Unit 4 - Chapters 6-8 Building the New Nation. 9.1 Notes.

Unit 4 - Chapters 6-8Building the New Nation

9.1 Notes

1. Revolution of Sentiments

1. Revolution of Sentiments -after the war, 80,000 Loyalists left, taking most conservative and aristocratic ideals, which allowed Patriot elites to take power and culture to change-fights over the separation of church and state, slavery, and women’s rights became more heated -new ideology also pushed “civic virtue” – notion that democracy depended on the unselfish commitment of each citizen to the public good

2. Early America

-the first state constitutions included bills of rights, created weaker executive and judicial branches, and called for the annual election of legislators -great political leaders, such as Washington, Madison, Jefferson, Hamilton, and Adams, worked to bring people together -American trade expanded, as negotiating with other nations brought good prices -Britain flooded America with cheap goods, greatly hurting American industries, creating rampant inflation, and forcing the gov’t to issue heavy taxes

3. Creating a confederation

3. Creating a confederation -during the war, states created individual currencies and tax laws -major dispute was that NY and VA had large amounts of land west of the Allegheny Mountains that they sold off to pay debts – compromise was for the lands to be given to the federal gov’t to use for the common good

4. Articles of Confederation (First Constitution)

4. Articles of Confederation (First Constitution) -had no executive branch and gave states entirely too much power -Congress was weak – could not regulate commerce or enforce tax collection -could also only call up soldiers from the states, who weren’t going to work with troops from other states

5. Landmarks in land laws

-Land Ordinance of 1785 -said land in the Old Northwest should be sold off, with money being used to pay off the national debt – land was surveyed into townships six miles square, divided into 36 square sections, with one set aside for public schools

5. Landmarks in land laws

-Northwest Ordinance of 1787 -solved the problem of colonial gov’t -determined that a new territory would first be controlled by the federal gov’t, but once it had 60,000 citizens, it could apply for statehood -also forbade slavery in the Old Northwest -solution worked so well that it was used for other future territories as well

6. Foreign relations

-Britain refused to repeal the Navigation Laws and closed trading to the U.S. -Britain kept soldiers and trading posts on U.S. soil – they wanted to make sure that the U.S. honored the treaty and repaid debts to Loyalists -1784 – Spain closed the Mississippi River to American commerce, while also claiming access to a large area near the Gulf of Mexico that was U.S. land -North African pirates continually attacked U.S. ships, taking goods and enslaving sailors – U.S. was too weak to stop these actions

9.2 Notes

1. Fears of anarchy

-1786 – Shay’s Rebellion took place in western MA – poor farmers who lost their farms attacked tax collectors – group wanted cheap money, lighter taxes and a stop to land takeovers -some people began to doubt republicanism and the Articles of Confederation, while others believed that the document merely needed to be strengthened

2. Constitutional Convention of 1787

-group hoped to preserve the union, protect the American democracy from abroad and preserve it at home, and curb wild democracy, such as rebellions -delegates decided to scrap the Articles and create a new Constitution -VA – large state plan called for representation based on state population -NJ – small state plan called for equal representation from all states -compromise of two houses of Congress, one based on population (House of Representatives), and one where states have equal representation (Senate)

2. Constitutional Convention of 1787

-created strong, independent executive branch, led by a president, who would also be military commander-in-chief and could veto legislation -slaves would count as 3/5 of a person in census counts in the Constitution, but states could shut off slave importation after 1807 -delegates also promoted a system of checks and balances

3. Clash of Federalists and Antifederalists

-delegates from the Constitutional Convention felt state legislatures would veto the new document – sent the document to states, where it could be debated -Americans were shocked at the work of the Constitutional Convention – they expected the problems of the Articles to be fixed, but got a new document

3. Clash of Federalists and Antifederalists

-federalists – favored stronger gov’t – were wealthy, many were former Loyalists -antifederalists – opposed stronger gov’t – mostly poor farmers, illiterate, and promoted states’ rights – disagreed with the elimination of annual elections, the creation of a national capital, and building a standing army

