United States History 17831848
Founding a New Nation
Era of Expansion
The New Nation
• American Gov’t during Revolution:
– Loose union of 13 states (nations)
– Weak central government
– No power to tax
Participation Points
Get into groups and discuss the following
questions.
1. What are the Articles of Confederation?
2. What are their weaknesses?
Articles of Confederation
• The first Constitution
• The 2nd Continental Congress met to write
it in 1777, a year after they wrote the
Declaration of Independence.
• It’s goal was to provide some organization,
but to make sure the states would keep
their independence.
• In 1788, a new Constitution was approved
to replace it.
Problems during “Articles of
Confederation” Period
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Unpaid Revolutionary War debts
No central money system
Pirate attacks on American shipping
Indian attacks on frontier
Daniel Shays’s Rebellion, 1786
Constitutional Convention 1787
• 1st decision: get rid of Articles
• James Madison, “father of the Constitution”
• Madison’s plans:
– Strong central government with 3 branches: executive,
legislative, judicial
– System of checks & balances
– System of federalism with each state guaranteed
republican form of government
– New states admitted to union as equals
Washington Presiding at
Constitutional Convention
The Great • Greatest challenge:
representation
Compromise
– Large state plan:
based on population
– Small state plan:
equal representation
• Connecticut (Great)
Compromise:
– Representatives based on
population
– Equal number of Senators
(2) per state
Slavery
• Northern states wanted all slaves taxed
• Southern states did not
• Southern states wanted all slaves counted
for purposes of representation
• Northern states did not
• Result: 3/5 Compromise (each slave
counted as 3/5 of a person for both taxes
and representation)
Slavery
• States were required to return runaway
slaves to their masters
Ratifying (approving) the
Constitution
• Federalists: supported Constitution
• Anti-federalists: feared loss of state power
& individual rights
• Promise of Bill of Rights (first 10
Amendments to Constitution) wins over
many Anti-federalists
• Constitution takes effect 1789
Bill of Rights
• 1st Amendment: The “five freedoms”
– Freedom of religion
– Freedom of speech
– Freedom of the press
– Freedom to peacefully assemble
– Freedom to petition the government to deal
with complaints
Bill of Rights
• 2nd Amendment: The right to keep and
bear arms
• 3rd Amendment: Soldiers cannot be
housed in a person’s home without that
person’s permission
Bill of Rights
• 4th Amendment: Government cannot
search people’s homes without a warrant
• 5th Amendment:
– Guarantees people a trial.
– Ensures that people do not have to be a
witness against themselves.
– The government cannot take private property
without paying a fair price for the property.
Bill of Rights
• 6th Amendment: The right to a speedy trial
with an attorney
• 7th Amendment: Right to trial by jury
• 8th Amendment: Protection from cruel and
unusual punishments
Bill of Rights
• 9th Amendment: Just because a right is not
mentioned in the Constitution does not
mean that people are not entitled to it.
• 10th Amendment: Powers not held by the
Federal Government are the people’s
Rights and Liberties
Get into groups of 6
• Pick a leader for you group.
• Send them up to get a Bill of Rights
handout
• Talk with your group and decide if the
following statements are constitutionally
correct.
• If the statement is constitutionally correct,
write correct.
• If it is not constitutionally correct, write the
amendment that it contradicts.
Is it constitutionally Correct?
1. The government does not like a man's ideas, so it does
not allow him to make a speech in public.
2. A town does not like the religious beliefs of a certain
group, so it forbids it from building a house of worship.
3. A man accused of a serious crime refuses to give
evidence against himself.
4. The government orders a newspaper to stop printing
editorials that criticize the government too much.
5. A group of people are arrested because they wrote to
Congress saying that they did not like a certain law.
Constitution
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Written 1787
Ratified 1788
In effect 1789
Big reason for ratification was widespread
trust in George Washington & belief he
would be first President
• http://www.schooltube.com/video/c658860
b99907f7ac667/The%20Preamble
President George Washington
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Elected unanimously
Served 1789-1797
Declined kingship
Declined royal titles;
simply “Mr.
President”
Page 20
Washington and his Cabinet
• Secretary of State
Thomas Jefferson
• Secretary of Treasury
Alexander Hamilton
• (also Secretary of
War John Knox &
Attorney General
Edmund Randolph)
Page 21
The different documents through
history…
• Mayflower Compact: early constitution written by
the Pilgrims, 1620.
• Declaration of Independence: announcement of
intention to become a free nation, 1776.
• Articles of Confederation: first attempt at a
constitution, 1777.
• Constitution: official description of American
Government and Law, 1787.
• Bill of Rights: first 10 amendments (changes) to
Constitution. Describes the people’s rights. 1789.
Alexander Hamilton
• Economist in charge of the US Treasury,
under George Washington.
