The Constitution and
The New Republic
Unit #4 – US History
The Bill of Rights
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Amendment 1 – Freedom of Religion
Amendment 1 – Freedom of Speech
Amendment 1 – Freedom of the Press
Amendment 1 – Freedom to Assemble
Amendment 2 – Right to keep and bear arms
Amendment 3 – Protection from Quartering Troops
Amendment 4 – Protection from unreasonable search and
seizure
Amendment 5 – Double Jeopardy
Amendment 5 – Protection from Self-Incrimination
Amendment 6 – Rights of a citizen accused of committing a crime
Amendment 6 & 7 – Right to Impartial Jury Trial
Amendment 8 – Protection from cruel and unusual punishment
Amendment 9 – Rights of the people which are not specifically
mentioned in the Constitution
Amendment 10 – Limitation of the Power of the Federal
Government
Northwest Ordinance of 1787
• One of the most important achievements of the National Congress
under the Articles of Confederation, the ordinance established a
system for governing land in the Northwest Territory upon which
our modern system for establishing territories & states is based.
• The Northwest Territory was the territory north of the Ohio river and between Pennsylvania
and the Mississippi River. In 1785 the National Congress designed a system for settling this
territory, dividing the land into a grid of square miles.
• In 1787 the Northwest Ordinance gave Congress the authority to
appoint a territorial government, including a governor, secretary and 3 judges.
• Under the Ordinance once a territory had 5,000 men it could establish its own elected
assembly, or territorial congress, but the Governor would still be appointed by Congress.
• Once a territory had a population of 40,000 it could request
admission into the United States, as long as the people adopted a
democratic constitution.
• Under this ordinance the Midwestern states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin and
Minnesota gained admission into the United States.
• The Ordinance also made slavery north of the Ohio River illegal,
decision which would give non-slavery states a majority in the national government in the
future.
a
Northwest Ordinance of 1787
•What was made illegal
north of the Ohio River by
the Northwest Ordinance
of 1787?
Closure Question #1: What were the similarities and
differences among early state governments?
• Upon declaring independence in 1776, the Congress invited each new state
to create a constitution to establish a government. Although these
documents varied, they all called for republics, or governments in which the
people elect their representatives. But the Patriots disagreed over the proper
design for these republics.
• The more democratic Patriots wanted to create state governments with
strong legislatures and weak governors (or with no governor at all). Seeking
greater rights for the people, these leaders preferred a unicameral
legislature, or one with a single house, whose members were elected by the
people. Pennsylvania and Georgia adopted these more democratic
constitutions.
• Most states, however, including Massachusetts and New York, chose to
create more conservative state constitutions. These state governments had a
bicameral legislature and a strong governor. A bicameral legislature is a
lawmaking body with two houses – a Senate and a House of
Representatives. These constitutions counterbalanced the power of the
common voters in the House with the power of wealthy, well-educated
gentlemen in the Senate.
Articles of Confederation
• The original constitution for the union of the states, established
in 1777.
• Confederation – A league or alliance of states that agree to work together.
• The Articles of Confederation created a week central government,
officially stating that “Each state retains its sovereignty, freedom
and independence.” (Article 2)
• The nation government of the United States under the Articles was up of a congress of delegates
from each of the 13 states, with each state having 1 vote. The delegates were chosen by the state
legislatures, not regular voters.
• The power of the National Congress was limited to foreign affairs; declaring war, negotiating
peace, and carrying out diplomatic relationships with foreign countries and tribes.
• Under the Articles of Confederation the National Congress did
not have power to raise taxes and, as a result, was unable to carry
out any national programs, such as maintaining a national army.
Articles of Confederation
•Under the Articles of
Confederation, what did
the National Congress did
not have power to raise?
Federalism
• A system of government in which the
right to rule is divided between a
national central government and
individual state governments. The
rights given to the federal governments
and state governments are outlined in a
constitution.
• The idea of establishing Federalism as the national
government of the United States gained support as a
result of the problems experienced under the Articles of
Confederation.
• In 1786 and 1787 the outbreak of Shay’s Rebellion led the
majority of the states to agree to the need for a new form
of government, and a Constitutional Convention began in
Philadelphia in 1787.
Federalism
•In a Federal system, the
power to govern is divided
between what two groups?
Closure Question #2: In what ways was the early government
under the Articles of Confederation tested?
• During the mid-1780s, the Spanish and British did not take the new United States
seriously. To them, the republican Confederation seemed weak to the point of
anarchy or lawlessness. The Spanish had never liked American independence, and
they distrusted American expansion westward because they feared it threatened
their colonies of Louisiana and Mexico. To discourage settlements west of the
Appalachian Mountains, the Spanish forbade American trade with New Orleans.
American settlers expected to ship their produce down the Mississippi River in
Spanish-held New Orleans. The Congress lost support from western settlers when it
almost accepted the closure of New Orleans in return for commercial agreements to
benefit northeastern merchants.
• Relations with the British Empire were also strained. In the peace treaty that ended
the American Revolution in 1783, the British had tried to cultivate American
goodwill. A year later, the British abandoned that policy in favor of making the
Americans pay for their independence. Rejecting the new doctrine of free trade
championed by Adam Smith, the British renewed their traditional mercantilism as
defined by the Navigation Acts. This meant that Americans could only trade with the
British Empire under rules that favored British interests. They could certainly import
all the British manufactures that they wanted, but they could no longer freely send
their ships to trade with the British West Indies – the most important market for
American fish, lumber, and grains.
Shay’s Rebellion
• An armed rebellion in Massachusetts from 1786 to 1787 led by
poor farmers who were angered by increasing debt and state
taxes. Many of those who rebelled had served in the Continental
Army during the Revolutionary War, including the rebellion’s
leader, Daniel Shays.
• In the years following the Revolution, trade from the United States to the outside world slowed
down. Most of the crops and other resources produced in the colonies had been purchased by
England and her other colonies prior to the war; after the war, England stopped trade with the
United States. As a result, poor farmers in the colonies, unable to sell their crops, fell into debt.
• In the mean time the National Congress, unable to raise money through taxes, was unable to
pay Americans who fought in the Revolution for their military service.
• In 1785 lenders in the United States and Europe issued a demand for payment on debts from
Americans. Those who could not pay faced the loss of their crops, livestock and homes, and
many also ended up in debtors prison.
• In 1786 a group of 1,000 farmers in Western Massachusetts, angered by the possibility of losing
their property and the National Congress’ failure to pay them for their time in the army began a
revolt, surrounding courthouses to prevent any further debtor’s trials.
• Eventually the state government of Massachusetts, with its headquarters in the east, organized
its own army and broke up the rebellion.
Shay’s Rebellion
•During Shay’s Rebellion,
unpaid former soldiers in the
Continental Army rebelled in
which state?
Closure Question #3: What would you consider the greatest
weakness of the Articles of Confederation? Explain.
• Under the Articles, the federal Congress could not establish a common
currency, nor could it regulate interstate commerce or levy taxes. For
financial support, the Congress relied solely on contributions from the
states, which were unreliable. And the Congress could do nothing to compel
states to pay their share. Without money, the federal government could not
fund its immense war debts. Between 1781 and 1786, the Congress received
only one-sixth of what it requested from the states. By 1786, it needed $2.5
million to pay the interest on its debts but had only $400,000 on hand. The
states had bankrupted the nation.
