Unit 3 Notes
Chapters 9 & 10
Building
a New
Nation
Building a New Government
1.
2.
3.
The biggest problem facing the colonies after the Revolutionary War
was creating a new government.
At the urging of the Second Continental Congress, individual states
began replacing their charters with constitutions - written plans of
government.
Common elements of these state constitutions were:
1.
2.
3.
4.
4.
Most had some type of bills of rights, listing individual rights of the
people the state government had to recognize and protect.
Many were written at state conventions and submitted to the people
themselves for ratification – elected officials became public servants
instead of rulers.
The legislative branches had broad powers while the executive and
judicial branches were kept weak.
In the northern states, slavery was abolished (outright or eventually).
These new governments relied on the civic virtue of the citizens of the
states – the unselfish commitment of each citizen to the public good.
The Second Continental Congress
1. The Second Continental Congress acted as our
first national government, but because it had no
written constitution behind it, it didn’t have any
specific duties and “governed” at the permission
of the states.
2. So in 1777, the Second Continental Congress
drafted the Articles of Confederation (written
primarily by John Dickinson of PA) – but it wasn’t
ratified by all of the states until 1781.
3. The Articles of Confederation created a “league
of friendship” between the states.
Western Lands
1. The main problem with ratifying the Articles of
Confederation was the issue of western lands.
2. States with large western landholdings would have
a financial advantage over those that did not.
3. In order to get all of the states to ratify the Articles,
the Second Continental Congress convinced the
states with large western landholdings to
surrender them to Congress, which would dispose
of those areas for the “common benefit” of all –
making new republican states in the process.
Land Ordinance of 1785
1. This law provided the
method to sell the lands
in the northwest.
1.
2.
3.
The land was surveyed
and divided into
townships that covered
36 square miles.
The townships were
divided into 36 square
mile sections that could
be sold to individuals.
The 16th section was set
aside to support schools.
Northwest Ordinance of 1787
1.
This law set up the process to
create states on the western
frontier.
1.
2.
3.
4.
The territory would be formed
and the president would appoint a
territorial governor to run it.
When the population reached
5,000 free inhabitants, they could
elect a territorial legislature and
send a nonvoting delegate to
congress.
When the population reached
60,000 free inhabitants, they
could call a constitutional
convention and apply for
statehood.
The only requirement was that it
had to be a republic government
and there could be no slavery –
the Ohio River became the
dividing line between free and
slave states).
The Articles of Confederation
1. The Articles created a
unicameral - one
house – Congress with
one vote per state.
2. It took approval from 9
of the 13 states to pass
a law.
3. It took unanimous
approval from the
states to amend the
Articles.
Weaknesses of the Articles
1. There was no executive officer to enforce the
law – along with no military to help with
enforcement.
2. There was no court system to settle disputes
between the states.
3. Congress was economically weak – they couldn’t
levy taxes or regulate trade.
4. It was incredibly difficult the pass a law and
virtually impossible to amend the laws because
the states refused to cooperate.
Economic Pros and Cons
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
With the government takeover of western lands, land is going to
be cheap and readily available on the frontier.
U.S. manufacturing improves due to the lack of trade during the
Revolutionary War – still mostly farmers though.
We were now able to freely trade with any country (no more
Navigation Acts).
State government had huge debts from financing the
Revolutionary War – as did the Continental Congress.
Inflation (due to worthless currency and a lack of specie) made it
difficult to by goods (on the frontier the resorted largely to a
barter economy) and after the war was over Great Britain began
flooding the U.S. markets with goods, making it hard for U.S.
merchants to compete.
The population in general had a very negative view on any type of
tax, state or federal.
Foreign Problems
1. Great Britain won’t send an ambassador to the U.S.
2. Great Britain still controlled a series of forts/trading posts
along the Great Lakes and refused to relinquish them.
3. Great Britain (along with Spain in Florida) is arming the Native
Americans and encouraging them to make trouble for the U.S.
along the frontier.
4. Spain controls New Orleans and eventually shuts her ports
down to U.S. farmers living on the western frontier.
5. Spain claims lands in West Florida (including the MS town of
Natchez) and refuses to relinquish it.
