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Building a Nation: How
much power should the
national government
have?
U.S. History
C. Corning - 2010
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See Think Wonder
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http://www.earlyamerica.com/earlyamerica/firsts/cartoon/s
nake.html
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SEE / THINK / WONDER
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Question: What was Franklin’s purpose in creating this
cartoon in 1754? Why do you think it was used again during
the American Revolution?
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Forming a National Government
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Articles of Confederation – 1777 Continental Congress sent
the A of C to the colonies for ratification.
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Concerns: Strong national government and unequal power
between states
Limitations:
 National government had no power to tax or regulate trade
 Amendments required unanimous consent of all states
Other problems:
 Wartime gov’t had to print money to pay for war – inflation
 British punished colonies by restricting trade with West Indies
 Economic sectionalism – South more vulnerable – cash crops
 Britain refused to abandon military posts in States – loyalists
 Shay’s Rebellion – 1787 – famers protest unfair political and
economic policies – resentment between backcountry farmers
and coastal elite.
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Articles of Confederation
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What was working well?
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Government won the American Revolutionary War
Northwest Ordinance 1787 – governing sale of government lands to
settlers
 Included a bill of rights guaranteeing trial by jury, freedom of
religion, freedom from excessive punishment
 Also abolished slavery from NW territories (NW of the Ohio River
and east of the Mississippi River, up to Canadian border)
 Regulations concerning the conditions under which territories
could apply for statehood.
Read Articles – page 56 in “We the People” packet
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What were the advantages/disadvantages for the states and/or
national government?
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Articles of Confederation –
Weaknesses
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Congress had no power to tax – could only ASK for money
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No power over the state governments and their citizens –
citizens could only be governed by THEIR states’ laws.
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Unenforceable trade agreements – Congress could make
trade agreements but could not force the States to abide by
them.
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Unfair competition among the States – Congress had no
power to regulate taxes among the States.
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Failed to protect citizens’ right to property.
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Failed to protect the rights of the minority (vs majority rule)
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Constitutional Convention –
Philadelphia 1787
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Who: 55 delegates, all men, white, many of whom were
wealthy lawyers and landowners, many of who also owned
slaves.
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Some wanted to revise the A of C (New Jersey Plan) – others
wanted a new constitution.
James Madison – before convention he had drafted a plan for a
new government – Virginia Plan
 Proposed a strong national government with the power to make
and enforce its own laws, and to collect its own taxes.
 Each citizen would be governed under the authority of two
(later three) governments – National, State (and Local). Both
govts get their authority from the consent of the governed.
 Both national and state govts are given a certain amount of
authority – federalism.
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Virginia Plan – more details!
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Three branches of national government:
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The national legislature – Congress – was to have two
houses.
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Legislative – to be the most powerful because it had the power to
select people to serve in executive and judicial branches
Executive
Judicial
House of Representatives – directly elected by the people of each
state.
Senate – elected by the members of the House of Reps
Proportional representation – based on size of state’s
population or contribution to federal treasury.
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New Jersey Plan
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Also known as the “Small States Plan” because smaller states
were concerned about a strong national govt. Wanted to
keep the framework of the A of C.
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NJ Plan:
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Legislature: Congress would only have one house and it would
have increased powers:
 Power to levy import duties and stamp tax, and power to collect
money from states
 Regulate trade among the states and with other nations
 Control over the states – any law made by Congress would be
“law of the land” – states couldn’t make laws contrary to them.
Executive: Several people appted by Congress – administer
national laws, appoint executive officials and control military.
Judicial: Supreme Court appointed by officials of executive
branch.
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Constitutional Convention Problems
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All the delegates agreed that the A of C were not working –
however the resolution process was not easy. Two large
issues caused conflict:
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Great Compromise – blended the VA and NJ plans
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How should the number of representatives from each state be
determined? According to population? Equal vote?
What powers should the national government have?
House of Reps – based on population of each states
Senate – equal representation for each state (two each)
H of Rep have power to tax and spend govt money
U.S. Constitution (1787 / ratified 1789 / Bill of Rights – 1791)
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U.S. Constitution - Highlights
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Bicameral Legislature
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Lower House – House of Representatives elected by the people
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Upper House – Senate elected by the state legislatures (direct
elections not until 20th century)
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Executive – President and Vice President to be elected by
Electoral College, not directly by citizens themselves
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3/5 Compromise – slaves to be counted as 3/5 of a person
when determining the population of a state and how much
representation the state would have in Congress
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Established three branches of government – with the power
of check and balances on each other.