• To survive, the Congress south a constitutional amendment to permit a
federal 5% duty on imported goods. Twice, that amendment failed when a
single state balked: Rhode Island in 1782 and New York in 1786. If
amending the Articles was so difficult, perhaps only a new constitution could
save the Union. Meanwhile, a slowdown in the trading of goods increased
unemployment in the seaports and reduced the prices paid to farmers for
their produce. Without the West Indian market for their shipping,
Americans could not pay for their imported manufactured goods. Their
debts to British suppliers mounted.
Closure Assignment #1
• Answer the following questions based on what
you have learned from Chapter 5, Section 1:
1. What were the similarities and differences
among early state governments?
2. In what ways was the early government under
the Articles of Confederation tested?
3. What would you consider the greatest
weakness of the Articles of Confederation?
Explain.
Closure Question #1: Why did leaders call for the
Constitutional Convention?
• After Shays’ Rebellion, many Americans agreed that they needed a stronger
federal government to preserve the Union. The Congress called for a
convention to meet in Philadelphia in 1787 “for the sole and express purpose
of revising the Articles of Confederation.” Instead of revising the Articles of
Confederation, however, the delegates created an entirely new constitution
that replaced the confederation of the national Union.
• By 1787, most Americans agreed that the Articles of Confederation were
flawed and needed at least two major changes. First, almost everyone
wanted Congress to have the power to regulate interstate and international
commerce. Second, most Americans also supported granting Congress the
power to tax the people. To draft proposed amendments to the Articles, 12 of
the 13 states sent delegates to a special convention in Philadelphia in May
1787. (Rhode Island declined to participate.) Once done, the delegates were
supposed to submit the proposed amendments to ratification by the 13 state
legislatures.
Virginia Plan
• The original plan for the U.S. Constitution proposed by James
Madison, delegate from Virginia.
• In the Virginia Plan Madison argued that the National Government should have the right to tax
and control trade.
• Madison was the first to suggest that the National Government
should be divided into three branches – the legislative, executive
and judicial.
• Madison argued that the legislative branch should be divided into two groups, a House of
Representatives and a Senate. This is known as Bicameral Legislation.
• Under the Virginia Plan the number of representatives in both
the House and Senate would be based on the population of the
states, giving Virginia, Pennsylvania, and New York more power than smaller states like
Connecticut and Rhode Island.
• A final feature of Madison’s plan was for the President to serve for 7 years, command the
military, manage foreign relations, and appoint all other executive and judicial officers with the
approval of the Senate.
• Critics of the Virginia Plan believed that it gave too much power
to the larger states and that the President would have too much
power and could become easily like a king.
Virginia Plan
•The Virginia Plan was the
first proposal to suggest
the establishment of 3
branches of government.
Name the 3 branches.
New Jersey Plan
• Supported by the small states, this plan was proposed by William
Patterson of New Jersey and argued for only minor changes to the
Articles of Confederation.
• Under this plan there would be only one house in the Legislative Branch (Unicameral), the
National Congress, with each state having one representative. Congress would have the
power to tax and control trade.
• The Executive Branch would be a committee, not a President and appointed officials.
• Under the plan the states would remain separate countries except
for the few powers given to the National Congress.
• The Federal Convention opened in the Pennsylvania State House, now known as Independence
Hall, on May 25, when 29 delegates had finally arrived. The proceedings of the convention were
shrouded in secrecy so the delegates could speak freely. Because of this, the windows of the hall
were often closed for privacy. It was an especially hot summer in 1787 so the delegates were
frequently uncomfortable in their closed-off space. Although Thomas Jefferson and John
Adams were away in Europe serving as diplomats, the convention included most of the other
leading statesmen of the day.
Closure Question #2: In addition to the two proposed frameworks for a
new constitution, what other plan might the delegates have considered?
New Jersey Plan
•According to the New
Jersey Plan, how many
votes would each state
have in the National
Congress?
Great Compromise
• In order to satisfy both the small states and large states, Roger Sherman
of Connecticut proposed that a compromise be made between the
two. This was known as the Connecticut Compromise, or the Great
Compromise.
• To satisfy the small and large states, in the Senate each state
would have the same number of representatives, 2. In the House
of Representatives, the number of representatives for each state
would be based on population.
• Under the Compromise delegates also agreed that the states would be allowed to pass their own
laws, however they would not be allowed to print their own money or have anything to do with
currency. This plan created a federal system of government.
• The conventions leading thinkers were Alexander Hamilton and James Madison. Bold in
action, Alexander Hamilton was very conservative in principles. Disliking democracy, he
praised the British constitution, including its king and House of Lords, as “the best model the
world has ever produced.” James Madison showed his eagerness to participate in the
convention by arriving in Philadelphia 11 days early. He had also sent a letter to George
Washington in April outlining his thoughts about what should be debated at the convention.
Madison had concluded that only a strong nation could rescue the states from their own
democratic excesses. Although a critic of democracy, Madison favored republicanism rather
than a constitution modeled after the British system.
Closure Question #3: How did the Great Compromise satisfy both the small and
the large states?
Great Compromise
•In the Great Compromise,
delegates at the
Constitutional Convention
agreed that each state would
have an equal number of
votes in which of the two
houses of Congress?
Three-Fifths Compromise
• Agreement reached at the Constitutional Convention which
allowed slave states to count each slave as three-fifths of a person
to be added to the states population. This compromise gave the
Southern states a greater number of representatives in the House
of Representatives and a greater number of votes in the electoral
college.
• After the delegates at the Constitutional Convention came to an agreement as to how
the National Government would be established, the greatest debate took place
between delegates from the Northern and Southern states over the issue of slavery.
• Southerners feared that under the new national government they would eventually be
controlled by the North and their slave system would be destroyed, which would
severely damage their agricultural economy as well. Delegates from South Carolina
and Georgia threatened to leave the convention if the new constitution did not protect
slavery.
• James Madison and other leaders, hoping to keep the states unified, added three
protections of slavery to the Constitution. 1st, the Constitution stated that the National
Government could not stop the importation of slaves for 20 years. 2nd, the ThreeFifths Compromise allowed the Southern States to add their slaves to their overall
population numbers, increasing their power in the Legislative Branch. 3rd, the
Constitution required all states to return any runaway slaves to their owners.
Three-Fifths Compromise
•Delegates from which
region of the United States
argued that slaves should
be counted equally as
freemen in a state’s
population?
Closure Assignment #2
• Answer the following questions based on what
you have learned from Chapter 5, Section 2:
1. Why did leaders call for the Constitutional
Convention?
2. In addition to the two proposed frameworks
for a new constitution, what other plan might
the delegates have considered?
3. How did the Great Compromise satisfy both
the small and the large states?
Ratification
• Official approval of a new law or
constitution.
• On September 17th, 1787 the Constitutional Convention in
Philadelphia concluded, and 39 out of the 42 delegates present
signed the document.
• The Articles of Confederation, the previously established system of
government for the states, required that in order for any change to
be made to the system of government all 13 states would have to
approve the change by a popular vote. Believing that under this
system the new Constitution would not pass, the delegates at the
Constitutional Convention changed the rules, deciding that only 9
of the 13 colonies needed to approve the Constitution in order for
it to be legal.