6. The French want to be paid back the money they loaned the
colonies during the Revolutionary War and restrict trade with
their West Indies colonies until they are repaid.
7. The Barbary Pirates are seizing U.S. merchant ships in the
Mediterranean Sea and holding them for ransom.
Domestic Problems
1. Some states refuse to pay any type of money
to Congress – the national debt continues to
rise.
2. States are still quarreling over boundaries.
3. States are levying taxes on goods being
traded from state to state – leads to Shay’s
Rebellion.
Shay’s Rebellion
1. Poor farmers in the
backwoods of Massachusetts
are having problems paying
off their debt and paying their
taxes.
2. Those that can’t pay have
their land seized.
3. A group of farmers (1,200), led
by Daniel Shay, take up arms
and attack an arsenal in
Springfield, MA.
4. MA raise a militia and put the
rebellion down – Shay is
arrested but later pardoned.
5. The rebellion led many elites
to fear “mobocracy” –
unchecked republicanism
could lead to chaos.
The Constitutional Convention
1. Realizing that the Articles are too weak to run
the country, the states call for a Constitutional
Convention to meet in Philadelphia (Rhode
Island won’t attend) in order to amend the
Articles.
2. When these “Founding Fathers” meet, they
realize that amending the Articles is a hopeless
cause and decided to draft a new document.
3. The proceedings were closed to the public but
we know what happened because James
Madison kept a diary of the proceedings.
The Virginia Plan
1. Edmund Randolph of
Virginia arrives with a
document already
drafted.
2. It called for a three
branch government with
a bicameral congress
with representation
based on population.
3. This plan would favor
the larger states.
The New Jersey Plan
1. William Paterson of
New Jersey also arrived
with a plan.
2. It also called for a three
branch government with
a unicameral congress
with each state getting
one vote.
3. This plan would have
favored the smaller
states.
The Great Compromise
1. The Great Compromise combined aspects of
both the Virginia and New Jersey Plan.
2. The government would consist of three
branches and congress would be bicameral.
3. The Senate would have equal representation
(two per state) and the House of
Representatives would be based on population.
4. As an extra incentive, they decided that all tax
and appropriation bills would originate in the
House of Representatives – a protection against
rule by the elite.
The Three-Fifth’s Compromise
1. Slavery was another issue that caused major
concerns at the convention.
2. The southern states wanted to count slaves for
representation but not taxation – the northern
states wanted the opposite.
3. The Three-Fifth’s Compromise stated that three
out of every five slaves would count for taxation
and representation.
4. Also, the south had to agree to end the slave
trade in 20 years and the northern states had to
agree to return runaway slaves.
Problems with the Constitution
1. The Constitution is going to create a federal
system of government where the state and
federal governments will share the authority to
govern.
2. However, the new federal government would be
much stronger than it was under the Articles of
Confederation and many people are going to be
leery of this.
3. The issue will eventually lead to a divide in the
nation among the federalists and the
antifederalists.
The Federalists
1. The Federalists were led
by Alexander Hamilton.
2. The federalists were
wealthy, educated men
who feared
“mobocracy”.
3. Most of them lived
along the eastern
seaboard and had a
great deal of wealth and
influence.
4. They were also better
educated and organized
than the antifederalists.
1. The antifederalists were
led by Thomas Jefferson.
2. They were primarily
farmers and
backwoodsmen who were
poor and uneducated and
feared a government
controlled by the elite.
3. The were afraid a strong
central government
would take away the
power of the states and
the rights of the people.
The
Antifederalists
The Bill of Rights
1. In order to encourage the antifederalists to support
the ratification of the Constitution (it only need 9 of
the 13 states approval), the Federalist Papers are
written by James Madison, encouraging people to
support the Constitution.
2. The federalists also promise to add a Bill of Rights
when the first congress convenes.
3. They also agree to create a federal district along the
Potomac River (in Virginia) to be the home of the
federal government.
4. It takes takes over a year but eventually all of the
states ratify the Constitution.
Setting up the New Government
1. George Washington and John Adams were
chosen by the electoral college as the first
president and vice president – New York City
served as a temporary capital until the
District of Columbia could be organized.
2. Washington was very conscious about the
fact that he would be setting the precedent
for what future presidents could do.
