The document provides an overview of key events and developments during the early years of the United States as an independent nation under the Articles of Confederation and then the newly ratified Constitution. It discusses the weaknesses of the Articles, events like Shays' Rebellion that highlighted these weaknesses, the drafting and ratification of the Constitution, as well as major policies and conflicts during the Federalist Era under presidents Washington and Adams. Key figures and developments discussed include the Northwest Ordinance, Hamilton's economic plans, the emergence of political parties, and international tensions with Britain and France.
1. Chapters 6 & 7 A New Nation
Ch 6 Shaping a Federal Union
CH 7 The Federalist Era
2. The Articles of Confederation
and the Constitution of the
United States
Chapter 6
3. Unfinished painting by Benjamin West. British delegation refused to pose.
Treaty of Paris
(Ratified by both sides April 9, 1784)
4. Important Points of Treaty of Paris
British acknowledged United States to be sovereign nation, free and independent
British Crown relinquishes all claims to government, property and territorial rights
Established boundaries between the United States and British North America
Granted fishing rights to the Grand Banks
Lawful debts paid to creditors on both sides
Congress of the Confederation “earnestly request” restitution for seized property
United States will not seize property of Loyalists
Release of prisoners of war
U.S. and Great Britain given perpetual access to the Mississippi River
Territories captured by U.S. returned to Great Britain without compensation
5. Strengths of the Articles of Confederation
Supported the concept of “republicanism” which meant that the American Republic
would never be governed by kings or queens or nobility but by “We the People”
Question for today: Does the influence of money in unlimited political campaign contributions as
a corporate 1st Amendment right create a nobility of wealth and significantly alters the political
concept of “republicanism”?
Confderation government concluded the Treaty of Paris ending the Revolutionary War
and forcing Great Britain to acknowledge American sovereignty.
Established principles of land distribution and territorial government that qould guide
westward expansion for the next 75 years.
6. Northwest Ordinance of 1787
New western territories could become states and would be treated as equals and not
colonies
3 stage process for becoming a state:
Congress to appoint a territorial governor snf oyhrt officials to create a legal code, keep the
peace and administer justice
When the population of the territory reached 5,000 adult males, a legislature would be elected
When territory population reached 60,00 “free inhabitants” it could create a state consitution and
apply to Congress for admission to the Union as a state.
1803: Ohio was first state admitted under the plan
Slavery would be illegal in the western region although slaves who were already there
would remain slaves
7. Weaknesses of Articles of Confederation
Congress had no power to tax
No executive power to enforce laws enacted by Congress
Congress had no authority to engage in meaningful diplomacy
Trade with West Indies
Spanish closed Port of New Orleans
Congress could not enforce uniform tax or trade policies among the individual states
Tariffs differed from state to state
Some states paid their debts others did not
Some states printed a lot of paper money, others did not
8. Foreign Tensions
Confrontations with Great Britain and Spain
Both kept trading posts on American soil in violation of Treaty of Paris
Britain demanded that U.S. repay loyalists for property confiscated during Revolutionary War
Southern border of U.S. was disputed by Spain
Port of New Orleans
Trade along the Mississippi River
Indian raids using arms provided by Spanish governor of Florida
Spain declared that all land west of the Appalachians belonged to the Indians
10. Shay’s Rebellion
Daniel Shays a Revolutionary War veteran of Lexington, Concord, Bunker Hill, Saratoga
Shays was wounded in action and never paid wages
Hauled into court after the war for non-payment of debts
John Hancock and Massachusetts war debt
Issuance of more currency devalued the money and enabled the debtor to pay off debt at a lower price.
Rebels attempted to shut down courts engaging in actions to collect debts and foreclose on farms
Western (rural Massachusetts) vs. Eastern Massachusetts)
Private militias and federal armories (January 25, 1787
Cannon fire
4 dead; 20 wounded
11. Adopting the Constitution
The Constitutional Convention
Called for purpose of “Revising” the Articles of Confederation
Delegates in attendance from 12 of 13 states (Rhode Island refused)
29 delegates (often replaced with new men) May 25, 1787 – September 17, 1787
George Washington Presided over the convention
The emergence of James Madison
U.S. Constitution is the longest running functioning written constitution in the world.
Differing political philosophies and plans
The Virginia Plan: (James Madison) scrap the Articles of Confederation and start over using a Federal
model of government
The New Jersey Plan: keep the Articles of Confederation in a one house Congress that had power to
levy taxes and regulate interstate commerce, name a chief executive and appoint a Supreme Court
12. Adopting the Constitution
The Great Compromise (aka Connecticut Compromise): create new legislative structure with bi-cameral (2
house) legislature: House of Representatives (# of representatives based on population) and Senate (each
state having 2 Senators)
Principles incorporated into the Constitution over concerns about who should have power and how it
would be used and controlled
Separation of powers: each branch given a separate sphere of authority and responsibility to counter-balance the
other branches
Nature of the presidency: accountable to the people by standing for election every 4 years; could not unilaterally
declare war or make peace; could be ipeached by House of representatives for bribery; treason; “high crimes and
misdemeanors” and removed from office by vote of 2/3 of Senate to convict
Nature of the judicial branch: Interpret the laws passed by Congress and ensure that every citizen received equal
justice under the law; final authority in interpreting the Constitution; federal law prevails over state law if the two
conflict; Supreme Court Justices appointed for life and have authority over lower federal courts
Nature of the Legislature: House members elected every two years; Senate elected by state legislatures every 4
years; Senate was to be conservative and deliberate body that could check the power of the House or the President
13. We the People?
Difference between “citizen” and “person”?
