three branches of government and the state/federal government

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 Convention feared that the Constitution wouldn’t be ratified under the A of C (which required a unanimous vote) so they changed the rules and required only 9 states to ratify.
 All states but Rhode Island ratified it.
 Federalist Papers—written by Hamilton, Madison, and Jay and published in Newspapers, supported the constitution.
Supporters came to be known as Federalists
 Antifederalists—feared a possibly tyrannical centralized government and did not like that the constitution because it lacked a Bill of Rights

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 Elections took place in early 1789, overwhelmingly
Federalists won.
 George Washington became President and John Adams became Vice President
 Congress’s first task was to draft a Bill of Rights— which the antifederalists were promised if they supported the formation of the new government (12 proposed, 10 ratified)
 Congress created first Cabinet—Secretaries of State
(Thomas Jefferson), Treasury (Hamilton), and War (Henry
Knox)

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Chapter 6.2

ARTICLES OF CONFEDERATION CONSTITUTION
LEVYING TAXES Congress could request states to pay taxes
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No system of federal courts FEDERAL COURTS
REGULATION OF
TRADE
EXECUTIVE
AMENDING
DOCUMENT
No provision to regulate interstate trade
No executive with power. President of U.S. merely presided over Congress
13/13 needed to amend Articles
REPRESENTATION OF
STATES
Each state received 1 vote regardless of size
Congress has right to levy taxes on individuals
Court system created to deal with issues between citizens, states
Congress has right to regulate trade between states
Executive branch headed by President who chooses Cabinet and has checks on power of judiciary and legislature
2/3 of both houses of Congress plus 3/4 of state legislatures or national convention
Upper house (Senate) with 2 votes; lower house (House of Representatives) based on population
Congress can raise an army to deal with military situations
RAISING AN ARMY
Congress could not draft troops, dependent on states to contribute forces
INTERSTATE
COMMERCE
DISPUTES BETWEEN
STATES
No control of trade between states
Complicated system of arbitration
SOVEREIGNTY Sovereignty resides in states
Interstate commerce controlled by Congress
Federal court system to handle disputes
Constitution the supreme law of the land
PASSING LAWS 9/13 needed to approve legislation

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 Federalists dominated government for 12 years under the leadership of Hamilton (as leader of the party NOT the government)
 Hamilton believed:
 Stable and effective government required “enlightened” ruling class What does this mean?
 Government was responsible for national and state debt— issues bonds to give the wealthy a stake in the country’s future
 Created a federal bank—safe place to keep funds, collect taxes, and pay government expenses.
 Government sold lands in the west to pay for bonds but it wasn’t enough
 Government started taxing the production of Whiskey and putting tariffs on imports.

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 Some states (VA) did not like the Federal assumption of state debts from states with large debt (MA) so they compromised and moved the capitol from
Philadelphia to Washington D.C.
 Bank of United States is created despite argument that Congress could not create the bank since the
Constitution did not specifically say it could.

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 Madison warned that political parties were dangerous (Fed
Papers #10)
 Because Federalists were in control of so much of the government, many wanted an opposing party—birth of the
Republican Party
 First Party System—both sides argued that the other side had no
right to exist and that there were no political parties.
 James Madison & Thomas Jefferson—leaders of the Republican party
 Believed in States Right,
 Believed in an “Agrarian Republic”—independent farmers
 Feared growth of cities and industrialization
 Federalists did not support the French Revolution while the
Republican did.
 (common people of France over threw the French aristocracy)

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Chapter 6.3

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 In 1791 Great Britain sent first minister to US
 question of US neutrality arose in 1793 when French government from revolution of 1789 went to war with Great Britain
 French sent representative to US (Edmond Genet) violated
Neutrality Act and tried to recruit Americans to French cause-
 US ships as privateers, raids against Spanish (who allied with
Britain)
 British Royal Navy began seizing US ships trading w/ French in West Indies in 1794,
 anti-British feelings high,
 Hamilton concerned because war meant end to English imports
 main revenue for financial system dependent from duties

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 Hamilton feared pro-French State Dept, had Washington send
Chief Justice and Federalist John Jay to negotiate treaty with
Britain
 Jay’s Treaty in 1794 failed to compensate Brit assaults on ships and withdrawal of Brit forces from frontier, but prevented war, established American sovereignty over Northwest, satisfactory commercial relationship
 American backlash followed b/c not enough Brit promises,
Republicans and some Federalists offered opposition but ultimately ratified by Senate
 Jay’s treaty allowed peace to be made with Spain b/c raised fears of Brit/American alliance in North America,
 Pinckney’s treaty in 1795 recognized US right to Mississippi,
Florida border, control of Indian raids from FL

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Chapter 6.4

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 Washington retired from presidency in 1797,
 in “Farewell” worried over foreign influence on gov’t, including
French efforts to frustrate Federalist diplomatic program
 Party rivalry start sot take shape
 Jefferson runs for Republicans,
 Hamilton too many enemies so
 VP John Adams becomes the Federalist candidate
 Federalists could win majority of electors 1796 pres. election for
Adams but factional fighting within party caused second candidate Thomas Pinckney to receive many votes- resulted in
Jefferson finishing second, became VP.
 Federalists divided, strong Republicans opposition, Hamilton still leads party

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 US relations with Great Britain & Spain improved after treaties, deteriorated w/ France b/c of impressments of US ships and sailors
 President Adams pursued reconciliation by appointing bi-partisan commission of Charles Pinckney, John Marshall, Elbridge Gerry to negotiate
 French foreign minister Talleyrand demanded loan and bribe,
 Adams turned over report to Congress w/ names deleted- “XYZ Affair” caused outrage at France,
 Federalist gained support for response
 Adams asked Congress to cut off trade, 1798 created Dept of Navy
(very successful capturing French ships), cooperated with Great
Britain
 France reconciled, new government of Napoleon 1800
 new commercial arrangements

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 Conflict with France led to Federalist majority 1798,
 to silence Republican opposition Adams passed the Alien and Sedition Acts
 Alien Act restricted foreigners becoming citizens,
 Sedition Act allowed government to prosecute libelous or treasonous activity- but definitions allowed government to stifle any opposition—
 Republicans fought back
 Adams cautious in implementation but still repressive, Republican leaders hoped for reversal from state legislatures
 Jefferson + Madison had VA, KY adopt resolutions arguing when government exercised undelegated powers, its acts “void”. Used
Locke’s “compact theory”: states were part of contract, fed govt had breached contract, therefore states could “nullify” the appropriate laws—only VA and KY did so
 By late 1790s national crisis because nation so politically divided

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 1800 presidential election saw same candidates- Adams’ and Jefferson’s supporters showed no restraint or dignity in their assaults against other
 Crucial contest in New York where Aaron Burr (candidate for VP) mobilized Rev War veterans, the Tammany Society, to serve as Republican political machine- Republicans eventually won the state and election
 In partisan atmosphere Jefferson and Burr votes tied, the previous
Federalist Congress had to choose between the two in a vote (House of
Representatives decides when no majority), ultimately Hamilton and
Federalists elected Jefferson
 After election only judiciary branch still Federalist, Judiciary Act of 1801 had created many new positions which Adams had filled before leaving office
 Republican viewed victory as savior from tyranny, believed new era would begin where true founding principles would govern

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 Find a partner
 Grab one laptop per group
 Each group will be assigned two terms.
 Sign in to Quizlet.com and join FLESSA APUSH
 For each term:
 Define it
 Tell us why its important
 Connect it to other events in the chapter
 Give the Social, Economic, and Political influence of the term