HIST 3480: The History of NYC

HIST 3480: The History of NYC

NEW YORK CITY IN THE EARLY REPUBLIC

Federal Hall in 1789 as decorated for Washington’s inauguration. The structure was built on Wall Street as the City Hall in 1700 but then was refurbished by Pierre L’Enfant. NYC’s current City Hall was completed in 1811.


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IN WHAT SHAPE DID THE BRITISH LEAVE NYC AFTER EVACUATING IN NOV. 1783?

Five-hundred Tory families flee to Canada, taking much of the city’s commercial and mercantile expertise (and trade contacts in England).

Population when British troops left in Dec. 1783 was 12,000 (roughly half of what it had been in 1771).

Great Fire of Sept. 21, 1776, wipes out anywhere from 10 to 25 percent of the city’s buildings (400 to 1,000 of the city’s 4,000 structures).

Leadership of the city is in disarray. Prostitution rampant, poor sanitation, lack of drinking

water


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1776 map with contemporary red markings indicating areas affected by the fire


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George Clinton (1739-1812) New York was fortunate to have a strong

post-revolution leader. Served as a Brigadier-General during the

War for Independence. First post-independence governor of New

York from 1777 to 1795; served again from 1801 to 1804.

Known for his hatred of Tories and the confiscation of some of their land.

Advocate of state’s rights and supporter of Jefferson in the 1790s. Initially opposed the Constitution, but was persuaded to support it because of popular demand.

Served as Vice President in Jefferson’s second term and in Madison’s first (died in office).

Uncle of DeWitt Clinton


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James Duane (1733-1797) Prominent attorney and first mayor of

post-independence New York; appointed by Governor Clinton (mayors would not be elected until 1834) and served 1784 to 1789.

Engaged in an extensive rebuilding campaign; even involved renaming streets: Crown Street changed to Liberty Street.

Shared Clinton’s anti-Tory sentiment; allowed the confiscation of Tory property until Alexander Hamilton defended Tory property rights in the Rutgers vs. Waddington decision.


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Articles of Confederation and New York The Continental Congress drafted the Articles in mid-1776 and total

ratification by the states in 1781. The Articles national government had only one branch— Congress—and had limited functions: it could wage war, conduct

foreign diplomacy, and sell Western territory. It could not collect taxes, only request money from the states (which

frequently blew it off). New Yorker Alexander Hamilton began advocating for the Articles’

replacement with a stronger national government as early as 1781. In 1784, Governor Clinton imposed a New York State duty of 2.5

percent on all imports, and 5 percent punitive duty on British imports from the Caribbean; these unpopular measures drove many in the city into Hamilton’s camp.

Clinton was not in favor of a strong national government since he was a “New York” chauvinist, and a defender of states’ rights.


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Constitutional Convention: May 25 to Sept. 17, 1787 New York sent three delegates to Philadelphia: Alexander Hamilton, and

two Clintonians: Robert Yates and John Lansing. All three left by the end of June out of boredom; Hamilton did give a

lecture stating his preference for the English system and wanted to have a president and senators elected for life. The Convention continued without them.

Most people in the city preferred ratification (federalists), but upstate had an anti-federalist Clintonian majority.

Antifederalist Arguments: Old Whig argument that a concentration of power was dangerous to liberty. States and individuals would lose their rights; large republics had always failed in the past.

Federalist Arguments: The country was falling apart under the Articles, it gave too much power to the state governments which were run by the uneducated and unfit, and most importantly for New York city residents: the current government threatened future prosperity.


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The New York Ratification Struggle New York Ratification Convention was held in Poughkeepsie in June-,

and Westchester counties were also Federalist. Queens came in Antifederalist by a wide margin.

Statewide the Federalists were outnumbered, but hey had excellent orators; the city delegation alone had Alexander Hamilton and John Jay.

Eight states had already ratified the Constitution, so only one more was needed to get rid of the Articles. New Hampshire did so on June 25, followed by Virginia, leaving only New York and Rhode Island out.

New York Antifederalists still held out for a qualification: a bill of rights. Hamilton argued that not ratifying would mean separation from the Union. Five thousand men and boys representing sixty-odd trades showed up

for a “Grand Federal Procession” on July 23; main “float” was the “Federal Ship Hamilton.” Artisans displayed their support for the new government and helped to pressure the Antifederalists to concede, which they did on July 26.