4. Great debate in the states

-people were elected to sit in state Constitutional Conventions -four small states quickly ratified the Constitution, PA was the first large state to approve the document, and MA ratified it after a bill of rights was secured -6/21/1788 – NH became the ninth state to ratify, making the Constitution official

4. Great debate in the states -VA – knew it couldn’t be independent, so they ratified by a vote of 89-79 -NY – people were swayed by the Federalist Papers (written by Jay, Madison, Hamilton) and realized that they couldn’t prosper apart from the union -NC and RI – finally ratified under intense pressure from the gov’t

5. Conservative triumph

-minority triumphed, but the transition was peaceful -rebels against Britain were defeated by rebels against the Articles -federalists believed every branch of gov’t effectively represented the people, but antifederalists felt only the legislative branch did so -throughout U.S. history, conservatives and liberals have fought for the heritage of democratic revolution

10.1 Notes

1. Development of the new nation

-when the Constitution was ratified in 1789, the U.S. was growing rapidly -population doubled every 20-25 years, with 90% of people living in rural settings and 5% living west of the Appalachian Mountains -VT became the 14th state in 1791, with KY, TN, and OH following soon after -visitors looked down upon the western people as crude and rough -the failure of the Articles and the heavy debt of the American gov’t seemed to be proof that the U.S. could not build a successful republic

2. Washington’s pro-Federalist regime -Washington was an imposing figure – many people to bowed to his leadership -Washington was elected unanimously by the Electoral College in 1789 -Washington created the cabinet, which was not required by the Constitution -State – Jefferson; Treasury – Hamilton; War – Knox

3. The Bill of Rights

-antifederalists criticized the Constitution b/c it didn’t define the rights of citizens -many states ratified the Constitution on the condition that there would be a Bill of Rights added to the document

3. The Bill of Rights

-Congress adopted the Bill of Rights in 1791 -I – freedoms of religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition -II – right to bear arms -III – forbade the housing of troops in private homes -IV – protected citizens from unreasonable searches and seizures -V – defined the rights of the accused  

3. The Bill of Rights

-VI – outlined the right to a speedy, public trial -VII – defined the right to a trial by jury -VIII – limited fines and banned cruel and unusual punishments -IX – defined the rights of the gov’t vs. rights of the people -X – declared that rights not outlined in the Constitution belonged to states -Congress also passed the Judiciary Act of 1789 to create effective federal courts, and named John Jay as the first chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court

4. Hamilton’s desire for public credit

-Hamilton urged the federal gov’t to acknowledge the nation’s debt and pay it off, as well as take care of the debts of the states -MA had a huge debt, VA had none, making compromise necessary -in return for the gov’t assuming all debts, the new capital of the District of Columbia would be built on VA land, gaining power for the south

5. Customs duties and excise taxes

-Hamilton calculated nat’l debt to be $75 million, but was unworried

-he used the debt as an asset – the more people the gov’t owed money to, the more people who would care about what happened to the U.S. -to pay off some debt, Hamilton first proposed customs duties -tariff of about 8% of the value of imports was passed in 1789 -Hamilton thought that the tariff would also protect young industries -1791 – Hamilton secured an excise tax on a few domestic items, notably whiskey

10.2 Notes

1. Hamilton and Jefferson battle over the bank -Alexander Hamilton proposed that the nat’l treasury create a private institution modeled after the Bank of England, with the federal gov’t as a major stakeholder – goals were to circulate cash, stimulate business, store excess money, and print money -Hamilton believed that b/c the Constitution didn’t specifically forbid a bank, than it should be allowed – this belief created the idea of the elastic clause

1. Hamilton and Jefferson battle over the bank -Jefferson believed that b/c the Constitution didn’t permit a bank, than it should be forbidden – Constitution should be interpreted literally and strictly -banks should be state-controlled (10th Amendment) -RESULT – Congress created the Bank of the U.S. in 1791 -located in Philadelphia, with a capital of $10 million and stocks available for sale to the public