Native Americans not considered federal or state citizens unless they paid taxes and tribes
treated as “separate nations”
Slaves
The status of enslaved people was highly controversial. The Southern states demanded that enslaved
people were not given the status of “person” or “citizen” but that they should be counted as 3/5 of a
person for population purposes. To satisfy the objections of anti-slavery delegates, the Constitution
distinguishes between “free persons” and “all other persons”.
Delegates from the Northern states argued that since enslaved people had no status under the
Constitution, they should not be counted in the population.
Promoters of the new Constitution like James Madison (himself a slaveholder) agreed to the 3/5ths
compromise rather than risk a walk out by Southern delegates—many of whom were already hesitant
about the Federal system for giving too much power to the Federal Government and the fact that
the Constitution did not identify specific individual rights of citizens
Women: considered irrelevant by the delegates and never mentioned “women”
14. We the People?
The framework for government ruled by “We the People” rather than a King, Queen or
groups of nobility further promoted the ideal of equality and inalienable rights identified in
the Declaration of Independence. The status of citizen and the right to participate in self
government as well as the individual rights of citizens enshrined in the Bill of Rights was a
goal that would one day be attained by those originally excluded from the Constitution.
Importance of Amendment process:
Recognizing that as time went on, the original document might need to be amended as
circumstances required, the delegates provided a framework for amending the
Constitution in Article 5
15. The Fight for Ratification
Federalists vs. Anti-Federalists
Federalists led by Alexander Hamilton and John Jay of New York and James Madison of Virginia.
Arguments for ratification
The Federalist Papers 85 essays written in support of the new constitution and defended the principle of a strong national
government
Anti-Federalists led by Patrick Henry and George Mason of Virginia and other delegates from New York,
Massachusetts and Maryland
Arguments against ratification
Argued that the potential for the federal government to become tyrannical was too great under the proposed
Constitution and that the Constitution did not identify or preserve individual rights
By June of 1788 nine states had ratified the Constitution and the Confederation Congress selected
New York as the temporary national capital and fixed the date for the first national elections in 1788-
89.
16. The Bill of Rights
In order to secure ratification, James Madison promised that the first order of business for the
new legislature would be to propose a Bill of Rights to secure individual rights from the power of
the state. He was true to his word.
September 1789 Congress approved 12 amendments and by 1791 3/4th of the state had
approved 10 amendments.
1st Amendment original
US was first government to prohibit the government from endorsing or supporting any one religion or
from interfering with the choices of religion made by individuals.
18. Political Parties
Debates over ratification of the Constitution led to the rise of the first political parties:
Federalists
Democratic Republicans or Jeffersonian Republicans
Reflected different visions of American life
Federalists were urban dwellers in cities who promoted trade, banking, finance, and
manufacturing as the most essential elements of the future economy
Led by Alexander Hamilton ( a protégé of George Washington)
Democratic Republicans led by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison wanted America to
remain a nation of small farmers and few cities
Jefferson believed that farming reinforced self reliance and individualism while factory work
made a man dependent on wage labor and subject to political manipulation
19. Hamilton’s Vision
Raising revenue
◦ Exchange war bonds for interest bearing bonds
◦ Bonds accepted at face value
Rewarded speculators
Economic policy: Tariffs
◦ Encouraging manufactures
◦ The emergence of sectional differences
Establishing the public credit
◦ A national bank
10 million in capital
4/5ths supplied by private investors
1/5th supplied by government
5 directors named by private investors
5 directors named by government
National currency back by government bonds
Source of capital loans
Safe Place to keep government funds
20.
21. The Republican Alternative
Republicans or Democratic Republicans
Opposed to monarchy
Strict construction of Constitution
If it’s not spelled-out in the Constitution, the Federal government can’t do
it.
