Alan Brinkley,
AMERICAN HISTORY 12/e
Chapter Six:
The Constitution and the
New Republic
Chapter Six:
The Constitution and the New Republic

Framing a New Government
A
Weak Central Government


Congress had difficulty getting a quorum
together to ratify the treaty ending the
Revolutionary War
Only 8 states voted on Northwest Ordinance
Chapter Six:
The Constitution and the New Republic

Framing a New Government
 Advocates
of Centralization
 Supporters
of a Strong National
Government – Society of the Cincinnati
 Newburgh Conspiracy – 1783 –
Continental Army had not been paid in
eight months. Sent delegates to Congress
to demand pay. Some were willing to use
military force to get it.
Chapter Six:
The Constitution and the New Republic

Framing a New Government
 Advocates
of Centralization
 Supporters
of a Strong National Government
 Alexander Hamilton – called for an nat’l
convention to overhaul entire documnet
Alexander Hamilton
(on the Ten Dollar Bill)
(The McGraw-Hill Companies
Inc./Ken Cavanagh Photographer)
Chapter Six:
The Constitution and the New Republic

Framing a New Government
A
Divided Convention
 The
Founding Fathers – Met from May to
September of 1787. Twelve of 13 states
represented. Rhode Island refused
The Convention at Philadelphia
(General Research Division,
New York Public Library,
Astor, Lenox and Tilden Foundations)
Chapter Six:
The Constitution and the New Republic

Framing a New Government
A
Divided Convention
 The
Founding Fathers
 The Virginia Plan – New nat’l legislature –
bicameral

Lower house represented by population; upper house
elected by lower house
Chapter Six:
The Constitution and the New Republic

Framing a New Government
A
Divided Convention
 The
Founding Fathers
 The Virginia Plan
 Small States versus Large States


Question of population or equal representation
Question of slaves – property or people?
Chapter Six:
The Constitution and the New Republic

Framing a New Government
 Compromise
 The
Great Compromise – Convention formed a
committee with Benjamin Franklin as chair to
resolve disagreements.
 States would be represented in lower house on
basis of population – each slave counts as 3/5 a
person
 Upper house each state gets two
representatives each.
Other Issues

Southern delegates did not want Congress
to have the power to regulate trade
 No
tax on exports
 No
tax over $10/imported slave
 Couldn’t stop slave trade for next 20 years
 No
definition of citizenship
 No list of individual rights
Chapter Six:
The Constitution and the New Republic

Framing a New Government
 The
Constitution of 1787
 James
Madison – According to
Brinkley, “…the most
creative political thinker
of his generation.”
The Constitution
(NARA)
Chapter Six:
The Constitution and the New Republic

Framing a New Government
 The
Constitution of 1787
 James
Madison
 The Question of Sovereignty



How could both the national and state governments
exercise sovereignty at the same time?
Constitution derived its powers from the people
No state had the authority to defy it
Chapter Six:
The Constitution and the New Republic

Framing a New Government
 The
Constitution of 1787
 James
Madison
 The Question of Sovereignty
 Separation of Powers
Chapter Six:
The Constitution and the New Republic

Framing a New Government
 Federalists
 The
and Antifederalists
Federalist Papers
 85
essays written by Hamilton,
Madison, and John Jay under
the name Publius in support of
the unratified Constitution
The Federalist Papers
(New York Public Library)
Chapter Six:
The Constitution and the New Republic

Framing a New Government
 Federalists
 The
 The
and Antifederalists
Federalist Papers
Antifederalists – Presented themselves as
the true defenders of the Revolution
 Felt the Constitution would favor the wellborn over the common man – it lacked a bill
of rights
Chapter Six:
The Constitution and the New Republic

Framing a New Government
 Federalists
 The
 The
and Antifederalists
Federalist Papers
Antifederalists
 Debating the Constitution – Ratification
proceeded quickly – Delaware, Pennsylvania,
and New Jersey ratified it right away. New
Hampshire was 9th; put it into effect. Rhode
Island the last of the original 13 states
Chapter Six:
The Constitution and the New Republic

