EGALITARIANISM
• Evolution of political and social structures and greater
equality between groups
– Loss of conservative Loyalists made the country even more
democratic in outlook
• Fight for separation of church and state
– Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom
• People start to question institution of slavery
– Quakers in Philadelphia start the first anti-slavery society
– Sacrificed fighting slave issue in the new government for
“political expediency” ie: approval by all the states
• Equality of women
– New Jersey Constitution in 1776 did allow women the right
to vote
• Civic Virtue
– The concept that democracy
depended on the unselfish
commitment of each citizen to
the public good
• Mothers became the ones
who train next generation in
moral education
• Republican Motherhood
– “Women become the “keepers
of the nation’s consciousness”
• Became important to educate
women who were going to
train the future generations
REPUBLICAN
IDEOLOGY
COMMON FEATURES – EARLY STATE
CONSTITUTIONS
• State constitutions were contracts that defined the
powers of government and drew authority from the
people
• Written documents
• Fundamental law – not legislation that can change
• Bills of Rights included in most
• Annual election of legislators who stay in touch with
the needs of the people
• Weak executive and judicial branches of
government
• Legislature presumed the most democratic branch
ECONOMIC CHANGES IN COUNTRY
• Loyalist lands confiscated and broken up into
smaller farms
– Increased economic democracy as more people became
landowners
– Also led to political democracy as those landowners now
became involved in the political process
• Manufacturing started to develop as America cut off
from British markets
– American ships barred from British and West Indies trade
– Move into the Asian markets
• Problems with debt and threat of economic turmoil
SPECTER OF ANARCHY
• States refused to pay money to central government
• Quarrels over boundary disputes between states
• Some states charged other states duty on products
being shipped in for sale
• Civic virtue seemed not enough to control selfinterest and greed
– Conservatives want to safeguard wealth and position
– But those who owed debt did not want a stronger
government that would force repayment
• Shay’s rebellion scared many into pushing for a
strong government
• Differences on how to strengthen the government to
avoid anarchy yet not give up states’ rights issues
CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION OF 1787
• Control of commerce and interstate fighting issue
that finally pushed many to meet
• Meeting held in Philadelphia
• The original purpose of the meeting was to revise the
Articles of Confederation
• The representatives included original rebels as well
as a new generation of younger statesmen starting
to have influence in the development of the country
– Benjamin Franklin was the oldest member at age 81
– New people like Alexander Hamilton and James Madison
– John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry not there
• George Washington
agreed to be
president of the
Convention
• His being involved
showed how
important the
convention was to
the country
• His presence kept
more radical
elements under
control
• George
Washington's life
mask was made
in 1785 by French
sculptor Jean
Antoine Houdon
when Washington
was fifty-three
• The life mask
shows
Washington as he
really appeared in
life
http://www.earlyamerica.com/review/spring97/washington.html
JAMES MADISON
• He was born in Virginia in
1751
• But, attended college in
the north, at Princeton
University
• A member of the
Continental Congress and
the Virginia Assembly
• Represented Virginia at
the Constitutional
Convention
• Considered one of the
most educated, intelligent
men of his era
• Madison prepared for the meeting by reading books
on theory, history and development
– Many of the books had been sent to him by his
friend, Thomas Jefferson, who was then
Ambassador to France
• He took notes during all meeting sessions
– Historical documents of the proceedings that still
exist and are used to review the history of
constitutional development
• His ideas on government structure and democracy
had a strong influence on the other delegates
• He was the author of the Bill of Rights (first 10
amendments to the Constitution)
• He wrote 29 of the Federalist Papers, defending the
development of a new, federal government
SECRET MEETINGS
• The meetings were held in secrecy so no one would
find out in advance about the details of the discussion
• This allowed members to make decisions without
worrying about public opinion
• Members soon realized they were creating a new
government, not trying to salvage the old Articles
• Members
assigned
to be with
Franklin,
who
talked too
much
TWO LEGISLATIVE PLANS DEVELOPED
• Many recognized the need for a stronger federal
government structure with a more organized, more
representative legislature
• Need for an executive leader and an impartial
judicial also major concerns
• Two major plans on the structure of the new
legislature and government organization developed:
– The New Jersey Plan – the “small state” plan
– The Virginia Plan – the “large state” plan
THE
VIRGINIA
PLAN
• Proposed by James
