Chapter9+Outlines+P3

Chapter Nine
 * The Confederation and the Constitution

1. The Pursuit of Equality** a.equalilty was spread through est. states -prop. requirements for voting dropped -titles changed (master: now boss) -indentured servitude ended -trade org., primogeniture ended b.sep. of church & state -Congre. Church stayed est. in NE -Ang. lost power from assoc. w/ crown i. reformed as Prot. Episcopal Church ii. dis-established -VA Statue for Religious Freedom (1786) c. talk of freedom challenged slavery -Quakers founded 1st antislavery society in '75 -Slave trade ended in '74 i. some Nor. states banned slavery completely -laws disc. against blacks in North & South i. couldn't own property, hold certain jobs, educate children ii. interracial marriages banned -fight over slavery avoided i. would hurt national unity d. women weren't equal either -some served in army, voted in NJ -"civic virtue" led mothers to eduacate children to become good citizens i. "republican motherhood" ii. better education a. Cont. Con. had col. draft. consti. -power belongs to people -needed to create gov. -MA called const.conv. for drafting, changes i. ratified by people ii. used for federal const. b. state const. had many simi. -doc. were contracts, defined gov. powers -power flowed from people i. contained bill of rights -annual election of legis. -weak executive & judicial branches, legislature had most power c. poorer, westerm sett. started exert. more power -some state capitals relocated further inland a. states had seized loyalist land during war -spread to many small farmers i. spread "economic democracy" -blood-bath of Frech. Rev. avoided i. lots of cheap land b. manufacturing already developed -stimulated by nonimportation agreements; war i. Am. had to make own products c. couldn't trade w/ Britain, Brit. West Indies -could trade w/ foreign nations i. Baltic& China Seas d. war had created economic problems -privateering (up to 300%) -state gov. far in debt -huge inflation i. citizens worse off than before ii. new rich were privateers, old rich were now destitute -distrust of taxes, laws a. needed to create new gov. -difficult i. new type of gov. ii. suspicion of authority iii. little unity; even "common cause" (war) over -political system inclined to experiment b. hard times hit; worst in 1786 -Brit. manufacturers flooded market w/ heap goods c. 13 staes alike in gov. -had good leaders (G.W., James Madison, Adams, Jefferson, Alex Hamilton) a. 13 staes each held own sovereignty -had separate currency -separate armies & navies -VA even signed separate treaty w/ France b. Cont. Con. assigned committee to draft const. before inde. in 1776 -became Articles of Confederation i. adopted by Con.: 1777, all states: 1781 ii. trans. into French to show "gov. in the making" -mainly objected by states w/ no land past Alleghenies i. "fortunate" states wouldn't have gained the land w/out help from other states ii. could sell off land to pay debt; MD, PA, & others would have to tax iii. MD approved when NY surrendered land, VA seemed about to do the same -land could become new states c. pioneers moved west to fed. land -looked to fed. gov., not state gov. i. lessened local influence a. Art. of Conf.- loose "friendship" -dealt w/ common problems i. foreign affairs -no executive branch; judicial mostly left to states -Congress dominant, still limited i. each state had just ove vote ii. any bill needed vote of nine states iii. unanimity needed for amending A of C -couldn't regulate commerce, taxes -model of loose "confederation" i. country needed federation (not confeder.) b. Art. of Conf. "steppiing-stone" -treaties, postal service -kept states together a. Land Ordinance of 1785 -Old Northwest land sold to pay debt i. divided into 6 by 6 mile squares- "townships" ii. 36 mile sq. sections- 16th sold for public schools -orderly settlement prevented fraud & land disputes b. Northwest Ordinance of 1787 -two "territorial" stages under fed. go. -at 60,000 inhabitants, Congress could admit as a state -no slavery (unless already present) in "Old Noirthwest" -prevented strife between 13 states & new territories a. relations remained tense between U.S. & England -London didn't send a minister to U.S. -refused to repeal Navigation Laws i. closed West Indies trade to Americans ii. smuggled anyway -British agents active on northern borderi. maintained trading posts on Am. land, fur trade w/ Indians ii. gained favor w/ Indians in case U.S. ivaded Can. -some citizens demanded trade restrictions on Brit. i. Congress had no control over commerce b. Spain was also unfriendly -controlled mouth of Mississippi River i. closed river to U.S. commerce in 1784 ii. claimed area granted to U.S. by Brit. -Spain & Britain kept U.S. from controlling half of territory c. French cooled towards Americans -demanded repayment of loans& restricted trade d. North African pirates attacked U.S. sailors in Mediterranean -Brit. bribed pirates for protection -Am. was too weak too fight; too poor to bribe e. John Jay hoped "insults" would inspire stronger gov. a. economic problems in 1780's -some states refused to pay taxes to Congress -debt piling up b. states were getting out of hand -minor battles over state boundaries -some states levied duties on goods from other states -some states issues (depriciating) paper money c. Shay's Rebellion-Western MA, 1786 -poor farmers (many Rev. War vets.) angry over losin farms to foreclosure -led by Cap. Daniel Shay; demanded: i. paper money ii. lighter taxes iii. end to prop. takeovers -small army raised by aithorities i.several skirmishes; three rebles killed, once wounded ii. Shay condemned to death, then pardoned iii. MA legislature passed debt-relief laws -rich worried the country was headed for anarchy, "mobocracy" i. wanted stronger central gov. d. everyone agreed Art. of Con. needed to be improved -people disagreed over