Framing a New Government
 Completing
 The
the Structure
Bill of Rights – Sept. 25, 1789
The Bill of Rights
(Comstock Images /
Getty Images)
Chapter Six:
The Constitution and the New Republic

Framing a New Government
 Completing
 The
the Structure
Bill of Rights
 The Cabinet - created three departments:
state, treasury, and war departments. Also
established attorney general and postmaster
general.
 Alexander Hamilton, the first secretary of the
treasury; Henry Knox, first secretary of war;
Thomas Jefferson, first secretary of state
Chapter Six:
The Constitution and the New Republic

Federalists and Republicans
 Competing
Visions – First 12 years under
Constitution saw many conflicts – many
stemmed from differing philosophies of
government. One side wanted a strong central
gov’t while other side wanted a more modest
central government.
Chapter Six:
The Constitution and the New Republic

Federalists and Republicans
 Hamilton
and the Federalists
 Assuming
the Debt – Federal gov’t to take on
the debts acquired by the states during the
Revolution
 Hamilton wanted a large and permanent debt.
He felt that if the wealthy had money invested
in gov’t, they would want to see gov’t survive.
Chapter Six:
The Constitution and the New Republic

Federalists and Republicans
 Hamilton
and the Federalists
 Assuming
the Debt
 Hamilton’s Report on Manufacturing- proposed
2 new taxes: on distillers and on imports
Alexander Hamilton
(on the Ten Dollar Bill)
(The McGraw-Hill Companies
Inc./Ken Cavanagh Photographer)
Chapter Six:
The Constitution and the New Republic

Federalists and Republicans
 Enacting
the Federalist Program
 Debating
Hamilton’s Program – didn’t want to
take on the states’ debt “at par”
 Struck a deal with Virginia
Alexander Hamilton
(on the Ten Dollar Bill)
(The McGraw-Hill Companies
Inc./Ken Cavanagh Photographer)
Chapter Six:
The Constitution and the New Republic

Federalists and Republicans
 Enacting
the Federalist Program
 Debating
Hamilton’s Program
 Location of the Capital – on the banks of the
Potomac
The Capitol under
Construction
(Royalty-Free /
CORBIS)
Chapter Six:
The Constitution and the New Republic

Federalists and Republicans
 Enacting
the Federalist Program
 Debating
Hamilton’s Program
 Location of the Capital
 Bank of the United States – sparked the most
debate – some felt that the constitution did NOT
give Congress the authority to create a national
bank
 The Bank of the United States opened in 1791
Chapter Six:
The Constitution and the New Republic

Federalists and Republicans
 The
Republican Opposition
 Establishment
of the Federalist Party
 George Washington felt political parties were
dangerous
 Within a few years of Constitution, the
Federalist shad established a nat’l network
of influence. Many believed they were doing
the same things they hated of the British
gov’t
Chapter Six:
The Constitution and the New Republic

Federalists and Republicans – 1st Party
System
 The
Republican Opposition
 Establishment
of the Federalist Party
 Formation of the Republican Party
 No alternative but organize an
opposing party
• Not a direct ancestor of today’s
Republican Party
Thomas Jefferson
(Library of Congress)
Chapter Six:
The Constitution and the New Republic

Federalists and Republicans
 The
Republican Opposition
 Establishment
of the Federalist Party
 Formation of the Republican Party
 Differences over the French Revolution
 Republicans supported the French
Revolution while the Federalists were upset
by it.
Chapter Six:
The Constitution and the New Republic

Establishing National Sovereignty
 Election
of 1792 – Washington reluctantly
runs for a second term
 Securing the Frontier
 Whiskey
Rebellion -1794– western Pennsylvania
refused to pay whiskey tax and harassed tax
collectors. George Washington sent in 15,000
troops which he personally led. Stopped the
rebellion.
More States
North Carolina ratified Constitution, 1789
 Rhode Island ratified in 1790
 Vermont became 14th state 1791
 Kentucky in 1792
 Tennessee in 1796