No National Bank
22. George Washington Elected
George Washington became 1st President
John Adams with the 2nd highest vote count became Vice President
Washington put both Hamilton and Jefferson in his cabinet despite their opposing views
Washington had a larger staff on his plantation in Virginia than he did as President
23. Crises Foreign and Domestic
Citizen Genet
French Revolution 1789
King Louis XVI executed in 1793
Britain, Spain, Austria, Prussia allied against France
US treaty with France following Revolutionary War (perpetual allies)
Citizen Genet hired Spanish privateers to harass British shipping off Florida coast
Washington revoked his Diplomatic privilege and was sending him back to France when Jacobins seized
power from the National Assembly
Genet requested and was granted asylum
24. John Jay: US Supreme Court Chief Justice
Crisis with Britain during French Revolution
1793 Britain began confiscating any ship carrying French goods or sailing for French Port in the Caribbean
Impressment of American seamen
1794 British arming Indians on frontier along Ohio River valley
British seized forts along Great Lakes
Democratic Republicans support for embargo on British goods
Jay’s Treaty (1794)
Accepted British definition of neutral rights
Tar, pitch and products for warships could not be shipped to enemy ports by neutral ships
Trade prohibited in peacetime could not be opened in wartime
Britain: most favored nation trading status
French privateers cannot be outfitted in American Ports
Forgive reparations for African slaves who escaped during Revolutionary War
British concessions
Evacuation of British forts in Great Lakes by 1796
Reparations for seized American ships and cargo
Trade with British West Indies
Crises Foreign and Domestic
25.
26. Jay Treaty Slogan by
Democratic Republicans
Jay Treaty may have been a bad bargain but historians agree that it
was a success in 2 respects:
Postponed war with Britain
Chose dominant power of 19th Century as commercial ally
Damn John Jay!
Damn everyone that won't damn John Jay!
Damn every one that won't put lights in his window and sit up all night damning John
Jay!
27. Federal Tax on Liquor (1791)
Western Territories: Cheaper to ship liquor than grain or corn
Bushel of corn worth $.25= 2.5 gallons of liquor worth $2.50
Farmers saw tax as a scheme by Hamilton to enrich urban speculators by “picking
the pockets of farmers.”
1794 in PA “Whiskey Boys”
burned stills of farmers who paid the tax
Threatened federal revenue officers
Robbed the mails
Interrupted court proceedings
Threatened to assault Pittsburgh
Whiskey Rebellion
28. Washington Proclamation
Called out 12,000 men in militias from Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania and New Jersey
General Henry Lee commanded 13,000 men
Whiskey Boys vanished
20 men captured
2 convicted of treason
Both pardoned by Washington
Simpleton
Insane
31. Settlement of New Land
Land policy
Cost of land
Parcels
Land Act of 1796: Townships-- 640 acre sections @ $2/acre
Land Act of 1804: Minimum unit 160 acre sections @ $1.64/acre
Daniel Boone and the Wilderness Road
1769 discovery of “Warrior’s Path” foot path through the Cumberland Gap
(over the Appalacian Mountains)
1771 Boone and 30 woodsmen cut a larger road called “Wilderness Road”
300,000 settlers used the Wilderness Road over the next 25 years.
32. Transfer of Power
Washington’s farewell
Avoid political parties
Avoid the entanglements of Europe
The election of 1796
Federalist Candidates
John Adams (President)
Thomas Pinckney (Vice President)
Democratic Republicans
Thomas Jefferson (President)
Aaron Burr (Vice President)
33. Transfer of Power
Washington’s farewell
Avoid political parties
Avoid the entanglements of Europe
The election of 1796
Federalist Candidates
John Adams (President)
Thomas Pinckney (Vice President)
Democratic Republicans
Thomas Jefferson (President)
Aaron Burr (Vice President)
35. Campaign of 1796
Democratic Republicans called John Adams “his rotundity”
Federalists called Jefferson “a French loving atheist”
French ambassador public appeal for Jefferson
Foreign interference in US election
Adam’s elected: 70 electoral votes to 68 electoral votes
37. Europe: Napoleonic War
Caribbean: Jay Treaty required US to intercept ships bound for French
ports
French intercepted American shipping 300 times and broke diplomatic relations
with Americans by 1797
American delegation to Paris:
Thomas Pinckney; John Marshall, Eldridge Gerry
X,Y,Z (French Diplomats) negotiations could only begin if Americans paid
$250,000.
“Millions for defense, not one cent for tribute!”
Logan Act (1799) private citizens may not negotiate with foreign
governments without authorization
Undeclared War with France
38. American Navy 1797: The Constitution, The United States, The Constellation
1797 Congress authorized an army of 10,000 men to serve 3 years each
George Washington called from retirement to command
◦ Washington demanded that Hamilton be 2nd in command
Convention of 1800
◦ Suspension of quasi-naval war with France
◦ Suspension of Perpetual Alliance of 1778
American Military
39. Federalists vs. Democratic Republicans
Adams vs. Jefferson
James Callender: Muckraker & sex scandals
Maria Reynolds & Alexander Hamilton
The Prospect Before Us
Jailed for Sedition under Alien and Sedition Acts
Pardoned by Jefferson but refused position as Postmaster General
Published letters between Callender and Jefferson that proved Jefferson funded Callender’s
pamphlets against Federalists
Jefferson supporters accused Callender of abandoning his wife to die of a venereal disease
Callender broke story of Thomas Jefferson & Sally Hemings
Election of 1800