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Ratification Process
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Once the Constitutional Convention was complete, the new
constitution had to be ratified. What were the issues? (see
pages 84 – 90 “We the People” packet)
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Anti-Federalists – concern over strong national government,
tended to come from the backcountry and were concerned
about the absence of a Bill of Rights.
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Federalists – argue for the values of a strong national
government.
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The Federalist Papers – essays defending the new
constitution, authored by James Madison, Alexander
Hamiiton and John Jay. Published in New York newspapers.
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The Washington Presidency:
1789 – 1797
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The Electoral College unanimously chose George Washington to be the
first president.
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Washington knew his presidency would set a precedent for future
administrations:
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Cautious in his use of executive power
Created a cabinet to advise him – not part of Constitution but every president
has had one.
Did not want to be a “king” – no bowing, titles, etc.
Important Cabinet members:
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Thomas Jefferson – Secretary of State (States rights)
Alexander Hamilton – Secretary of Treasury (Strong central govt)
These two disagreed about the creation of a National Bank and support for the
French Revolution – origins of our two-party system
 Federalists vs. Democratic-Republicans
 Caused concern because people saw these as factions who only were
concerned about their own interests (hmm, sound familiar?)
 Read pages 102 – 106 “We the People” packet.
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The Adams Presidency:
1797 – 1801(Federalist)
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John Adams was one of our founding fathers – he had served
as a Congressional representative to European countries,
secured loans from Amsterdam bankers to pay for the war
and concluded the Treaty of Paris with Great Britain.
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The second-place candidate was Thomas Jefferson and he
became VP (but opposing political party – any problems with
that?)
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Achievements: Avoided war with France
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Disappointments: Alien and Sedition Acts which allowed
govt to expel foreigners (vs immigrants??) and jail
newspaper editors for “malicious” writing (what happened to
the 1st Amendment?) who were mainly Demo-Reps.
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The Jeffersonian Presidency:
1801 – 1809 (Democratic-Rep.)
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Started with the “Revolution of 1800” – meaning a bloodless
transfer of power from one political party (Federalists) to
another (Demo-Rep).
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In addition to writing the Declaration of Independence, Jefferson
also served as Governor of Virginia, Minister to France, member
of the Congress of Confederation, Secretary of State under
Washington.
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Adams was upset that the Federalists were out of power and
made “midnight appointments” filling many of the national govt
positions with Federalists as possible.
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Jefferson refused to recognize these appointments – Marbury vs.
Madison (judicial review- responsibility for reviewing the
constitutionality of Congressional acts.)
Repealed Alien and Sedition Acts
Jefferson wanted to reduce the national debt (a bit ironic
considering his own personal financial situation)
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Louisiana Purchase - 1803
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In 1800 Spain gave New Orleans to the French – which had
given it to the Spanish in 1762 after the French-Indian War
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This might threaten US trade down the Mississippi River.
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Jefferson wanted to purchase New Orleans and western Florida
from France.
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Napoleon had given up on his dreams of American empire and
was in the mood to sell the entire Louisiana Territory for $15
million. The size of the US had doubled.
Lewis and Clark Expedition – Jefferson sent Corps of
Discovery to explore the new holdings – 2.4 years – from city
of St. Louis to the Pacific (see page 200 in textbook)
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Merriwether Lewis and William Clark
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Sacajawea – interpreter and guide
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Jefferson’s Second Term / Madison
1809 - 1817
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Embargo 1807 – British had tried to place on blockade on
France and caught approx. 1000 American ships and
“impressed” the Americans into service in British navy.
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Congress declared an embargo – a ban on exporting products to
other countries – against Great Britain.
War of 1812 – Madison declares war against Great Britain (see
page 204 in textbook) because he felt that it was trying to
destroy the American economy.
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Native Americans aligned with the British, American troops illprepared
1814 – British burn the White House
Treaty of Ghent – 1814 – a general armistice, over the following years
the two countries reached agreements on many trade and diplomatic
issues.
Positive Outcome: Increased American manufacturing – WHY?