“thus i consent, sir, to this new constitution, because i expect no better and i am not sure that...
TRANSCRIPT
“Thus I consent, sir, to this new constitution, because I expect no better and I am not sure that it is not the best…”
“Thus I consent, sir, to this new constitution, because I expect no better and I am not sure that it is not the best…”
The Constitution and New Republic1781-1800
The Articles of ConfederationThe Articles of Confederation The first official government
of the United States. It established a limited
federal government. Single branch-legislative One state-One vote “Super Majority” needed
for laws No power to tax or
regulate commerce It gave significant power to
the states. Remember, the key was to
avoid the power of the monarch we had just left
The Articles of ConfederationThe Articles of ConfederationAccomplishments: Actually transitioned the
colonies into an independent group, separate from England
Land Ordinance of 1785 promoted public education
Northwest Ordinance of 1787 set rules for creating new states and also prohibited slavery in the new states
States can enter the Union upon reaching 60,000 people and an approved state Constitution
Weaknesses of the ArticlesWeaknesses of the Articles One vote for each state, regardless of size. Congress cannot collect taxes.
This led to the government to issue worthless paper money that caused inflation
Congress powerless to regulate foreign and interstate commerce. This restricted growth of interstate commerce and trade
No separate executive branch to enforce acts of Congress.
No national court system to interpret laws. Amendment only with consent of all the states. A 9/13 majority required to pass laws. Articles only a “firm league of friendship” These weaknesses were demonstrated by Shay’s
Rebellion
Social Changes of the RevolutionSocial Changes of the Revolution
Aristocratic Titles State constitutions abolish
titles to limit class distinctions Separation of Church and State
No tax dollar support of churches is allowed in most states
Women Mostly women remained in
second class status, although they did fulfill their role of “Republican Motherhood”
Slavery There was a push to abolish
the import of slaves following the war, but Southerners resisted and threatened the new Union
The Constitutional ConventionThe Constitutional Convention 55 Delegates meet in
Philadelphia in 1787 These are mostly wealthy, all
white males George Washington was
elected as the presiding officer Many of the more radical
leaders if the revolution were not included in the convention
Jefferson, Paine and John Adams were unavailable for the Convention as well
The sole purpose of the convention was to amend the Articles of Confederation
Hamilton and Madison quickly directed the convention toward drafting a new document
The Issues of the ConventionThe Issues of the ConventionVirginia Plan It called for the creation of a
bicameral national legislature where each state would send representatives in proportion to the population.
At a minimum this plan made the federal government co-equal with the states
It laid the groundwork for a more federally based system
The new legislature would have the power to tax and to regulate foreign and interstate commerce.
The national legislature would have the power to veto any act of a state legislature.
In addition to the legislative branch, the proposed government would have an executive and judicial branch.
This plan favored larger states
New Jersey Plan It called for the creation of a
unicameral national legislature where each state had an equal number of votes
This plan kept the national government weak and the states powerful.
Congress had the power to tax and to regulate foreign and interstate commerce.
It would create executive and judicial branches.
This plan favored smaller states significantly
This was eventually resolved through the Great Compromise that created a bicameral legislature
Slavery IssuesSlavery Issues Slaves as
population Northerners do not
want slaves counted, people = votes
Clearly, Southerners prefer to count slaves as population
3/5ths Compromise solves the issue
Importation To woo Southern states
slave import is guaranteed until 1808
It is then to be regulated by Congress
Trade and PowersTrade and Powers Trade and Currency
become the sole purview of the Federal government
The powers of government were to be divided between the state and federal governments
This is a system known as federalism
The Presidential term was limited to 4 years, with no limit on the number of terms
The following page discusses the separation of powers and the system of checks and Balances
Development of Political PartiesDevelopment of Political Parties The Constitution left open for debate some key issues Was the document to be strictly followed? Was there room for interpretation? Should the Federal (central, national) government or state
governments have more power? These questions were the key issues to be decided in the
new nation.
The FederalistsThe Federalists The Federalists were a
group that advocated for increased power for the Federal government
This group included Washington, Madison, Franklin and Hamilton
They felt that central government would provide stability and order
They were convinced that the Constitution would provide safeguards for the rights of the people
The Anti-FederalistsThe Anti-Federalists The Anti-Federalists were
very leery of federal power They feared that the
central government would trample the rights of the people
They also felt that the federal power would usurp the power of states
They insisted on a written guarantee of rights and liberties which became known as the bill of rights
After the convention, Jefferson became the leading advocate for the Anti-Federalists
The Bill of RightsThe Bill of Rights1. Speech, Assembly, Religion,
Press, petition for redress of grievances, separate church and state
2. Right to bear arms3. No quartering act4. Privacy, search and seizure5. Due process, double
jeopardy, self incrimination6. Speedy, public trial7. Trial by jury8. Prohibits cruel and unusual
punishment9. Rights not specifically
mentioned are also protected
10. All powers not delegated to the Federal government are reserved for the states
Washington’s PresidencyWashington’s Presidency He set many important
precedents during his tenure of office
These included: Two-terms The Cabinet Proclamation of
Neutrality The Federal Court
system was also created in 1789
This act created 13 circuit courts and 3 circuit courts of appeals
Hamilton’s Financial PlanHamilton’s Financial Plan Hamilton wanted to
accomplish several things as he started as Sec. of the Treasury1. Bind the country
together2. Increase Federal power
and prestige3. Pay off debts4. Protect industry
He tried to accomplish this through the following:1. Funding state debts at
par2. A tax on whiskey3. A protective tariff4. A national bank
Jefferson’s ResponseJefferson’s Response Jefferson opposed
much of Hamilton’s Plan
He felt that it was too focused on the wealthy and ignored the concerns of the common man
He also felt that the plan would give power to the Federal government at the expense of the states.
Foreign AffairsForeign Affairs The French Revolution
Americans supported the idea of the Revolution, but were horrified by the mob violence
Proclamation of Neutrality Washington believed that
the US was not strong enough to be involved in foreign wars or alliances
Jay’s Treaty This was an attempt to stop
British impressments of sailors
Pinckney’s Treaty Jay’s Treaty was so bad that
Spain thought the US and Britain were aligning. As a result they basically gave away rights to the Mississippi
The Presidency of AdamsThe Presidency of Adams The XYZ Affair
France tried to bully the United States delegates into paying a bribe in order to enter negotiations
Adams resisted the call for war The Alien and Sedition Acts
These laws raised the time for citizenship from 5 to 14 years
The Sedition Act made it a crime to criticize the President or Congress
The Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions These were responses written by
Madison and Jefferson that railed against the expansion of power in the Sedition Act
These resolutions stated that states should be able to NULLIFY federal laws that are unconstitutional
The Revolution of 1800The Revolution of 1800 The election of 1800
represented the first time in history that a country had peacefully transferred power from one political group to its rival without bloodshed
Jefferson changed as a leader, as he became more open to expanding powers of the Federal government as shown in the Louisiana Purchase
Jefferson was saddled with a largely Federalist Court system
The influence of the Federalists would carry on for several years past their electoral success