• He thought the central gov’t should have
more power and should collect taxes.
• Many people (including Thomas Jefferson)
disagreed with him.
• He helped create the first US
National Bank and tax system.
• Now his face is on our $10 bill.
Whiskey Rebellion
• First challenge to new government
• Whiskey tax was resisted in the west
• Washington leads troops, then turns over
command to Hamilton
• Rebellion ends quickly
• Demonstrates power of new government
First Party System
• Formed around ideas
of Jefferson &
Hamilton
Page 25
Thomas Jefferson
• DemocraticRepublican Party
• Limited government
• Strict construction
(narrow interpretation
of Constitution)
• Favored farmers
• Opposed national
bank
Page 26
Alexander Hamilton
• Federalist Party
• Strong central
government
• Loose construction
(broad interpretation
of Constitution)
• Favored
manufacturers
• Promoted national
bank
Page 27
Paying state debts from
Revolutionary War
• Southern states paid most of their debts
• Northern states owed much money
• Hamilton wanted Federal government to
pay all states’ debts
• Southern states opposed
Compromise
• South agreed to pay off all state debts
(benefited mostly North)
• North agreed to locate national capital in
South
• Washington, D.C., chosen as new capital
(Virginia-Maryland border)
Neutrality
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France & England were at war in the 1790s
Washington was urged to aid France
Washington refused to take sides
He advised a policy of neutrality in foreign
affairs
• “No entangling alliances” with European
powers
Washington steps down
• Americans urge Washington to run for 3rd term
• Washington retires after 8 years – sets
precedent (only Franklin Roosevelt violates
precedent)
• Washington possibly greatest President –
remained uncorrupted by power
Thomas Jefferson, 1801-1809
• 1800 election: first
peaceful change of
power from one party
to another
• Promoted equality &
democracy
• 1803 Louisiana
Purchase: doubled
size of United States
Page 32
Louisiana Purchase
War of 1812: Causes
War between Britain and America.
• Indian troubles & British weapons sales.
• Britain was at war with France (Napoleon)
so they tried to restrict US trade with
France. (Neutrality – US had the right to
trade.)
• British wanted to search American ships
for British deserters.
• Desire for expansion.
War of 1812: American Failure
• President Madison declared war on Britain
• Failed invasion of Canada.
• Washington D.C. burned, 1814.
Ft. McHenry, Francis Scott Key, &
The Star Spangled Banner
The Star Spangled Banner
(first verse)
O! say can you see by the dawn's
early light,
What so proudly we hailed at the
twilight's last gleaming,
Whose broad stripes and bright stars
through the perilous fight,
Over the ramparts we watched,
were so gallantly streaming?
And the rockets' red glare, the
bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that
our flag was still there;
O! say does that star-spangled
banner yet wave,
Over the land of the free and the
home of the brave?
The Star Spangled Banner
• http://v.youku.com/
v_show/id_XMTM0N
Dc3NjE2.html
• We often sing the
national anthem at
sports games.
• People are
supposed to stand
up and take off
their hats.
End of War of 1812
• Compromise peace treaty, December,
1814
• Britain and America were at peace after
this and later became allies.
• America didn’t try to invade Canada again.
U.S. in 1819
Monroe Doctrine 1823
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President James Monroe, 1817-1825
Basis of American foreign policy
“America for Americans”
European interference with Latin
American nations would not be
tolerated
• New World closed to further
colonization
• US would stay out of European wars
Jacksonian Democracy
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President Andrew Jackson, 1829-1837
Popular war hero
Champion(hero) of the common man
All white men could vote (not just
property owners)
• 1828 election a “Second American
Revolution” (democracy)
• “Spoils system”: officials chosen for
loyalty to the party rather than ability
• Idea of “Manifest Destiny” – expansion
to the Pacific.
Texas Revolt, 1836
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US settlers in northern Mexico (Texas)
Revolted against Mexico
Battle of Alamo: buys time
General Sam Houston: defeats Mexicans
at San Jacinto
• Republic of Texas an independent nation
Mexican War, 1846-48
• Spirit of “Manifest Destiny” – American
expansion divinely ordained
• 1845 Texas joins the United States
• Shots fired in disputed territory
• Great American victories
• 1848 treaty: US gets 1/3 of Mexico,
including Arizona, New Mexico, &
California
Mexican War
New Inventions
• 1793 cotton gin: agricultural revolution in
South – makes slavery more profitable
• Steamboats: help unify America & make it
easier to sell crops
• Railroads: connect towns which have no
river transportation
Robert Fulton’s Claremont: First
successful steamboat
Westward Expansion
• California Gold Rush: “49-ers”
• Chinese in California
• Divisive political issue: expansion of slavery
into territory taken from Mexico
U.S. in 1850
Required Reading
• Sections 5 and 6