• Throughout the colonies debate raged between those who
supported the Constitution (Federalists) and those who opposed it
(Antifederalists).
• With the support of George Washington and Benjamin Franklin,
the two most influential figures in the colonies, the Constitution
was supported by 11 states, becoming law in 1788.
Ratification
•Between 1787 and 1789
citizens of the United
States voted on the
ratification of what
document?
Federalists
• People who supported ratification of the Constitution.
• Federalists argued that the Articles of Confederation were flawed and that the Constitution
would fix the problems caused by it. The most influential Federalists were Alexander Hamilton,
James Madison, John Jay, George Washington, and Benjamin Franklin. They argued that only
a new government based on the proposed Constitution could overcome the difficulties facing
the new nation.
• By drafting a new Constitution, the delegates had exceeded their mandate. They were only
supposed to propose amendments to the Articles of Confederation. Official approval, or
ratification, of an entirely new constitution was doomed if all 13 states had to approve it as the
Articles required. To improve the odds of ratification, the delegates arbitrarily decided to
change the rules. They determined that approval by nine states would suffice.
• They also took the ratification decision away from the state legislatures, for they would most
certainly oppose a new constitution that would deprive them of some power. Instead, the
delegates ruled that specially elected conventions would determine a state’s choice for or
against the Constitution. Tow groups soon emerged in the debate: the Federalists, who favored
ratification, and the Antifederalists, who opposed it.
Federalists
•Name one important
Federalist.
Anti-Federalists
• Those who criticized and opposed the Constitution.
• Anti-federalists argued that the Constitution took away many of the liberties earned
by Americans in the Revolution. They argued for the protection of individual rights.
Their protests eventually led to the adoption of the Bill of Rights. Influential Antifederalists included Samuel Adams, John Hancock, and Patrick Henry.
• The Anti-federalists denounced the constitution as a retreat from the liberty won by
the Revolution. The Anti-federalists especially disliked the lack of a bill of rights that
would provide basic liberties, protecting the people from the powers of the
government. They noted that the Constitution greatly increased the powers of the
central government and provided a more elitist government by concentrating power
in relatively few hands at a great distance from most voters.
• The Anti-federalists believed that liberty could not survive unless the federal
government remained weak, which meant that most power would belong to the
democratic state governments. Most farmers recognized that the Constitution
threatened the state debtor-relief laws that had rescued their farms from foreclosure,
Common farmers also distrusted the lawyers, merchants, and other wealthy men
who promoted the Constitution, viewing them as aristocrats hostile to the Republic.
In South Carolina, farmers protested by staging a mock funeral around a coffin with
the word Liberty on the side.
Closure Question #1: What was the main argument of the Antifederalists?
Antifederalists
•Name one important
antifederalist.
John Jay (1745-1829)
• Dedicated Federalist
and New York
attorney, John Jay
wrote the Federalist
Papers along with
James Madison and
Alexander Hamilton.
• The Federalists Papers were a series of
essays published in newspapers
throughout the United States which
argued for the Constitution and against
the Articles of Confederation.
Federalist Papers
•John Jay worked with two
other men to author the
Federalist Papers. Name
one of them.
Checks and Balances
Checks and Balances
•Under our current system
of government, how is the
Executive Branch able to
check the Legislative
Branch?
Bill of Rights
• The first 10 amendments to
the United States Constitution
which were passed by
Congress in 1789 and focus on
protecting the rights of
individuals.
• The Bill of Rights was adopted as a
compromise between Federalists and
Antifederalists.
• The Bill of Rights was written by James
Madison and were based on the Bill of
Rights written in the Virginia
Constitution.
Bill of Rights
•Americans are guaranteed
nd
what freedom by the 2
amendment?
Closure Question #2: Why did Madison feel it was
necessary to add the Ninth Amendment?
• In the newly elected Congress, Madison drafted the Bill of Rights. Many of
these amendments relied on an earlier Virginia bill of rights. Madison
limited the amendments to guarantees of individual rights, leaving the
federal framework the same. He also avoided any sweeping preamble that
declared all men equal in their creation and rights. That omission enabled
slave owners to persist in denying rights to their slaves. The protected rights
included freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition;
protection from unreasonable search and seizure; and the right to a speedy
public trial.
• Madison feared that any finite list of rights would later be
abused to deny any left unmentioned. So the Ninth Amendment
provided: “The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain
rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others
retained by the people.” That left open the subsequent
development of additional rights. Congress passed the Bill of
Rights in 1789.
Popular Sovereignty
• The principle that all
government power comes
from the people. In other
words, the government
receives its authority to act
from the people.
• The Constitution of the United
States is founded on this
principle, with one of its main
purposes being to make sure
that the government does not
control citizens.
Popular Sovreignty
•In the United States the
power to govern comes
from who?
Electoral College
• Under the Constitution, a body
of elected representatives select
the President and Vice
President of the United States.
• The number of delegates for
each state is determined by the
population of the states.
• Originally the President was not chosen by
popular vote, but instead was chosen only by
the vote of the members of the Electoral
College.
• In the early 1800’s members of the electoral
college agreed to cast their votes for president
based on the popular vote within the state.
The candidate that wins the popular vote
receives all of the electoral votes from the
state.
Electoral College
•In modern presidential
elections, which state has
the most electoral votes?
Closure Question #3: Why do you think the delegates
made amending the Constitution difficult?
• The Constitution became the supreme law of the land in 1789, and with
amendments, it has endured for more than 200 years. At about 7,000
words, the Constitution is relatively brief and often ambiguous. Therefore, it
invites debate. Some politicians, including Thomas Jefferson, argued that
the Constitution should be interpreted narrowly and literally to restrict
federal power. But most Federalists, including George Washington, insisted
that the Constitution be read broadly and allow for the expansion of federal
power when necessary.
• How is it that a Constitution written when the nation was little more than a
small colonial outpost continues to guide the actions of the government
today? The Framers knew they could not anticipate future social, economic,
or political events. They, therefore, worded parts of the Constitution to
permit flexibility. The Constitution has survived and thrived in part because
it provides a process for its own amendment, that is, for changes in its
content. The Constitution makes amendment possible but difficult. Two
thirds of both houses of Congress must approve an amendment, which
becomes law only when ratified by three-fourths of the states.
Closure Assignment #3
• Answer the following questions based on what
you have learned from Chapter 5, Section 3:
1. What was the main argument of the
Antifederalists?
2. Why did Madison feel it was necessary to add
the Ninth Amendment?
3. Why do you think the delegates made
amending the Constitution difficult?
Precedent
• An act or statements that becomes a
tradition to follow. Most of the
traditions of the Executive Branch
were established by President George
Washington, such as the formation of
the Presidential Cabinet, a group of
advisors to the President on key
issues such as defense and education.
•
•
Following the establishment of the first national government,
with George Washington as President, officials realized that
the Constitution did not cover everything that needed to be
done. As a result, these early leaders made up a lot of things as
they went.
For example, feeling the need to have advice from intelligent
people regarding how to enforce laws and handle foreign
issues, George Washington gathered a group of men, including
Alexander Hamilton and John Jay, to serve as his advisors.