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The Federal Ship HamiltonCenterpiece of the Grand Federal Procession in New York, July 23, 1788


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Washington’s Inauguration Inaugurated on April 30, 1789, on the balcony of

Federal Hall. Confusion over the procedure since there was no

precedent; he was sworn in by New York State Chancellor Robert Livingston (the chancellor was the state’s chief judicial official at the time), who shouted “"Long live George Washington, President of the United States!” when it was done.

No one even knew what the call the president; a Senate committee even proposed, “His Highness the President of the United states.”


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New Yorkers Appointed to Key New Federal Positions

Alexander Hamilton as Secretary of the Treasury Gouverneur Morris as Ambassador to France General John Lamb as Collector of the Port of New

York


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Alexander Hamilton (1755-1804) Born a bastard on the island of Nevis and was orphaned; became

and clerk in mercantile houses Local merchant community sponsored his education at King’s

College in New York. Took advantage of the outbreak of the war for social and political

advancement: became an invaluable aid to George Washington; was a master of logistics and communication.

Rose to political prominence after the war and was absolutely essential in convincing the New York Convention to vote for the Convention.

Served as Secretary of the Treasury under Washington and wrote the influential First Report on the Public Credit (1790) and Report on Manufactures (1791)

Served as Washington’s political “attack dog” so that the president could remain above the fray, but resigned in 1795.


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Alexander Hamilton (1755-1804)

Portrait by John Trumbull (1806)


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New York City as Capital City State Capital from 1784 to 1796: Albany

and Kingston had served as state capital during the occupation, but it was moved to Albany permanently in 1797.

Congress of the Confederation met in NYC from 1785 to 1789.

Federal Capital from 1789 to 1790: Why was NYC’s role as national capital so short-lived?


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National Capital Controversy New York was not popular: hardcore republicans disliked its

extremes of wealth and poverty, its “British” or “aristocratic” tendencies, its luxuries, its money markets and financial speculators, etc.

Hamilton’s First Report on Relative to Public Credit (Jan. 1790): combined foreign and domestic debt according to Hamilton was almost $80 million, but the national government only had $4 million in annual revenue, which couldn’t cover the interest. Hamilton wanted the federal government to assume the state debts, and that it would pay off the debts “at par” with portion paid out each year toward its face value. This mechanism favored speculators over soldiers who had received scrip, but sold it off.

These mechanisms would tie men of wealth to the federal government.


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Compromise of 1790 Assumption angered the South since the Northerners owed much of

the debt that Hamilton proposed to have the federal government take over.

Hamilton offers a compromise with Jefferson: if he could muster enough southern votes on assumption, Hamilton would get enough northern votes to relocate the capital to the banks of the Potomac River.

Antifederalists at the Poughkeepsie convention had been promised the capital would stay in New York City, but Hamilton later insisted the assumption of debt was more important for the nation. His role in the deal was not made public for years, so his reputation was unscathed.

Congress met for the last time in Federal Hall on Aug. 12, 1790, and moved to Philadelphia until the new capital was finished.

New York was to be the “city of capital” rather than the “capital city”: the U.S. would be fated to have a business and a government capital.


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Banking Panics and the Beginnings of Wall Street A law creating the Bank of the United States (BUS) was passed by Congress in Feb. 1791, and a competing Bank of New York (BONY) was created by the New York State legislature soon thereafter. BUS stock took off when it was offered in July 1791, climbing to $170 a share by October. The creation of a third bank, the so-called “Million Bank” was announced, and its shares also took off in Jan. 1792. The value of the bank stocks from all three leveled off and began to

decline in March 1792, setting off a panic. Buyers and sellers of government securities had begun meeting at a buttonwood tree on Wall Street in 1790. Trader signed the “Buttonwood Agreement” in 1792 to regulate their activities after the excesses of the Panic of 1792. Traders then began to meet regularly at the newly constructed “Tontine Coffeehouse” in 1793. Permanent Stock Exchange created in 1817.


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Francis Guy, The Tontine Coffee House (1797). New-York Historical Society.