Chapter Six:
The Constitution and the New Republic

Establishing National Sovereignty
 Native
Americans and the New Nation
 Indians
and the Constitution – Indians were not
citizens – tribes not represented in congress.
 Constitution states they are NOT foreign nations
 No clear guide to the rights of a nation within a
nation or what tribal sovereignty actually
meant.
Chapter Six:
The Constitution and the New Republic

Establishing National Sovereignty
 Maintaining
 Citizen
Neutrality
Genet – diplomat from France
 Ignored Washington’s policies and violated
the Neutrality Act
 Washington demanded France recall him,
but his party in France went out of power.
 Genet was granted political asylum and
settled on Long Island
Chapter Six:
The Constitution and the New Republic

Establishing National Sovereignty
 Jay’s
Treaty and Pinckney’s Treaty
 Jay’s
Treaty – Sent to England to get
compensation for British ships attacking
American ships, stop the impressments of men
into British navy, get the British out of western
outposts, and negotiate a commercial treaty.
 He got all but the compensation for slaves lost
during Revolution. Many were upset, but treaty
passed Congress
Chapter Six:
The Constitution and the New Republic

Establishing National Sovereignty
 Jay’s
Treaty and Pinckney’s Treaty
 Jay’s
Treaty
 Pinckney’s Treaty – granted rights of Americans
to use Mississippi to New Orleans and set the
border in Florida at the 31st parallel
Chapter Six:
The Constitution and the New Republic

The Downfall of the Federalists
 The
Election of 1796
 Washington’s
Farewell Address –warned against
getting involved in foreign disputes
George Washington
(Portrait Gallery)
Chapter Six:
The Constitution and the New Republic

The Downfall of the Federalists
 The
Election of 1796
 Washington’s
Farewell Address
 Divided Federalists
 Hamilton – too many enemies
 Federalists nominated John
Adams
• Defeated Jefferson by only 3
electoral votes
John Adams
(Library of Congress)
Chapter Six:
The Constitution and the New Republic

The Downfall of the Federalists
 The
Quasi War with France
 The
XYZ Affair – Adams sent 3 diplomats to
France. When they arrived, the French
demanded money from them before any
negotiations would begin. The report that went
back to Congress deleted the names of the
French agents and referred to them as X, Y and
Z.
Chapter Six:
The Constitution and the New Republic

The Downfall of the Federalists
 The
Quasi War with France
 The
XYZ Affair
 The Quasi War – battle on the seas. Americans
captured 85 French ships. Adams sent another
diplomatic mission. Napoleon Bonaparte now in
power. Agreed to a treaty.
Chapter Six:
The Constitution and the New Republic

The Downfall of the Federalists
 Repression
 Alien
and Protest
and Sedition Acts – an attempt by
Federalists to silence Republicans.
 Alien Act made it difficult to become a citizen
 Sedition Act allowed gov’t to prosecute anyone
who engaged in sedition against the gov’t.
Chapter Six:
The Constitution and the New Republic

The Downfall of the Federalists
 Repression
 Alien
and Protest
and Sedition Acts
 Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions – If states felt
that the federal gov’t exceeded its powers, they
could nullify legislation. Only Virginia and
Kentucky declared Alien and Sedition Acts void.
Chapter Six:
The Constitution and the New Republic

The Downfall of the Federalists
 The
“Revolution” of 1800
 The
Election of 1800
 Adams – Federalists
 Jefferson – Republicans
 Tie in electoral votes between Burr and
Jefferson – House of Rep’s were to decide
 Jefferson wins! Aaron Burr- Vice Pres.
Chapter Six:
The Constitution and the New Republic

The Downfall of the Federalists
 The
“Revolution” of 1800
 The
Election of 1800
 The Judiciary Act of 1801 – reduced number of
Supreme Court judgeships
 Adams made “Midnight appointments”
 Jefferson calls the election a “revolution”