2. Mutiny in PA

-1794 – Whiskey Rebellion started in western PA, as corn farmers revolted against Hamilton’s excise tax -Washington sent an army of 13,000 troops from various states to break the rebels -Washington’s presidency commanded new respect through its actions

3. Emergence of political parties -rivalry between Hamilton and Jefferson led to the creation of two political parties -Hamiltonian Federalists; Jeffersonian Democratic- Republicans -since 1825, the two-party system has strengthened the U.S. gov’t, helping balance power and ensuring no huge deviation from the norm (see 196)

4. Impact of the French Revolution

-at first, people were happy – seemed similar to the American Revolution -a few wealthy, conservative Federalists feared the mob aspect in France -when the revolution turned radical and bloody, Hamiltonians rapidly changed opinions; Jeffersonians felt no revolution could occur without bloodshed; neither group completely approved -the U.S. was dragged into the revolution when France declared war on GB, with many many battles taking place in North America

5. Washington’s views of neutrality

-Washington knew war could mean disaster and disintegration, as the nation was militarily and economically weak and politically unstable -1793 – Washington issued the Neutrality Proclamation -announced U.S. would be neutral and warned Americans to be impartial and not get involved -French representative Citizen Edmund Genet came to the U.S. to get support -believed Washington’s view did not represent the feelings of Americans -authorized pirates to raid British ships and to invade Spanish Florida and British Canada -was kicked out of the U.S. after he pressed Americans to support France

5. Washington’s views of neutrality

-American neutrality helped France through the supply of needed food -U.S. didn’t have to honor its alliance from the Treaty of 1778 b/c France never officially called on the U.S. for help

10.3 Notes

1. Problems with Britain

-Britain had many posts in the Old NW, where they supplied weapons to Indians -“Mad” Anthony Wayne crushed the Indians at the Battle of Fallen Timbers in August 1794, leading to the Treaty of Greenville – Indians gave up their land in Ohio to the U.S. -Britain also had problems dealing with American neutrality – Royal Navy seized 300 American merchant ships and impressed sailors into their navy -JDR cried for war or an embargo of British products – Washington refused, knowing that drastic actions could destroy the U.S. economy

2. American affairs

-Washington sent SC CJ John Jay to England to avert war -Hamilton sabotaged Jay’s negotiations by telling the British the U.S. strategy -results of Jay’s Treaty – Britain repaid lost money from ship seizures, but made no mention of stopping actions against the U.S.; America was forced to repay debts from before the Revolution – Americans were VERY angry

3. Pinckney Treaty of 1795

-Spain gave Americans free navigation of the MS River and the large disputed territory north of FL -Washington stepped down after his second term, creating a two-term precedent that wasn’t broken until FDR’s presidency – in his farewell address, he warned the nation about building permanent alliances

4. John Adams becomes president

-Adams won against Jefferson, who, under the rules of the time, became VP -Adams was HATED by Hamilton, who worked with the cabinet against him, and was forced to deal with problems in France that could explode at any time

5. Unofficial fighting with France

-France was angered by Jay’s Treaty and started seizing American merchant ships -XYZ Affair – Adams sent representatives to France to discuss the problems, but three French agents (X, Y, and Z) demanded a $250,000 bribe just to talk with French foreign minister Talleyrand – rather than pay the bribe, the U.S. representatives simply came home, and Americans called for war -Adams knew that war could mean disaster and chose to remain neutral -the two countries fought for 2.5 years, taking turns capturing merchant ships

6. Adams puts patriotism above party

-Talleyrand asked the U.S. to send representatives, knowing that France could not afford to make any more enemies around the world -1800 – American representatives were met by Napoleon, who was eager to work -Treaty of Paris of 1800 – signed to end the 1778 alliance in return for the U.S. paying shipping claims -Adams kept the peace, but lost popularity – he did not earn a second term, but did the right thing (keeping the U.S. neutral while it was still weak)

