Ssush05 2011

SSUSH5 The student will explain specific events and key ideas that

brought about the adoption and implementation of the United States

Constitution.

a. Explain how weaknesses in the Articles of Confederation and Daniel Shays’ Rebellion led to a call for a stronger central government.

Colonial government during and immediately after the American Revolution.

“Confederation”– a loose agreement

Articles of Confederation

Land Ordinance of 1785 – determined how land would be sold – 640 acres for no less than $640

Northwest Ordinance of 1787 – when any territory had population of 5000 free male adults, it could choose an assembly and Congress would name a governing council – reach 60,000, apply to become a state – done with OH, IN, IL, MI, and WI

Land policy

1 vote for each state, regardless of size Congress was powerless to regulate

foreign and interstate commerce No executive or judicial branches Amended only with consent of ALL states 9/13 majority required to pass laws

Articles of Confederation Weaknesses:

Farmers arm themselves to prevent courts from opening and foreclosing on their land.

Rebellion put down by military; 4 killed. Shays’ Rebellion showed weaknesses in

government & need for change.

Daniel Shays’ Rebellion

Congress in 1787 passed resolution endorsing convention “for the sole and express purpose of revising the Articles of Confederation”

55 came, only 39 stayed to end, 36 signers – ave age 42 – Franklin oldest at 81

Sworn to secrecy Washington presiding officer, Madison

secretary – Father of Constitution No Jefferson, Adams, or Hamilton

Philadelphia Convention

SSUSH5 The student will explain specific events and key ideas that brought about the adoption and implementation of the

United States Constitution.

b. Evaluate the major arguments of the anti-Federalists and Federalists during the debate on ratification of the Constitution as put forth in The Federalist concerning form of government, factions, checks and balances, and the power of the executive, including the roles of Alexander Hamilton and James Madison.

Article VII said would be effective when approved by 9 states – submitted in 1787

Debate b/t Federalists who wanted Constitution and strong central govt and Anti-Federalists who didn’t

Ratification

Anti-Feds saw no advantage for them in new Constitution and were afraid strong central govt would violate their rights

Aka The Federalist Papers – series of essays published b/t 1787 and 1788 –

Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison

Defended Constitution –

The Federalist

9th state to ratify was New Hampshire, in 1788, but needed VA and NY to be successful

When Bill of Rights promised, VA came in, soon followed by New York – RI was last

Ratification, cont

Sept 13, 1788, NY City picked as capital Oct 10, 1788 Confederation Congress

disbanded with Franklin saying, “nothing is certain but death and taxes”

SSUSH5 The student will explain specific events and key ideas that brought about the adoption

and implementation of the United States Constitution.

c. Explain the key features of the Constitution, specifically the Great Compromise, separation of powers, limited government, and the issue of slavery.

Unicameral legislature based on equal representation

Congress have power to tax, regulate commerce, have plural executive with no veto and a supreme court

New Jersey (small state) Plan

Presented by James Madison Separate branches Federal system Bicameral legislature – based on

population –◦lower house based on popular vote – ◦upper house elected by state legislatures

Virginia (large state) Plan

Great Compromise aka Connecticut Compromise (Roger Sherman) – ◦lower house by population, ◦upper by equality – each state gets 2,

vote as individuals

Compromises

3/5 Compromise – 3/5 slaves count for taxation and representation◦No slave trade after 20 years (1808)

No discussion of women’s rights

Nat’l govt could: tax, regulate commerce, raise an army and navy, make laws binding to citizens

States denied power to issue money, void contracts, make treaties or wage war, and levy tariffs

Other Agreements

The Constitution

Preamble—Introduction Articles— Body Amendments 1-10 are known as the

Bill of Rights, all ratified in 1791.◦ Federalists had to agree to add these to the

Constitution in order to have it ratified by all of the states.

There are 27 Amendments in total, each reflects changes in American society.◦ See handout for a list of Amendments.

Government is based on the idea of popular sovereignty.

The Legislative branch is first in the Constitution because it is closest to the American people.

Requirements for the House of Reps:◦ 25 years old◦ U.S. citizen for 7 years◦ Resident of the state in which you were elected

Requirements for the Senate:◦ 30 years old◦ U.S. citizen for 9 years◦ Resident of the state in which you were elected

Article I—Congress

Requirements to be President◦Natural Born citizen of the U.S.◦35 years old◦Live in U.S. for 14 years

Cabinet—President’s advisors (15 departments)

22nd Amendment limits to 2 terms; 10 years max

Article II—Executive Branch

Supreme Court Justices serve for “life or good behavior” Power to declare laws “Constitutional or

Unconstitutional” comes from Marbury v. Madison Case◦ (we will talk about court cases later in the unit)

Article III—Judicial Branch

The writers of the Constitution knew that the limits of the powers and responsibilities of each branch were not always clear.

To keep the branches equal in power, the writers developed a system of checks and balances

System of Checks and Balances(Don’t copy)

This system of checks and balances has several pros and cons:◦slows the process of making decisions

and taking action. ◦It gives American citizens time to learn

about the issues and to give their opinions.

◦It also gives the government time to think about the effects of any new law.

SSUSH 5 eExplain the importance of the Presidencies of George Washington and John Adams; include the Whiskey Rebellion, non-intervention in Europe, and the development of political parties (Alexander Hamilton).