These men were eventually give titles, such as Secretary of
Defense, Secretary of State, and Secretary of the Treasury. This
organization set a precedent for the establishment of the
President’s cabinet.
Mark Spitz set
the precedent
for Michael
Phelps to
follow.
Precedent
•What important American
is responsible for
establishing the precedent
of appointing a
Presidential Cabinet?
Closure Question #1: Would the federal government have survived if the first
President had not had widespread respect? Explain.
• The new government started out with huge problems. It had inherited a
national debt of $52 million from the Confederation – a huge burden for a
nation with a farm economy and only about 3 million people. With no navy
and an army of only around 400 men, the United States was not respected
by other countries. At New Orleans, the Spanish closed the Mississippi River
to American trade. Along the Great Lakes, the British kept forts within
American territory.
• Fortunately, the new government enjoyed extraordinary leaders. In 1789,
the new electoral college unanimously elected George Washington as
President of the United States. As a revolutionary leader, Washington
enjoyed widespread respect and popularity. Yet he took the difficult job
reluctantly.
• Massachusetts patriot John Adams was elected Vice President.
Washington’s administration, or the officials in the executive branch of the
government, began with just himself, Adams, and about a dozen clerks.
Besides the newly elected Congress, there were few other federal officers.
There were also few set rules to guide the administration. Quickly after
taking office, Washington began setting important precedents.
Excise Tax
• A tax on the producer of specific goods,
commodities, and activities. Faced with
high national debt due to the inability of
the national government to raise taxes
under the Articles of Confederation,
George Washington turned to Alexander
Hamilton, who was chosen by Washington
to serve as the nation’s first Secretary of
the Treasury.
•
•
Current Excise Tax on
Alcohol in the USA
The first taxes enforced by the United States government under
Hamilton’s direction were on imported goods (tariffs) and goods
produced in the country (excise). These taxes charged the producer for
the right to sell their goods in the United States.
Many people in the United States, including Thomas Jefferson,
opposed excise taxes on the principal that citizens of the United States
should be able to sell their products without charges within the United
States. Anger over the excise tax placed on Whiskey led to a rebellion in
Pennsylvania known as the Whiskey Rebellion.
Excise Tax
•What two products were
the first to be taxed by the
United States
Government?
Whiskey Rebellion (1794)
• Uprising of farmers in western Pennsylvania who
refused to pay the national excise tax on Whiskey
and attacked federal tax collectors.
• In response to the rebellion,. Alexander Hamilton led
12,000 militiamen to western Pennsylvania
• Faced with a large army the small group of rebels broke,
with most running away or staying home. Hamilton’s
army arrested 20 suspected rebels, but only 2 were
convicted for rebellion.
• Antifederalists, such as Thomas Jefferson, mocked the
National Government for its handling of the rebellion in
sending 12,000 soldiers to capture and convict only 2
men.
Whiskey Rebellion
•Which member of George
Washington’s Presidential
Cabinet convinced
Washington to raise an army
of 12,000 men to put down
the Whiskey Rebellion?
Closure Question #2: Why did Hamilton believe that wealthy Americans were
necessary to secure the nation’s economic future?
• Alexander Hamilton was tasked by President Washington with paying off
the young nation’s immense debts and setting it on a course of economic
security. Hamilton despised the nation’s agricultural economy as backward.
He wanted to quickly develop a commercial and industrial economy that
could support a large federal government along with a strong army and
navy. He saw the national debt of $52 million and the additional $25 million
in debts owed by the individual states as assets. Rather than pay down
those debts using cash reserves, he meant to fund them by selling
government bonds, which would pay annual interest to the holders. Such
bonds delighted investors, who welcomed an opportunity to reap annual
profits.
• Hamilton saw three great benefits from his system. First, it would establish
the nation’s financial credibility, making it easier to borrow money in the
future. Second, it would buy political support from the wealthiest
Americans, which Hamilton believed was essential for the government’s
stability. Third, it would enrich investors, who could then build new ships,
wharves, storehouses, and factories. In other words, his plan would
promote the accumulation of capital needed for commercial and industrial
growth.
Democratic Republican
• Political party, established by Thomas Jefferson
and James Madison, which opposed a strong
centralized government. Though unintended by the
founders of the country, a two-party political
system developed in the 1790s, with the Democratic
Republicans opposing the Federalists.
• The Whiskey Rebellion highlighted a growing division in
the country between those that lived in cities, who tended to
work in skilled labor, and those that lived in small towns,
who worked predominantly as farmers. This divide was
also determined by where people lived; Southerners tended
to support the Democratic Republican party while
Northerners supported the Federalists.
• During the 1790’s the majority of elected officials were
Federalists, including the first two Presidents; however, the
Democratic Republican party grew steadily, especially
gaining support from common people who worried that the
Federalists gave too much power to the wealthy.
Thomas Jefferson, founder
of the Democratic
Republican Party
Democratic Republican
•The Democratic
Republican Party was
founded by what
important American
leader?
Closure Question #3: How did American structure their debates
about the economy in terms of interpreting the Constitution?
• The southern states, which were overwhelmingly agricultural, had done a
better job of paying their own debts. Why, southerners wondered, should
they pay federal taxes to bail out the northern states? And why should their
tax dollars flow into the pockets of creditors in the Northeast? Opposition to
Hamilton’s plans grew steadily in the South.
• To justify his ambitious programs, Hamilton interpreted the
Constitution broadly, relying on its “implied powers” and its
clause empowering Congress to enact laws for the “general
welfare”. His broad interpretation, or loose construction,
appalled his critics, including Jefferson and Madision. They
favored a strict construction, or limiting the federal government
to powers explicitly granted by the Constitution. They opposed
Hamilton’s plans for assuming state debts. Fearing that a
national bank would benefit the North at the expense of the
South, they also argued that the Constitution did not authorize
Congress to charter one.
Closure Assignment #4
• Answer the following questions based on what you
have learned from Chapter 6, Section 1:
1. Would the federal government have survived if the
first President had not had widespread respect?
Explain.
2. Why did Hamilton believe that wealthy Americans
were necessary to secure the nation’s economic
future?
3. How did American structure their debates about the
economy in terms of interpreting the Constitution?
Closure Question #1: Why did the British support Native American
resistance to westward expansion in the United States?
• Although the United States had gained a vast new territory west of the
Appalachians from the Treaty of Paris, the British kept their forts on the
American side of the Great Lakes. Hoping to limit American settlement in
the Northwest Territory, the British provided arms and ammunition to the
Miami Indians and their allies, who were actively resisting American
expansion into their lands. In 1790, Native Americans led by the war chief
Little Turtle defeated a small force sent by President Washington to stop
attacks against settlers. In 1791 in the Ohio Valley, British guns helped a
confederation of many Indian nations, again led by Little Turtle, to crush a
larger American force commanded by General Arthur St. Clair.
• But the tide turned in August 1794 when federal troops led by General
Anthony Wayne defeated the Native American confederacy at the Battle of
Fallen Timbers, named for the fallen trees that covered the battle site.
Wayne’s decisive victory forced the Native Americans to accept his peace
terms. In the treaty of Greenville, Native American leaders ceded most of the
present state of Ohio to the U.S. government. This also opened the
Northwest Territory to settlement.