10.4 Notes

1. Alien and Sedition Acts -Federalists worked to raise the residence requirements for aliens who wanted to become citizens from 5 to 14 years, a law that violated the traditional policy of open-door hospitality and speedy assimilation – immigrants were then attracted to JDR -Alien Laws let the president deport dangerous aliens during peacetime and jail them during times of war – never enforced

1. Alien and Sedition Acts-Sedition Act allowed heavy fines or imprisonment for anyone who impeded the gov’t or falsely defamed officials – aimed at newspaper editors and JDR -unconstitutional, but upheld by the SC by Federalist judges -actions allowed Federalists to win a great number of seats in the elections of 1798-99

2. Virginia (Madison) and Kentucky (Jefferson) Resolutions

-Jefferson feared that the Federalists, who had eliminated freedoms of speech and press, would take

away more rights -Jefferson and Madison wrote state legislation that stressed the compact theory -13 states, in creating the federal gov’t, had entered into a contract regarding its jurisdiction, and states were the final judges of laws passed in Congress

2. Virginia (Madison) and Kentucky (Jefferson) Resolutions

-legislation also nullified the Sedition and Alien Laws -Federalist argued that the people had made the contract, and the SC only could nullify laws, a procedure it adopted in 1803 -neither Madison nor Jefferson wanted secession, just an end to Federalist abuse

3. Federalist beliefs

-party existed before the Constitution, led by people who wanted a strong gov’t ruled by the educated aristocrats -most people were merchants, manufacturers, and shippers from the Atlantic seaboard -mostly pro-British and recognized that foreign trade was key for the U.S.

4. Democratic-Republican beliefs

-led by Thomas Jefferson, the party appealed to common people -desired rule by informed classes and a weaker central gov’t -wanted to maintain the sovereignty of the states and the relationship with France -DR were mostly farmers who insisted no special privileges for the upper class -disunity of America between the parties challenged the very existence of America

11.1 Notes

1. Problems for the Federalists

-Federalists had enemies b/c of their passage of the Alien and Sedition Acts -Federalists were also damaged by John Adams not declaring war -party had raised taxes in Congress to build a navy, but did not justify the spending – created massive public debt -Federalists also spent a great deal of time attacking Thomas Jefferson -party told people that he robbed a widow and her children of a trust fund, fathered numerous children with his slaves, and was an atheist

2. “Revolution” of 1800

-Jefferson and Aaron Burr tied for the presidency in electoral votes – Adams received the most popular votes -according to the Constitution, the vote would go to the Federalist-controlled House, where most people wanted to choose Burr -Hamilton and Adams convinced Federalists to select Jefferson b/c they knew that public outcry would hurt the Federalists in the future -Jefferson was elected – revolution refers to the peaceful transfer of power from the Federalist Party to the Democratic-Republican Party

3. Federalist finale

-Adams was the last Federalist president, and the party sank away -Federalists had been great diplomats, creating many advantageous deals with European nations, while also providing conservative views to balance the nation -fatal flaw for the party was the inability to meet the needs of the public – they didn’t adapt or evolve, so they died

11.2 Notes

1. Thomas Jefferson as president

-inaugural address spoke of unifying people from the different political parties -TJ was a simple man who did not believe in a great degree of prestige or rank -TJ quickly found that the political theories he read about did not necessarily work in practical gov’t -TJ pardoned people serving time under the Sedition Act, created new citizenship laws, got rid of the excise tax, helped reduce national debt and balance the budget, and showed that change in leadership did not have to hurt others

2. Changes to the Judicial Branch

-Judiciary Act of 1801 was passed by Federalists in their final days in Congress to pack the courts with Federalist-

leaning judges to prolong their power -SC CJ John Marshall (a cousin of TJ) was put in power b/c Federalists admired his commitment to strengthening the power of the federal gov’t -Marbury v. Madison (1803) – SC ruled that it alone could determine the constitutionality of laws, establishing the principle of judicial review and helping to further define the concept of checks and balances