balance between state's rights & central gov. -easier to start a new constitution -situation improved by drafting of Constitution a. fights over interstate commerce led VA to call convention on Annapolis -nine states appointed delegates i. only five states came -Alexander Hamilton called on Congress to summon conven. in Philly i. meant to improve Art. of Con. b. Congress summoned conven. to revise "Articles" -12 states selected delegates i. RI did not ii. delegates selected by state legislatures iii. delegates a slect group of "propertied" men -55 delegates arrived in Philly: May 25, 1787 i. guards placed at doors so discussion remained secret c.delegates most able men in the country- called "demigods" -most were lawyers -George Washington unanimously elected chairman -Ben Franklin needed a chaperone to keep him quiet -James Madison: "Father of the Constitution" -Alex Hamilton favored powerful central gov. -many revolutionaries did not represent their states a. delegates were conservative -young but experienced politicians -19 owned slaves -nationalists interested in a stronger republic b. several goals of new constitution -stable, dignified gov. - power to trade w/ other nations -prevent anarchy a. Constitution was scrapped, not revised -technically, old gov. was overthrown b. VA proposed "large-state plan" -two houses of Congress based on pop. c. NJ proposed "small-state" plan -one house of Congress w/ equal representation for each state -great debate between proponents of each plan i. corresponded w/ heatwave ii. convention in danger of failure d. "Great Compromise" reached -for large states: House of Reps. by pop. -for small states: two votes each in Senate -all tax bills must originate in the House -executiove branch: president -commander in chief -can veto legisl. i. inspired by MA govenor's handling of Shay's Rebellion ii. limits to power e. Constitution made of compromises -president elected by Electoral College i. in case of tie, one vote for each state in House -3/5 Compromise i. South wanted slaves to count towards pop. for House of Reps. ii. North didn't agree iii. decided a slave would count as 3/5 of a person -many states wanted to end slave trade i. SC and GA protested ii. slave trade could continue until 1807 a.delegates mostly agreed on many issues -though total republic; "mobocracy" to be avoided i. federal judges appointed for life ii. senators chosen indirectly by state legislature b. Constitution contained democratic elements -gov. derived power from the governed c. 32 of original 55 members remained at the conv. after 17 weeks -three refused to sign -others celebrated but weren't completely satisfied a.Framers knew unanimous ratification of const. would be difficult -Constitution would become law in states who approved once nine states had approved i. approved by specially elected conventions ii. allowed input of (voting) citizens b. people were surprised by new constitution -many thought state sovereignty was violated -debate between Federalists (pro-constitution) and Anti- Federalists (anti-constitution, strong federal government) c. "Motley crew" of antifederalists -prominent revolutionaries i. Samual Adams, Patrick Henry, Richard Henry Lee -sates' rights advocates -poor and backcountry farmers -debtors -all saw the Constitution as an upper-class plot to steal power d. federalists had power & influence -support of George Washington & Ben Franklin -lived in settled eastern areas -wealthier & better educated -controlled the press e. antifederalists claimed const. was anti-democratic -individual freedom threatened by no Bill of Rights -angered by end to annual elections i. capital (DC) ii. creation of standing army iii. no reference to God iv. only two/thirds/ of states needed to ratify a.special elections for ratifying convention memebers held in each state -candidates elected by their opinion of Const. b. four small states signed quickly -Penn also signed (#2) i. some "Irregularites" c. MA needed by federalists -at first had antifederalist majority i. included Shaysites & Samuel Adams -delegates worries by lack of Bill of Rights i. Federalists promised forst Congress would add amendments -ratifies: 187 to 168 d. three more states followed -now nine states had ratified,. const. adopted -VA, NY, NBC, & RI yet to sign a. VA had fierce antifederalists -ex.: Patrick Henry i. "death warrant of liberty" -Federalists had supposrt of GW, James Madison, John Marshall -NH about to ratify, const. would be adopted -VA couldn't stay outside union, voted for const. 89 to 79 b. NY started state convention hinghly anti-federalist -Alex Hamiltion argues for adoption i. wrote "Federalist Papers" w/ John Jay & James Madison ii. series of editorials promoted const. -realized they couldn't survive outside the union i. ratified, 30 to 27 ii. also approved proposed amendments c. NC & RI still refused to ratify -only came around after new gov. had started work -gov. put lots of pressure on RI to ratify -no states could stay outside union a. minority won both revolution & constitution -only 1/4 of adult white males voted for delegates for conven. b. safeguards to "mob" excess -republican ideals preserved -stability restored -all three branches of gov. rep. the people i. branches check each other
 * 2. Constitution Making in the States**
 * 3. Economic Crosscurrents**
 * 4. A Shaky Start Toward Union**
 * 5. Creating a Confederation**
 * 6. The Articles of Confederation: America's First Constitution**
 * 7. Landmarks in Land Laws**
 * 8. The World's Ugly Duckling**
 * 9. The Horrid Spectre of Anarchy**
 * 10. A Convention of "Demigods"**
 * 11. Patriots in Philadelphia**
 * 12. Hammering Out a Bundle of Compromises**
 * 13. Safeguards for Conservation**
 * 14. The Clash Of Federalists and Antifederalist**
 * 15. The Great Debate in the States**
 * 16. The Four Laggard States**
 * 17. A Conservative Triumph**