Closure Question #2: How did American debates about foreign policy
in the 1790s reflect the beliefs of the political parties?
• In 1789, Americans welcomed news of the French Revolution, a republican
uprising in France. Grateful for French help during the American
Revolution, Americans now saw the French as fellow republicans in a hostile
world of aristocrats and kings. In 1793, however, leaders of the French
Revolution began executing thousands of opponents, including the French
king and his family. They also declared war on the monarchies of Europe,
including Great Britain.
• In response, American divided along party lines. The Democratic
Republicans regretted the executions but still preferred the French Republic
to its monarchial foes. Jefferson regarded the French Revolution as “the
most sacred cause that ever man was engaged in.” But the Federalists
decided that the French revolutionaries were bloody anarchists out to
destroy religion and social order. They suspected that the Democratic
Republicans meant to do the same.
XYZ Affair (1796)
•
•
•
•
In 1789 Revolution broke out in France as lower-class French citizens overthrew the wealthy aristocracy
and royalty.
American opinion of the French Revolution was divided; many Americans saw the French rebels as
lovers of freedom like themselves. Others, upon learning of the thousands killed by the guillotine and
the new government’s anti-religion policies saw the French Revolutionaries as savages.
When the new Republic of France, under the leadership of Napoleon, began war against England the
United States officially declared itself neutral.
The French viewed the United States’ refusal to join them in their fight against the British as an insult
and began to seize American merchant ships sailing in the Atlantic ocean.
• In response to French seizure of American merchant ships,
President John Adams sent a group of American diplomats to
negotiate peace with 3 French officials, known in code as X, Y, and Z.
• The French officials demanded that the United States pay $250,000
to France in order to stop conflict. In response, Adams stopped
negotiations and told the story to the American public, calling it the
XYZ Affair.
• The XYZ Affair changed American opinion of France, who had been
allies with the United States in the Revolutionary War.
XYZ Affair
•How much money did the
French government
demand as ransom for the
American sailors and
ships they had stolen?
Alien and Sedition Acts (1798)
• Laws passed by the Federalist
controlled Congress that
authorized the President to
arrest and deport immigrants
who criticized the federal
government and arrest any
citizen who publicly criticized
the government.
The first fight in Congress between
Matthew Lyon (Democratic Republican)
and Roger Griswold (Federalist) in 1798.
Lyon was the first man arrested under the
Sedition Act, but was considered a hero
by Democratic Republicans and was reelected to Congress while in a jail cell.
• The law was aimed at the Democratic
Republican party specifically, as most
immigrants supported the Democratic
Republican party, and it was
predominantly Democratic
Republicans who criticized the
government for their handling of
foreign affairs, especially with France.
Alien and Sedition Acts
•Which American
President supported the
passing of the Alien and
Sedition Acts?
Closure Question #3: Does having a President and Vice President from
different parties help or hinder government? Explain.
• The Federalist candidate, John Adams, narrowly defeated Thomas Jefferson
in the 1796 presidential election. The nation voted along regional lines, with
Jefferson winning most of the southern electoral vote and Adams carrying
almost all of the northern states. Due to an awkward feature of the
Constitution, Jefferson, as the second place finisher, became Adams VicePresident.
• Although honest and dedicated, Adams could also be stubborn and
pompous. Lacking tact, he made few friends and many enemies. Those foes
included Hamilton, who had retired from public office but who tried to
control the Federalist Party and the national government from behind the
scenes. His meddling weakened the Adams administration.
• In two Democratic Republican states, the state legislatures passed
controversial resolves in response to the acts. Written by Jefferson and
Madison in 1798 and 1799, the Virginia and Kentucky resolutions declared
the Sedition Act unconstitutional. The resolves even hinted that states had
the power to nullify federal laws that were unconstitutional. Though this
doctrine of nullification threatened to dissolve the union, no other state
legislatures adopted it.
Midnight Judges
• The Judiciary Act of 1801, which was
passed shortly before Thomas Jefferson
replaced John Adams as President of the
United States, reorganized the Federal
Court System, creating 6 new circuit courts
and 10 new district courts to lighten the case
load placed on the Supreme Court.
• In establishing these new courts, Adams used
his executive authority to appoint
Federalists as judges in the new courts.
Democratic Republicans viewed these last
minute appointments as an effort by Adams to
undermine the newly elected Democratic
Republican President by “packing the courts”
with Federalists.
Midnight Judges
•Prior to leaving office,
John Adams appointed
judges who were loyal to
which political party?
Closure Assignment #5
• Answer the following questions based on what you
have learned from Chapter 6, Section 2:
1. Why did the British support Native American
resistance to westward expansion in the United
States?
2. How did American debates about foreign policy in
the 1790s reflect the beliefs of the political parties?
3. Does having a President and Vice President from
different parties help or hinder government?
Explain.
John Marshall (1755-1835)
• Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court from
1801 to 1835 and a strong Federalist, Marshall
participated in more than 1,000 court decisions, more
than any other Supreme Court Justice in U.S. History.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Marshall was born in Virginia and was a cousin to Thomas Jefferson.
During the Revolutionary War Marshall fought in the Continental Army. He was at Valley Forge
and was trained by Friedrich von Steuben. He achieved the rank of Captain and served in the
army until 1781.
Marshall studied at the College of William and Mary and following the Revolutionary War he set
up practice as an attorney in Richmond, Virginia.
In 1788 Marshall was one of the delegates chosen to represent the State of Virginia at the
Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia. In 1798 he was elected to the House of
Representatives from Virginia.
Though they were cousins, Marshall and Jefferson became political enemies as Marshall
supported Federalism and a strong national government.
Marshall was one of the “Midnight Judges” appointed by John Adams shortly before he left
office as President of the United States in 1801.
Marshall established four precedents as the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court: 1) The Supreme
Court claimed power to review the acts of the President and Congress to determine if they were
Constitutional. (Judicial Review) 2) Federal Laws were superior than State Laws. 3) The
Constitution should be broadly interpreted so as to give greater power to the National
Government. 4) All contracts were binding and could not be altered by state governments.
John Marshall
•What was John Marshall’s
personal connection to
Thomas Jefferson?
Marbury v. Madison (1803)
• Supreme Court ruling led by John Marshall which
established the power of judicial review.
• William Marbury, a Federalist, was one of the midnight judges appointed by John
Adams in 1801. However, Adams had signed the appointment papers without time
have them delivered. They were found by James Madison, the new Secretary of State
under President Thomas Jefferson, and Madison refused to deliver the appointment
papers.
• Marbury brought a civil suit against Madison which was taken to the Supreme Court.
• Justice Marshall and the court ruled in favor of Madison, declaring that Marbury’s last
minute appointment by Adams was unconstitutional.
• While the ruling was a minor victory for the Democratic Republicans, in the long term
it established a precedent which Madison and Jefferson hoped to avoid, giving the
Supreme Court the ultimate authority to determine the Constitutionality of an action
or law. Jefferson and Madison wanted the state legislatures to have that power.
Marbury v. Madison
•In the case of Marbury v.
Madison, in whose favor
did the Supreme Court
rule?
Judicial Review
• The authority of the Supreme
Court to determine if the acts
of Congress and the President
are permitted by the US
Constitution.