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Reverberations from the French Revolution All of New York had been excited by the French Revolution in 1789,

but by 1792-1793, it had become more complicated:the invasion and repulsion of Prussian and Austrian forces in France, France decalring war on Great Britain, Spain, and Holland, and the arrest and eventual execution of Louis XVI Many French émigrés—monarchists, republicans, etc.—made their way to New York, and after 1792, so did many from St. Domingue, including mixed-race gens de couleur. President Washington issued a “Neutrality Proclamation” in April 1793, but this proved hard in a war between France and Britain. Britain began impressing American seamen in the Caribbean in 1793-94. Americans responses to the French Revolution helped to shape the decade’s partisan political system: the First Party System (Federalists vs. Democratic-Republicans.


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Foreign Affairs and the Merchant Marine European fighting in the late 1790s stimulated growth of the city’s

merchant fleet. Jay Treaty of 1795: With war between Britain and France, Federalists

preferred Great Britain while the emerging Democratic-Republicans preferred France. Jay Treaty designed by Hamilton and negotiated by fellow New Yorker John Jay greatly favors Britain; Federalists love it.

French start harassing American shipping, especially in the Caribbean. “XYZ” Affair in 1798: French foreign minister Talleyrand demands a bribe

before talking to U.S. officials and causes an uproar in the U.S. “Quasi-War”: U.S. and the French Republic fight an undeclared war on

the high seas in 1798-99, escalating maritime insurance and hurting New York shipping. But the U.S. Navy’s build-up stop it by the end of 1799.


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The Society of St. Tammany or the Columbian Order

Philadelphia patriots had created a Tammany celebration in the 1770s.

Founded in 1786 or 1787 in New York, but only gains momentum when upholster William Mooney and merchant John Pintard took over in 1789.

Name came from a mythical Delaware Indian chief who was said to have carved out Niagara falls.

Created to restore “republican zeal” against the aristocracy. Were initially great admirers of the French Revolution. Also a benevolent society for common soldiers much like

the Society of Cincinnati was founded for elite officers. How did Tammany evolve from a benevolent society

into a major political force under Aaron Burr? What was Tammany’s overall political strategy under Burr?


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The Manhattan Company For what purpose was the Manhattan Company (now J.P. Morgan Chase) chartered? How good a job did it do in fulfilling that purpose? What was its real vs. stated purpose?

Aaron Burr What was Burr’s role in the 1800 election? How was it that the electoral college vote was tied? What happened with Burr’s run for New York governor in 1804? Why did he duel Alexander Hamilton on July 11, 1804?


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Aaron Burr (1756-1836), Vice President (1801-1805)

Portrait by John Vanderlyn, 1802

Born in Newark, Province of New Jersey, in 1756, to a privileged family. Son of Presbyterian minister and grandson

to famed preacher, Jonathan Edwards. Attended the College of New Jersey (later Princeton). Served the in the Continental Army with distinction, but resigned his commission in 1779 after suffering a severe heat stroke and took up studying law. Appointed New York State attorney general

by George Clinton in 1789. Appointed U.S. Senator from N.Y. in 1791.


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Serves in the New York State Assembly in 1798 and 1799 and is accused of taking a bribe and fights a duel over the accusation (both parties miss). At this time, he uses his influence to make Tammany into a political machine. He also helps charter the Bank of Manhattan Company in 1799. Both he and Jefferson received 73 electoral votes in the presidential election of 1800, leaving the decision to the House of Representatives. Most Federalists preferred Burr, but Hamilton campaigned against him.


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Burr lost, becoming Vice President (this strange tie led to the Twelfth Amendment). The 1800 election marked a blow from which the Federalists never recovered. For 1804’s gubernatorial election, George Clinton decided not to run for for an eighth term; the Clintonites ran Chief Justice Morgan Lewis who narrowly defeated Burr. Burr blames Hamilton’s campaign against

him for his defeat; Burr shoots and kills Hamilton in a duel in Weekhawken on July 11, 1804, and flees the city.


26 A set of flintlock English dueling pistols similar to the ones used in the Burr/Hamilton duel

HIST 3480: The History of NYC

Documents

new york chauvinist

history of nyc new york

new york state duty

new yorker alexander

early republic federal

nycs current city hall

articles national government

tory property rights