3. Louisiana Purchase

-1800 – Napoleon forced the king of Spain to give LA Territory back to France -Spanish merchants in control of New Orleans removed the right of deposit from farmers who sent produce down the MS River to the Gulf of Mexico -farmers discussed taking their right back violently, an action that would have started war with Spain and France -1803 – TJ sent James Monroe to join Ambassador Robert Livingston to buy New Orleans and as much land to the east that $10 million could purchase

3. Louisiana Purchase

-Napoleon offered New Orleans and the LA Territory for $15 million -deal essentially ended Napoleon’s dream of a North American empire, mainly b/c he needed money to fight Britain in Europe -LA Purchase was finalized on 4/30/1803 – TJ was troubled b/c the deal was not what he authorized, but was too good to pass up – TJ also questioned the constitutionality of the purchase, even after Senate approved it

4. Lewis and Clark expedition

-LA Purchase doubled the size of the U.S. – TJ wanted to know what was bought

-spring of 1804 – William Clark and Meriwether Lewis started a 2 1/2 year trip -group explored the land, eventually getting to the Pacific Ocean in OR -new spirit of loyalty from the west and nationalism was created

5. Federalists collapse even farther

-the party tried to scheme with Aaron Burr to have NY and New England secede from the Union – in the process, Burr’s leadership and manhood were questioned by Hamilton, leading to a duel – Hamilton was killed -1806 – Burr was arrested for treason, but the two witnesses failed to show up for the trial

11.3 Notes

1. America struggles for neutrality

-1804 – TJ re-elected (earned over 90% of electoral votes) -American trade struggled due to war between Britain and France -1806 – Britain issued the Orders in Council – forced ships trading with France to first stop at British ports -Napoleon responded by ordering the seizure of all ships that entered British ports -both sides used impressments of American sailors

2. Jefferson’s embargo

-TJ believed that Britain and France depended on American goods, so he issued a trade embargo to protect the weak navy and weaker army -Embargo Act of 1807 forbade the export of all goods from the U.S., which hurt trade in New England and farming in the South and West -Congress replaced the Embargo Act with the Non- Intercourse Act of 1809 which allowed trade with all countries except France and Britain

2. Jefferson's embargo

-embargo failed b/c TJ overestimated the British dependence on American goods and it was not issued long enough or tightly enough to achieve success -embargo helped b/c Americans opened new factories and promoted industrialism

3. Jefferson’s legacy

-TJ didn’t run for a third term – he truly set the precedent for serving two terms -TJ’s work survives in democratic ideals and liberal principles still seen in gov’t

4. James Madison vs. Napoleon

-Madison became president in 1809 – small in stature, but a brilliant mind -1810 – Congress passed Macon’s Bill #2 to permit American trade around the world, provided France and / or England dropped their trade restrictions -Napoleon claimed to lift restrictions, but lied, pulling America into Europe’s war

5. War Hawks

-refers to a group of young politicians took power in Congress in 1811 -western politicians cried out against the Indian threat, particularly that posed by Tecumseh and The Prophet – Shawnee brothers who urged Indians to practice traditional values and not cede land control to Whites -11/7/1811 – Gen. WH Harrison destroyed Tecumseh’s HQ at Tippecanoe -Tecumseh was killed at the Battle of Thames, ending dreams of unity

5. War Hawks

-3/27/1814 – Gen. Andrew Jackson crushed the Creek Indians at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend to break the Indian rebellion and ensuring safety for American settlement in all lands east of the MS River -war hawks cried that the only way to stop Indian uprisings was to defeat them in Canada, where they got support from Britain – war was declared in 1812

6. Madison’s War

-war was declared against Britain b/c of impressments, French alliances with American Republicans, and the perceived ease of defeating Canada -Federalists in New England were against the war -they were making money through commerce and believed that if Canada was conquered, it would add farmland and Republican support -the nation was NOT unified in the War of 1812