•
The authority was established in 1803 in the case
of Marbury v. Madison. Chief Justice John
Marshall applied four of Hamilton’s principles to
interpret the Constitution. First, his Supreme
court claimed the power to review the acts of
Congress and of the President to determine if they
were constitutional. Second, he insisted that
federal laws were superior to state laws. Third,
like Hamilton, Marshall broadly interpreted the
Constitution to find implied powers for the
national government. Fourth, he insisted upon the
“sanctity of contracts.” This limited the power of
state governments to interfere with business.
Judicial Review
•In our current governmental
system, which government
entity exercises the power to
determine whether the acts of
the president of legislature
are unconsitutional?
Closure Question #1: How did Jefferson view the
Supreme Court precedent of judicial review?
• In 1803, Marshall first asserted the power of judicial review in the case of
Marbury v. Madison. In early 1801, outgoing President John Adams had
appointed William Marbury, a Federalist, a justice for the District of
Coloumbia. The incoming Secretary of State, James Madison, refused to
deliver the official papers of appointment. When Marbury complained to the
Supreme Court, Marshall ruled in favor of Madison by declaring
unconstitutional part of the Judiciary Act of 1789.
• The ruling was a stroke of genius. Marshall gave the Democratic
Republicans what they wanted by denying Marbury his appointment. But
in doing so, Marshall claimed a sweeping power for the Supreme
Court that the Democratic Republicans did not want that Court
to have. After all, the Constitution was silent on what
institutions should judge the constitutionality of congressional
actions. In the Kentucky and Virginia resolutions of 1798,
Jefferson and Madison had claimed that power for the state
legislatures. Because of Marshall, today we accept that the
Supreme Court will review the constitutionality of federal laws.
Bureaucracy
• An administrative
organization with
officials and regular
procedures.
• Members of the
bureaucracy in the United
States are appointed by
elected officials.
• Example: The President’s
Cabinet
Bureaucracy
•During his presidency, did
Thomas Jefferson work to
increase or decrease the
size of the U.S.
government’s bureaucracy?
Louisiana Purchase (1803)
• Organized by President Thomas Jefferson,
the United States purchased 828,000
square miles of land from France for $15
million dollars.
•
•
•
•
Following the French Revolution a military dictator, Napoleon
Bonaparte, came to power in France and began a war of
conquest against all Monarchies in Europe.
In 1801 Napoleon’s army conquered Spain, and as a result
gained control of all Spanish owned territory in the Americas,
including the land west of the Mississippi River from Louisiana
in the south to Minnesota in the North and stretching west to
the Rocky Mountains.
In response to the rise of Napoleon Thomas Jefferson briefly
contemplated joining the British to fight against Napoleon.
However, to avoid war Jefferson decided instead to attempt
diplomacy.
Napoleon came to the realization that if he intended to conquer
Europe he would need all possible resources at his disposal in
Europe. As a result, he decided to abandon any idea of
establishing a French presence in the Americas for the time
being and instead, when talks with the Americans began,
offered to sell French territory in North America.
Louisiana Purchase
•In the Louisiana Purchase,
the United States gained
828,000 square miles of
territory. Name one modern
state that is located in the
territory of the Louisiana
Purchase.
Closure Question #2: What was Jefferson’s main reason
for purchasing the Louisiana Territory from France?
• Jefferson insisted that farm ownership – which freed citizens from dependence on a
landlord or on an employer – was essential to the freedom of white Americans. Yet
without expansion there would not be enough farms for the rapidly growing
population. With the population doubling every 25 years, the nation needed twice as
much land every generation to maintain farm ownership.
• To get more land, Jefferson wanted the United States to expand to the Pacific –
despite the fact that much of the continent was already inhabited by Native
Americans and European colonists. At first, Jefferson believed that Spain’s vast
Louisiana Territory west of the Mississippi would be easy to conquer. He noted that
the Spanish colonists were few, their empire was weak, and they were distracted by
the war in Europe. Jefferson’s plans were frustrated when the U.S. got a new and
more dangerous neighbor to the west. In 1801, France’s military dictator, Napoleon
Bonaparte, had forced Spain to give him the Louisiana Territory.
• Jefferson reasoned that he could avoid war by offering to buy New Orleans from the
French. When James Monroe and Robert Livingston, the American minister in
France, approached Napoleon, they found him surprisingly receptive. Napoleon’s
imperial plans had been foiled by slave rebels in the Caribbean colony of Saint
Domingue, which is now Haiti. Without a French army to occupy Louisiana, and
needing money to fight the British, Napoleon decided to sell all of the Louisiana
Territory.
Lewis and Clark
• Authorized by President Thomas Jefferson in 1804, Merriwether Lewis
and William Clark became the first Americans to explore the territory
gained in the Louisiana Purchase, traveling from St. Louis to the Pacific
Ocean with the help of a Shoshone woman, Sacajawea.
•
•
•
Merriwether Lewis (1774-1809) was a native Virginian who joined the Virginia militia in 1794 and was among the
group sent to stop the Whiskey Rebellion in that same year. He joined the U.S. Army and served as a Lieutenant
from 1795 and 1801 under the command of William Clark. He met Thomas Jefferson in Virginia at meetings of the
Democratic Republican party and served as an aide to Jefferson during his first 3 years as President.
William Clark (1770-1838) was also a native Virginian from a modest family. Unlike Lewis, he did not receive a
formal education. He joined a volunteer militia force in Kentucy in its fight against native Indians in 1789.
Afterwards he joined the United States Army, commanding troops along the western frontier in various wars with
Indians. He retired from military service in 1796.
It was Lewis who was chosen by Thomas Jefferson to lead the Corps of Discovery, a newly commissioned branch of
the military with the task of exploring the west. Lewis asked his old commander, Clark, to join him on the
expedition. The two led a group of 33 men from St. Louis in August of 1803, following the Missouri River west. By
the winter of 1804 they stopped to camp in present day North Dakota and established good relations with the
Mandan Indian tribe. While encamped the group met a French-Canadian fur trapper, Toussaint Charbonneau, and
his young Shoshone wife, Sacagawea. Sacagawea served as a translator for the expedition as it continued west, and
also guided the group at certain times. The group reached the Pacific Ocean in modern day Washington in
December of 1805.
• On the journey the explorers observed and described 178 plants and 122
animals, including the Grizzly Bear, Beaver, Porcupine, Mountain Lion,
Deer and Rattlesnake. Lewis and Clark helped create the first reliable map
of the western United States, paving the way for future American
settlement in the area.
Lewis and Clark
•Lewis and Clark began
their expedition to explore
the west in what modern
American city?
Sacajawea (1788-1812)
• A Shoshone teenager who served as a translator and guide for
the Lewis and Clark Expedition in their journey from North
Dakota to the Pacific Ocean.
•
•
•
•
•
•
Born in present day Idaho, between the ages of 10 and 12 Sacajawea and several other girls were
kidnapped after a battle between the Shoshone and Hidatsa Indians.
The Hidatsa carried her to North Dakota, where at the age of 13 she was taken as a second wife
by Toussaint Charbonneau, a French Canadian fur trapper living in the area.