Madison &Edmund
Randolph
• Three branches of
government
• Two houses in the
legislature
• Members selected for each
house based on the amount
of population within the state
• One vote per representative
• With this plan, larger states
would have more power in
the legislature because they
would have more
representation
• Proposed by William
Patterson
• Three branches of
government
• One house in the
legislature
• Members selected by
the states
• But, only one vote per
state
• With this plan, small
states have as much
power in the legislature
as larger states
THE NEW
JERSEY PLAN
• Small states feared
domination by the large states
in the legislature
• Large states angry at having
to always negotiate with small
states for their vote
– And, they were not being
represented based on
population
• Roger Sherman of
Connecticut developed a
compromise between the New
Jersey and Virginia plans
• He proposed a legislature
made up of two separate
houses
THE GREAT
COMPROMISE
• The “Lower House” would be a House of
Representatives
– The number of members from each state based
on the population of the state
– So large states have more members
– One vote per each member
• The “Upper House” would be a Senate
– Two members per each state, no matter the size
of the state
– So smaller states have equal representation
– One vote per each member
• To ensure equity and balance of power between the
two houses: Any legislation / bills being processed
must have the approval of both houses before it can
be forwarded and made into law
SOUTHERN STATES AND REPRESENTATION
• Southern states with smaller white populations
worried about losing influence, especially in the
House of Representatives
• They wanted to count their slaves as population so
they could have more representation in Congress
• Northerners objected because:
– There were many more slaves in the South than
the North, giving the South an unfair advantage in
the counting
– Slaves were not allowed to vote, and by some
southerners considered property, so why should
the South be allowed to count slaves as
population for this reason?
THREE-FIFTHS (3/5) COMPROMISE
• The convention compromised so Southern states
would approve the new Constitution
• The Compromise allowed 3 of every 5 persons of the
entire slave population to be counted for
representation
– This rule also applied in the North
• It gave southern states a larger representation in the
House of Representatives
• Use a census to verify the population of the country
– Update the census every 10 years
• The convention also agreed not to discuss the issue
of outlawing the slave trade for the next 20 years
EXAMPLE – 3/5 COMPROMISE
• You are a state with a white population of 250,000
persons
• Estimate 1 representative per 25,000 people
– = How many representatives? ______
• You have a slave population of 100,000 persons
• Based on the 3/5 compromise:
– How much larger is the “population” of your
state? ______
– How many more representatives is your state
now allowed? ______
ANSWERS
• You are a state with a white male population of
250,000 persons
• Estimate 1 representative per 25,000 people
So, entitled to 10 representatives (250,000 / 25,000)
• You have a slave population of 100,000 persons
• Based on the 3/5 compromise:
– How much larger is the “population” of your
state?
100,000 / 5 = 20,000 * 3 = 60,000
– How many more representatives is your state
now allowed?
60,000 / 25,000 = 2 MORE (2 + 10 = 12 Total)
FEDERALISTS vs ANTI-FEDERALISTS
• Group developed that was against the growth of
federal power (Anti-Federalists)
• Leaders included: Patrick Henry, George Mason
(Later: Thomas Jefferson)
• Greatest fears included:
– Lack of a Bill of Rights in the document
– Expansion of federal power into areas controlled previously
by the states
– Sovereignty of states being taken away
– Creation of a standing federal army, creation of a federal
district separated from any state
• The beginnings of the development of political parties
based on ideological differences – something not
covered in the Constitution
CONSERVATIVE SAFEGUARDS AND LIMITS
• A stronger federal government with three branches
that balance and check
• Federal judges appointed for life to keep them
separated from political pressure
• The executive (president) elected indirectly by an
electoral college
• U.S. senators selected indirectly by state
governments (until the 17th Amendment)
• Economic protection of private property and a strong
monetary system
• BUT – the powers of government ARE limited
• The people are the ones who guarantee – give
power to - the authority of the government
START OF A NEW GOVERNMENT
• The members of the convention signed the final
version of the Constitution
– September 17, 1787 (Constitution Day)
• Three delegates refused to sign because they
worried there being too much power given to the
federal government
– Randolph & Mason (VA), Gerry (MA)
• The document then had to be approved / ratified by
the legislatures in at least nine states before it
became effective
– Delaware was the 1st state
– New Jersey was the 3rd state
– June, 1788 New Hampshire became the 9th state
http://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/resources/graphic/xlarge/08_30_05(15-13-06)_christy_constitution_xl.jpg