Washington’s Cabinet
1. Although the Constitution did not specifically grant
the president the power to create a cabinet,
Washington did so in order to make managing the
government easier.
2. The members were:
1. Department of State: Thomas Jefferson – his job was to
manage affairs with foreign countries.
2. Department of the Treasury: Alexander Hamilton – his
job was to collect taxes and help manage the nations
economy
3. Department of War: Henry Knox - his job was to run the
new army and navy.
4. Attorney General – Edmund Randolph – he served as the
president’s legal advisor.
The Bill of Rights
1. The first order of business for the new Congress
was creating a bill of rights.
2. James Madison (a member of the federalists)
wrote the bill of rights and guided it through
Congress.
3. Two of the most important were the 9th (which
prevents the Bill of Rights from being used as a
limit on people’s rights) and the 10th
Amendments (which creates the reserved
powers of the states).
The Judiciary Act of 1789
1. This law organized the
federal court system.
2. It specifically created
the U.S. Supreme
Court and the office of
attorney general.
3. John Jay was
appointed as the first
Chief Justice of the
Supreme Court.
Alexander Hamilton and the Economy
1. Hamilton wanted to create a national economy
that would favor the wealthier groups in the
country – these groups would support the
government in return and stimulate the
economy, which would help the lower classes.
2. He also wanted to create a Bank of the U.S. in
order to store the money the government
collected in taxes and to regulate the nation’s
currency.
The National Debt
1. Hamilton convinced Congress to assume the
debt of the individual states and to fund the
debts at par – face value (most southern
states were against this).
2. This would put the debt of the new
government at over $75 million but it would
also would encourage the states to support
the federal government.
New Taxes
1. To pay off the national debt, Congress passed the first
national tariff (Tariff Act).
2. Hamilton wanted a high, protective tariff that would
protect U.S. industries from foreign competition – the
one Congress passed was fairly low.
3. Congress also passed an excise tax on a few domestic
items – the most important one was on whiskey.
4. U.S. citizens don’t complain that much about the tariff
because it was passed by their own elected
representatives – they do complain about the excise
tax though.
The Bank of the U.S.
1. Congress passes a bill to create the BUS but
Washington hesitates to sign it – he’s not sure its
constitutional.
2. He asks Hamilton and Jefferson for their opinions and
they both give him one based on the Necessary and
Proper Clause (Art. 1, Sect. 8) of the Constitution –
also known as the elastic clause.
3. Hamilton says its proper to create the bank because
Congress has the expressed power to tax and it would
be proper to create a bank to store the revenue in.
4. Jefferson says the bank isn’t necessary because the
revenue can be stored in state banks.
5. Washington agrees with Hamilton and the BUS is
created.
The Whiskey Rebellion
1. Frontier farmers distilled
their crops into whiskey to
make it easier to transport
to market – also used it for
barter.
2. Farmers and distillers
began to refuse to pay it.
3. Washington assembled
the militias of several
states and put down the
“rebellion” peacefully –
but it’s the first instance of
the president enforcing a
law of Congress.
The French Revolution
1. In 1789 the French
Revolution begins.
2. It eventually turns into a
war between France and
the rest of Europe.
3. France wants our help
but Washington refuses.
4. The Neutrality
Proclamation declares
the U.S. to be neutral
and allows us to
continue to trade with
both sides.
Charles Genet
1. The French will send
Charles Genet to the U.S.
to drum up support for
France.
2. Genet will convince U.S.
merchants to sail as
privateers for France.
3. He even tries to recruit
U.S. citizens to form
armies to attack British
Canada and Spanish
Florida.
4. Washington eventually has
him expelled from the
country.
Effects of the French Revolution
1. The development of political parties in the
U.S.
2. The impressing of U.S. sailors by Great
Britain.
3. Problems on the western frontier with Native
Americans who are being encourage by the
British to attack U.S. settlers.
Jay’s and Pinckney’s Treaty
1. Washington sends John Jay to Great Britain to work out a
treaty.
2. Under Jay’s Treaty, Great Britain agrees to remove their
troops from the western frontier and allow the U.S. to trade
with the British colonies of the West Indies but they don’t
agree to stop seizing U.S. ships and impressing U.S. sailors –
many people are going to be highly critical of the treaty.