When the Corps of Discovery arrived in North Dakota Sacajawea was pregnant with her first
child. She gave birth to Jean Baptiste Charbonneau inside the fort built by the expedition on
February 11th, 1805. The following month the expedition resumed, with Sacajawea in the lead.
The group reached the Rocky Mountains in August 1805 and came in contact with a Shoshone
tribe that was led by Sacajawea’s brother. As a result of the family connection the expedition was
able to obtain fresh horses for the remainder of their journey.
After the expedition was completed William Clark invited Charbonneau and Sacajawea to settle
in St. Louis Missouri. Their son was educated in Saint Louis Academy under Clark’s supervision.
Sacajawea gave birth to a daughter, Lizette, in 1810.
Sacajawea died of an unknown sickness in 1812.
Sacajawea
•What was the nationality
of Sacajawea’s husband?
Impressment
• The practice used by the British in the early
1800’s of taking American sailors from
their ships and forcing them to serve in the
British navy.
• From 1793 to 1812 the British fought a brutal war against
the French army lead by Napoleon Bonaparte. During
the war the French Army ruled the land while the British
Navy ruled the sea.
• A side effect of the war was a boost in the American
economy, as farmers in the United States sold their
produce for high prices to both the British and French.
• As the war wore on the British, seeking for a way to
weaken the French, began capturing American ships
carrying goods to France. As more and more British
sailors died in comabt, the British also began the practice
of impressment. By 1812 about 6,000 American citizens
had been forced to serve on British warships.
Impressment
•The British used the
practice of impressment
to increase the size of
their navy in their war
with what European
country and dictator?
Embargo
• The stopping of trade with a certain country
in order to isolate it and cause its economy to
suffer. In response to British aggression
against American trading ships, President
Jefferson enacted an embargo on all British
goods.
• In 1807 the first embargo in United States history stopped trade
between the United States and Great Britain. Thomas Jefferson
authorized the embargo in response to British attacks on American
merchant ships and the impressment of American sailors into the
British navy.
• Jefferson’s hope was to starve the British, as most of their food
source came from the United States. The plan backfired however,
as the British bought their food from South American countries.
Meanwhile, the economy in the United States suffered, as
American merchants, sailors, and farmers lost work.
The United States
has had an
embargo with
Cuba since 1961
Embargo
•Did the U.S. embargo on
trading with Great Britain
help or hurt the economy
of the United States?
Closure Question #3: What was the impact of
the embargo on the American economy?
• The United States lacked a navy large enough to challenge the British fleet.
Jefferson balked at the high cost of building a bigger navy, which would
undermine his policies of reducing the national debt and keeping taxes low.
He also worried that a large military would become a threat to the Republic.
• As an alternative to war, in 1807 Jefferson persuaded Congress
to declare an embargo, suspending trade by ordering American
ships to stay in port. He expected the embargo to starve the
British and close their factories, creating riots in the streets.
Instead, the British found other markets in South America.
Meanwhile, the embargo bankrupted American merchants,
threw American sailors out of work, and hurt farmers, who
could no longer export their crops. Exploiting voter anger, the
Federalists gained support in the northern states, especially in
New England.
• Even Jefferson had to admit failure, lifting the embargo just before he
retired from the presidency in 1809. Despite having been easily reelected in
1804, the embargo had caused his popularity to lag. Still, he was succeeded
by his friend James Madison, who defeated a Federalist rival in the election
of 1808.
Closure Assignment #6
•
Answer the following questions based on what
you have learned from Chapter 6, Section 3:
1. How did Jefferson view the Supreme Court
precedent of judicial review?
2. What was Jefferson’s main reason for
purchasing the Louisiana Territory from
France?
3. What was the impact of the embargo on the
American economy?
Battle of Tippecanoe
November 7th, 1811
• American attack on Shawnee Indian settlement of
Prophetstown led by William Henry Harrison in
response to numerous attacks led by Tecumseh in the
Indiana Territory.
•
•
•
•
•
Under the leadership of the warrior Tecumseh and his brother, the prophet
Tenskwatawa, the Shawnee had attacked various American settlements from August
to November of 1811.
Harrison, as Governor of the Indiana Territory, organized a group nearly 1,000 men
to attack the home village of the brothers.
With Tecumseh away attempting to gain more allies for the Shawnee, Tenskwatawa
attempted met with Harrison outside the town on November 6th promising to hold
peace talks.
At 4:30 AM the next morning the Americans awoke to find themselves surrounded by
Shawnee warriors. In the fighting that ensued 62 Americans were killed and over 120
were wounded while the Shawnee suffered perhaps 50 deaths and 70 wounded. The
battle ended with the Shawnee troops withdrawing, leaving the American to take the
settlement, which they promptly burned to the ground.
The American victory at Prophetstown weakened the alliance that Tecumseh hoped to
form. However, Tecumseh would continue to fight Americans throughout the coming
year during the beginning of the War of 1812.
Closure Question #1: What alternatives did Native Americans have during the war?
Would the outcome have been different for them if they had chosen a different course of
action?
Battle of Tippecanoe
•The Battle of Tippecanoe
occurred in the Native
American settlement of
Prophetstown, which was
located in what modern
American state?
Tecumseh (1768-1813)
• Shawnee Warrior from the Ohio Valley,
Tecumseh followed in the footsteps of
Joseph Brandt, encouraging Native
Americans to return to traditional values
and culture and unite against the American
invaders.
•
•
•
•
Tecumseh traveled throughout North America attempting to
convince Native American groups to unite against the United
States. He rejected all treaties offered by the Americans and fought
numerous, guerrilla style battles against American settlers from
1809 to 1813.
Tecumseh despised the American idea of owning land. In a meeting
with William Henry Harrison in 1810 Tecumseh said, “Sell a
country! Why not sell the air, the clouds and the great sea as well as
the earth?”
At the onset of the War of 1812 Tecumseh joined forces with the
British, participating in the British capture of Fort Detroit in August
1812.
Tecumseh was killed in the Battle of Thames, near the
Michigan/Canada border, by an American Army under the
command of William Henry Harrison.
Closure Question #1: What alternatives did Native Americans have during the war?
Would the outcome have been different for them if they had chosen a different course of
action?
Tecumseh
•In his efforts to unite
Native Americans to fight
against white settlers,
Tecumseh followed in the
footsteps of what Native
American leader from the
Revolutionary War?
War of 1812
• War fought on the North American continent between the United States
and Great Britain from 1812 to 1815.
•
From 1793 to 1814 Great Britain was involved in a brutal war with the French led by Napoleon Bonaparte. The United States officially
declared itself neutral in the conflict but continued trade with both sides during the early 1800’s.
•
The British, in hopes of weakening Napoleon’s army, used its Navy to stop trade between the United States and France, capturing
American merchant ships and forcing American sailors to fight in the British Royal Navy through impressment. Further angering
Americans, the British encouraged their Native American allies to fight against the Americans, culminating in the Battle of Tippecanoe.
(1811)
• In response to British capture of American ships and merchandise,
impressment, and Indian Wars, the United States Congress, with the
support of President James Madison, declared war on Great Britain in
June of 1812.
•
Americans believed that, since the British continued to fight the French in Europe, victory in North American would be easy. However,
American plans to invade British Canada were halted by Loyal Canadians and their Native American allies in 1812 and 1813.