New Government Temp president of Senate counted ballots

and pronounced Washington unanimous choice of Electoral College for president

Adams second-most votes so VP

Structure of Government Congress created executive departments: Dept of State=foreign affairs=Jefferson Dept of Treasury=financial affairs=

Hamilton Attorney General=legal affairs=Edmund

Randolph Made up Cabinet to advise president Chief Justice=John Jay

Hamilton’s economic plan: establishing the public credit Federal and state govt in debt from war Hamilton said all debts were a national

responsibility States with lower debts or who had paid

debts didn’t want it – usually Southern Compromise – agree to plan and get

national capital on Potomac—Washington, D.C.

Hamilton’s economic program: National bank Would issue bank notes (paper money) as a

natl currency, expand capital But was this constitutional? Led to division

between strict and broad constructionism – how closely do we follow the Constitution?

Washington signed bill for a bank

Hamilton’s economic program: encouraging manufactures Excise tax on alcoholic beverages National mint to provide money Govt encourage manufacturing So set up protective tariffs Believed even agricultural areas would

benefit from increased manufacturing

Hamilton’s successes Began retiring war debt Enhanced value of American currency Secured gov’t credit Attracted foreign capital Helped create prosperity in new nation at

end of 1700s

Republican alternative Get two political parties: Feds: Hamilton,

Washington, Adams Republicans: Madison and Jefferson – aka

Democratic Republicans – Main issue was power of federal govt –

Foreign issues Brit and France at war beginning in 1793 –

lasted until Waterloo in 1815 1778 Treaty of Alliance had US perpetual

allies of France- but we didn’t want to – Washington issues neutrality proclamation

on April 22, 1793 which declared US “friendly and impartial toward the belligerent powers”

Citizen Genet Washington recognized France’s new govt

and received ambassador Edmond Genet Genet outfitted privateers to capture British

ships and conspired with others to attack Fla and LA b/c Spain opposed French Rev

Cabinet decided unanimously that he had to go – hard to sympathize with French

Hard with Britain too b/c they began to seize our ships in Caribbean

Jay’s Treaty Jay was named special envoy to Britain w/

orders:◦ Get British out of forts on our land◦ Win payment for lost American ships◦ Win payment for lost American slaves in 1783◦ Get commercial treaty which would allow us to

trade in British West Indies

Jay’s Treaty, cont Got two: forts and damages for ships In return, Jay agreed to list of demands from

the British Not a good treaty, but way to avoid war so

Washington signed it

Whiskey Rebellion Tax on liquor had farmers mad Rebellion in W PA where they terrorized tax

collectors and taxpayers – robbed mail, stopped courts, and threatened attack on Pittsburgh

Whiskey Rebellion,con’t 1794 Washington ordered them dispersed called militia from VA, MD, PA and NJ – led

by Gen. Henry Lee could catch only a few whom Washington

pardoned mixed reaction: some said showed new

gov’t’s ability to enforce law – others thought sign of heavy-handed federal govt

Pinckney’s Treaty Spain claimed land up into GA, AL, and TN

but couldn’t consolidate control Paid Indians to attack us US ambassador Thomas Pinckney got Spain

to accept 31st parallel as boundary, allow US to use Miss River and New Orleans for free, and a promise to stop having Indians attack us

Very popular

Washington’s Farewell In Farewell Address Warned against sectionalism Warned against partisanship Warned against permanent alliances

Election of 1796 Feds: John Adams and Thomas Pinckney Reps: Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr Not quite fully developed political parties,

but this is essential breakdown Adams wins presidency, Jefferson has

second most votes so he is vice president

War with France France plundering our ships looking for

contraband France broke diplomatic relations with US XYZ Affair: Adams sent Charles Pinckney, John

Marshall, and Elbridge Gerry to France – X, Y, Z approach them and say negotiations would begin after they pay the French $250,000 bribe – we said no

War with France We were in undeclared naval war from

1798-1800 Congress authorized capture of armed

French ships, suspended commerce and renounced 1778 Treaty of Alliance

Congress created Dept of Navy and increased number of ships

French want peace so war stops

War at home Feds and Reps called each other traitors 1797 Jefferson hired “journalist” James

Callender to write pamphlet showing Adams wanted monarchy with him as king

Adams took higher road and asked Jefferson to join him in creating bipartisan administration but Jefferson declined

Alien and Sedition Acts Naturalization Act incr # of years you had to

live in US to be citizen from 5-14 Alien Act gave president power to deport

“dangerous” aliens Sedition Act made it illegal to conspire

against government, including insurrection or rioting – also no “false, scandalous and malicious” speech against govt

Very anti-foreign

Alien and Sedition Acts, cont Purpose was to punish Reps – new

immigrant/citizens tended to vote Rep All 10 convictions were Republicans To counter, Jefferson and Madison wrote KY

and VA Resolutions◦ Said Alien and Sedition Acts were violations of

constitutional rights and said states could “nullify” them if necess

Election of 1800 Complaints against Feds: taxes to support an unnecessary army, Alien and Sedition Acts, fears about Adams and monarchism, anger at Hamilton’s economic program, suppression of Whiskey Rebellion Jay’s Treaty

Election of 1800, cont Feds: John Adams and Charles Pinckney- Reps: Jefferson and Burr tied so went to House of Reps – Hamilton

supported Jefferson Revolution of 1800 because party changed

Federalist appointments Before leaving office, Federalists in

Congress passed Judiciary Act of 1801 Created 16 circuit courts and increased

numbers of other judge positions Adams named John Marshall chief justice of

Supreme Court