Class Summary
Katia Schenhals
H Block
10-01-09
Beginning with 5 minutes of connection, we then moved into the discussion of sources
and why they’re important in our lives. Although they may mostly serve us in providing
evidence for our opinions (theses) for now, they will prove useful in the future as our
careers develop; researching material for ourselves, seeing if it is reliable and letting us
become more aware of how there are sources all around us. This immediately led us into
Zinn’s and Roche’s discussion about whether the “founding fathers were democratic
reformers” and the evidence to prove their point. As Roche stated that the founding
fathers were not only reformers but also democratic as the people had agreed with them,
Zinn declared that the “reformers” were only an elite group who created a central
government and were interested in providing security for themselves and those who
belonged to their social status. Some sources that proved their theories were first shown
in Roche’s argument as he primarily used James Madison’s convention notes (who had
written the Constitution) and the Constitution itself, which were a series of compromises
for the states and the nation. He used these documents to state his ideology that even
though it wasn’t a piece of cake, all the states compromised on having equal rights among
themselves (even though it excluded slaves and females). Zinn on the other hand,
received his sources from court documents (pg 129), Shays’ Rebellion (Maj. Probs. Pgs
133-134), the Constitution itself, and the Federalist Papers (pg 131)-written by
Alexander Hamilton, James Madison and John Jay (they who used this as propaganda for
the persuasion of the public). Zinn declared his theory by indicating how the elite had
controlled the constitution, how Shays’ Rebellion was an excuse to create a central
government, and how there was the exclusion of certain classes even though the
constitution was supposed to be directed to “the people”. This thus shows how evidence
and sources developed the assertion of each person and the contraposition against each
other.
After reviewing the dates of presidency starting with George Washington, up to Thomas
Jefferson, there was a separation between the federalists and the Jeffersonian/
Republicans as the presidents began to change their opinions about an idealized
government. Beginning with GW (George Washington), JA (John Adams) and AH
(Alexander Hamilton) as federalists, central banks and government were created, national
debt was introduced, the unified monetary system developed, it became industrialized,
and the elite controlled the majority of the people’s actions. In contrary to them, Thomas
Jefferson focused on the agrarian ideal, small central gout, states rights, self-sufficiency
among individuals, and the Declaration of Independence.
In between the years of 1796 and 1800, John Adams became the president of the U.S. (a
federalist) and the diplomatic relations with the French broke as the U.S. allied with the
British after the French had helped the U.S. but were left behind. As we discussed some
documents of “The Alien and Sedition Acts” as well as “Nullification”, Adams was
critiqued for his specific rules applied to the people living in the U.S. at that time.
These acts represented the bills passed by the federalists from Congress in 1798, trying to
protect their citizens from the French, as they were afraid their enemies might attack
them. These acts stated that in time of war, any suspicious aliens would be deported out
of the country and in the Sedition Act of 1798, any malicious publication against the
president would result in punishment (no freedom of speech).
During the Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions of 1798, Jefferson and his people argued
that the federal laws were unconstitutional, as they had no reason to overpower state laws
and therefore began to revolt against the federalists. As we finished wrapping up class
with this subject, next class we’ll be discussing a little bit more in depth these acts and
how they ended.
Review:
Time: 1777-1787
Articles of Confederation
Time: 1787
Shays’ Rebellion
Time: 1787
Const. Convention
Presidents from this time:
Time: 1788-1796- 2 terms in gov.
Time: 1796-1800- 1 term in gov.
Time: 1800-1808- 2 terms in gov.



The first constitution established
Independent states created
States had power over all gov.
functions not affecting the central
government.
 Congress of Confederation was
created
 An uprising in Massachusetts
 Farmer Daniel Shays leads 700
poor, angry farmers on a
revolution to lower taxes
 Source: Taking Sides Pg 129 and
Maj. Probs. Pgs 133-134
 Founding Fathers were introduced
in Constitution.
 Republicanism
 Independence of states they had
own governor elected by state
legislature
 Legislature was elected by popular
vote
George Washington
John Adams
Thomas Jefferson