•
In 1814 the British successfully defeated Napoleon’s army, allowing them to shift their focus to the United States. The British unleashed a
4 part attack, invading Maine, New York, Maryland & Washington D.C., and New Orleans. In the attack on Washington British forces
burned the newly built city to the ground, including the first White House.
•
American troops fought better on the defensive and were able to repel British attacks and push the British troops back out of the United
States by the beginning of 1815. The greatest American victory took place in New Orleans where a rag-tag American army under the
leadership of Andrew Jackson defeated a large British regular army.
• The War of 1812 officially ended with the signing of the Treaty of Ghent
on December 24, 1814. No national borders changed as a result of the
war; however, American patriotism increased as a result of the
Americans successful defense of their land.
The War of 1812
•After declaring war on
Great Britain in June,
1812, the military of the
United States attempted to
invade which country?
Closure Question #2: Why were farmers and settlers
especially likely to support the War of 1812?
• In 1811, some aggressive young politicians, known as the War
Hawks, took the lead in Congress. Representing farmers and
settlers from the southern and western states, the War Hawks
included John C. Calhoun of South Carolina and Henry Clay of
Kentucky. Strongly nationalist, they denounced the
impressments of American sailors and British support for
Native Americans. The War Hawks pushed for a war against the
British to restore national honor. They insisted that invading
British-held Canada would deprive the Indians of their main
source of arms and drive the British out of North America. The
War Hawks also believed that the British would make maritime
concessions to get Canada back from the Americans. They
underestimated the value that the British put on their
domination of world trade.
Francis Scott Key (1779-1843)
• American lawyer and author who wrote “The
Star-Spangled Banner”, our national anthem,
following the British attack on Fort McHenry in
Baltimore on September 14th, 1814.
•
•
•
•
Key was born into a wealthy, plantation owning family in Maryland. His father,
John Ross Key was a judge and served as an officer in the Continental Army
during the Revolutionary War
On the evening of September 13th, 1814 Key accompanied Colonel John Stuart
Skinner aboard the HMS Tonnant, a British ship. There they met with 3 British
officers to discuss a prisoner exchange.
Following their meeting the British forced Key and Skinner to stay on board
their ships to keep them from giving away their position to the American army.
That evening the British navy conducted an artillery attack on Fort McHenry.
The attack went on all night, and though the Fort was severely damaged and
many Americans were killed inside, the American flag remained at the top of
the flagpole, inspiring Key to write the poem which would become our national
anthem.
Francis Scott Key
•Francis Scott Key wrote
“The Star Spangled
Banner” after watching a
British attack on which
American city?
Closure Question #3: Compare American military strengths and weaknesses
during the War of 1812 to those during the Revolutionary War.
• Humiliated by British interference with American trade, impressments, and
support for Indian attacks on settlers, President Madison urged Congress to
declared war on Britain in June of 1812. Although the War of 1812 deeply
divided the nation, Madison narrowly won reelection later that year.
Disunited, unprepared, and with only a small army and navy, the United
States went to war once again with the world’s greatest power.
• In 1812 and 1813 American attempts to invade Canada were pushed back by
combined British and Indian forces. The United States relied on state
militias to do the fighting in these invasions. Having had no professional
training, many militiamen broke rank and ran when attacked. Instead of
bolstering American pride, the attempted invasion of Canada embarassed
the nation.
• To the surprise of many Americans – and the shock of the British – the little
American navy performed well, capturing four British ships during 1812. On
Lake Erie, American ships led by Oliver Hazard Perry defeated a British
flotilla in 1813, enabling an American army, commanded by William Henry
Harrison, to retake Detroit.
Battle of New Orleans
January 8th, 1815
• The final major battle of the War of 1812.
Americans, under the leadership of General
Andrew Jackson, defeated an invading British
Army, establishing Jackson as a national hero.
•
•
•
•
Attacking New Orleans was the last of four British invasion plans. Of
the previous 3, 2 had been defeated (New York and Maryland) and
the third was of little importance. (Maine)
Forewarned of the British plans, Andrew Jackson and his men built
elaborate “earthworks”, known in modern times as trenches.
Combined with the swampy conditions of the land south of New
Orleans, the Americans were well prepared for an attack.
The British ordered a direct attack on the American trenches in the
early morning of January 8th. In the attack the British suffered 2,036
casualties while the Americans only lost 71 men.
Unknown to the soldiers involved, the United States and Great
Britain had reached a peace agreement on December 24th, 1814, more
than two weeks before the Battle of New Orleans actually took place.
Battle of New Orleans
•Why might the Battle of
New Orleans, which took
th
place on January 8 , 1815,
be considered an
unnecessary battle?
Andrew Jackson (1767-1845)
• A Tennessee native, Jackson was the leader of the American army in the
south during the War of 1812, the most famous hero of the war, and
President of the United States from 1829 to 1837.
• Jackson was the son of poor Scottish immigrants . His father died three weeks before he was
born.
• As a young man Jackson went to a small country school occasionally but spent most of his time
trying to help his mother and family survive.
• At age 13 Jackson joined a volunteer militia and served as a courier (message carrier). All of
Jackson’s immediate family (2 brothers and his mother) died during the Revolutionary War. As
a result Jackson had a deep hatred for the British.
• Supporting himself, Jackson studied law in Salisbury, North Carolina and became a licensed
attorney in 1787. He was elected as a Representative from the newly formed state of Tennessee
in 1796 and as a senator in 1797. He ran as a Democratic Republican.
• Jackson was appointed commander of the Tennessee militia in 1801 and led his troops to
victory in several wars with Native American tribes, most notably the Creeks in 1812 and the
Seminoles in 1817.
Andrew Jackson
•Andrew Jackson was a
native of what southern
state?
Treaty of Ghent
December 24th, 1814
• Agreement between the United
States and Great Britain which
officially ended the War of 1812.
• In reality, much like the American
Revolutionary War, the War of 1812 ended
in a draw. The Americans were
unsuccessful in their invasion of Canada
and the British were unable to force
Americans to become loyal to England.
• As a result of the treaty all national
boundaries remained the same.
• Americans viewed the Treaty of Ghent as a
triumph because it became national news
shortly after the Battle of New Orleans.
Treaty of Ghent
•The Treaty of Ghent ended
the conflict between the
United and what
European country?
Hartford Convention
• Meeting held by Federalist representatives from
the New England states to discuss seceding from
the United States and establishing their own
peace treaty with England.
• Federalists opposed the war with England from its very beginning,
believing that the plan to invade Canada was foolish.
• A British blockade on New England’s major cities severely weakened
New England’s economy, causing further anger with the Democratic
Republicans who had led the charge for war.
• Following the American victory in New Orleans and the Treaty of
Ghent the Federalists were harshly criticized for opposing the war.
As a result the Federalist Party was completely eliminated from
American politics by 1820.
Hartford Convention
•The Hartford Convention
led to the downfall of
which American political
party?
Closure Assignment #7
•
Answer the following questions based on what you
have learned from Chapter 6, Section 4:
1. What alternatives did Native Americans have during
the war? Would the outcome have been different for
them if they had chosen a different course of action?
2. Why were farmers and settlers especially likely to
support the War of 1812?
3. Compare American military strengths and
weaknesses during the War of 1812 to those during
the Revolutionary War.