3. One positive outcome of Jay’s Treaty is Pinckney’s Treaty,
which settles the dispute between the U.S. and Florida over
the Florida border and gives U.S. settlers the right of deposit
in New Orleans.
4. We will also defeat the Indians (the Miami Confederacy) on
the frontier and sign the Treaty of Greenville with them,
opening up the Old Northwest for U.S. settlers without fear of
Indian reprisals.
Washington’s Fair Well Address
1. After two terms of office, Washing decides to
step down.
2. In a letter to the American public he
encourages them to:
1. remain neutral in foreign affairs.
2. remain united at home – don’t form political
parties.
The Development of U.S. Political
Parties
Federalists
1. Northeastern merchants
and southern plantation
owners led by Alexander
Hamilton, they believe in:
1.
2.
3.
4.
A strong federal
government.
The BUS.
A diversified economy.
Support G.B. in war in
Europe (if we have to pick a
side).
Democratic-Republicans
1. Artisans, shopkeepers an
small farmers led by
Thomas Jefferson, they
believe in:
1.
2.
3.
4.
A limited federal
government – stronger state
governments.
No bank regulation.
An agrarian economy.
Support France in the war in
Europe – without being
asked.
The Election of 1796 and the Electoral
College
1. This presidential election will be the first to
involve political parties.
2. Under the Constitution, the people case popular
votes and then in the electoral college electors
cast votes to reflect the popular vote (but they
don’t have to – this was put in by the federalists
because they didn’t trust commoners to chose
the president).
3. Each elector had two votes. The candidate with
the most became president, the candidate with
the second most became vice president.
The Election of 1796
1. The Federalists nominate John Adams and
Thomas Pinckney.
2. The Demo-Repubs. Nominate Thomas Jefferson
and Aaron Burr.
3. The Federalists have a majority in the electoral
college so Hamilton meets in secret with some
of the electors and tells them to vote for
Pinckney and Burr.
4. The rest of the Federalists find out and don’t
vote for Pinckney at all, leading to Adams
winning the presidency and Jefferson winning
the vice-presidency.
The XYZ Affair
1. Right away Adams has problems with France – they
declare an unofficial war the U.S., seizing U.S. ships.
2. Adams sends three U.S. ambassadors to meet with
France’s foreign minister, Charles Tallyrand.
3. Three French ministers meet with our ambassadors and
demand a bribe, which our ministers refuse to pay.
4. They send a letter back to Adams, which ends up getting
published, with X, Y and Z replacing the French ministers
names.
5. The American public will be outraged and start calling for
war with France – and the Demo-Repubs. start criticizing
Adams and the Federalists for how they handled the
matter.
Adams and Napoleon
1. Adam resists the urge to go to war and send
a new minister to France.
2. In France, Napoleon Bonaparte has seized
control and has no desire to go to war with
the U.S.
3. Napoleon orders Tallyrand to meet with the
U.S. minister and they agree to the
Convention of 1800, in which France agrees
to leave U.S. ships alone.
Federalist Laws that Infringe on
Personal Freedoms
1. In response to the criticism, the Federalists in
Congress pass a series of laws aimed at both
immigrants (mainly French) and the Demo-Repubs.:
1. The Naturalization Act increases the amount of time an
immigrant must live in the U.S. before they can become a
citizen.
2. The Alien Act gave the president the right to imprison or
deport any foreigner he considers to be a danger to
national security.
3. The Sedition Act makes it a crime to criticize the
president or any Federalist member of Congress (ten
people are thrown in jail for this act – James Callender
spent nine months in jail for calling President Adams a
tyrant and a fool.
The Kentucky and Virginia
Resolutions
1. Angered by the Sedition Act, Thomas Jefferson and James
Madison will write a series of resolutions and get them
passed through the Kentucky and Virginia state
legislatures.
2. The Kentucky Resolutions claimed that a state had the
right to nullify – refuse to enforce – any law passed by
Congress that was unconstitutional.
3. The Virginia Resolutions claimed that a state could repeal
– officially take off the books – any law passed by
Congress that was unconstitutional.
4. The U.S. Congress ignores these resolutions but they’re
important because they are the beginnings of the states’
rights argument, which claims that the state government
is more powerful than the federal government.