Shays’
Rebellion, 1786-1787
o
1786
o
Massachusetts
o
Led by Daniel Shay
o
Farmers and debtors vs. the MA govt.
o
State militia defeated Shays’ followers
·
Results:
o
Some Americans feared that the govt. was unable
to protect even domestic law and order
o
Producers wanted a stronger govt. to regulate
interstate and foreign commerce
o
Merchants and shippers desired a govt. that
could secure foreign trade opportunities for them
o
Westerns hoped for better protection from the
Indians
·
1786
o
Meeting in Annapolis
o
Originally meant to promote interstate commerce
o
Instead called for a general convention of all
the states to amend the Articles and create a more effective national govt.
The
Philadelphia Convention
·
Spring and summer of 1787
·
55 delegates from every state besides RI
o
The majority
were wealthy, had legal training, and shared a nationalist rather than a local
perspective
·
Sessions were closed to the press and the public
·
Decided to abandon the Articles and write a new
constitution
·
The convention worked from a draft written by James
Madison
·
“Virginia
Plan”
o
A national govt.
§
Broad powers to tax, legislate, and use military
force against the states
o
2 house congress
§
Representation in both chambers based on
population
·
Small states worried that they would always be
outvoted
·
Objected to the VA Plan
·
Created the “New Jersey Plan”
·
“New
Jersey Plan”
o
Unicameral congress
o
Each state, regardless of population, had an
equal voice
·
The convention finally agreed to a compromise
·
2-chamber legislature
o
Representation in the House based on population
o
Representation in the Senate based on the
principle of equality for each state
·
The Constitution was finished in September 1787
·
Federal govt. powers:
o
Levy and collect taxes
o
Conduct diplomacy
o
Protect domestic order
o
Authority to coin $$$$
o
Regulate interstate and foreign commerce
·
The Constitution carefully balanced state and
federal power, the interests of one social group against another, and the
authority of one branch of the national govt. vs. another
·
Federalism, separation of powers, checks and
balances
·
Many features of the Constitution were NOT
democratic:
o
Recognized and in some ways protected slavery
(3/5’s clause)
o
Allowed direct election only of members of the
House of Rep.
·
Democratic features:
o
It acknowledge the people as the “ultimate
source of political legitimacy”
o
Amendment process (allowed democratization of
the govt. in years ahead)
·
The delegates provided for ratification of the
Constitution by special state conventions composed of delegated elected by the
people
·
Needed 9 conventions to approve the new
Constitution
The
Struggle over Ratification, 1787-1788
·
During 1787 and 1788, the country divided into
Federalists and Antifederalists
·
Federalists supported the Constitution
·
Antifederalists did NOT support it
o
feared that the Constitution concentrated too
much centralized power in the hands of a national elite
o
that individuals’ freedoms would be trampled
because the document contained no bill of rights
·
Antifederalists lacked the leadership stature of
prominent Federalists like George Washington and Benjamin Franklin
·
Federalists promised to provide a bill of rights
·
Federalist victory
The Federalist Papers
·
A series of articles
·
an effort to win New Yorkers over to the
Constitution
o
Written by John Jay, Alexander Hamilton, and
James Madison
·
Valuable commentary on the Constitution and
insight into the political philosophy of the Founding Fathers
Conclusion
·
The final triumph of the nationalism born of the
War of Independence came in late 1789 and early 1790, when the last 2 reluctant
states (NC and RI) ratified the Constitution and joined the new nation
·
The Constitution did not create a democratic
govt. for the U.S.A.; but it did establish the “legal and institutional
framework within which Americans could struggle to attain democracy”
Chapter
7
Launching
the New Republic (1788-1800)
Constitutional
Government Takes Shape, 1788-1796
·
Although the Constitution had replaced the
Articles of Confederation as the law of the land, the first test of its
effectiveness was yet to come.
·
It passed that test following the holding of the
1st national elections; the beginnings of legislative, executive, and judicial
activity at the federal level; and the passage of a bill of rights
Implementing
Government
·
The first elections under the Constitution were
in the fall of 1788
·
Federalist sweep in Congress
·
An electoral college met in each state on Feb.
9, 1789
·
Each elector voted for 2 presidential candidates
·
Electors in every state designated George
Washington as one of their choices
·
The Constitution mentions executive departments
only in passing
·
Through legislation Congress established the
first cabinet
·
It consisted of 4 departments
1.)
Secretary of state
2.)
Secretary of treasury
3.)
Secretary of war
4.)
Attorney general
The
Federal Judiciary and the Bill of Rights
·
The Constitution authorized Congress simply to
provide federal courts below the level of the Supreme Court
·
Judiciary Act of 1789
·
Created a federal district court in each state
·
James Madison led the drafting of the 1st 10
amendments
o
“Bill of Rights”
·
Ratified by the states in Dec. 1791
·
1st 8 protected individual rights
·
Freedom of speech, press, assembly, and
religion, and procedures for a fair trial and punishment
·
9th and 10th Amendments reserved to the people
and the states powers not specifically granted to the federal government by the
Constitution
Hamilton’s
Domestic Policies, 1789-1794
·
Hamilton and His Objectives
o
Alexander Hamilton: Sec. of treasury
o
Emerged as the leading figure in Washington’s
administration
o
Strong nationalist
o
Little faith in the common man
·
He advocated creating a strong central govt.
·
An economic environment attractive to investment
·
Private ambitions would serve the public welfare
Establishing
the Nation’s Credit
·
“Report on the Public Credit”
·
Hamilton’s report
·
Sent to Congress in Jan. 1790
·
A plan to establish the country’s credit while
at the same time gaining support of the upper class
The
Whiskey Rebellion
·
To fund the assumption of state debts, Congress
imposed a federal excise tax on domestically produced whiskey in March 1791
·
Western PA farmers
o
earned a little cash income by turning their
surplus grain (which was too bulky to ship) into compact corn liquor for sale
o
viewed the excise tax as an unfair levy
·
in July 1794 A mob of frontier farmers attacked
U.S. marshals who had come west to serve summonses on 60 people for nonpayment
of the tax
·
Washington and Hamilton decided to crush this
Whiskey Rebellion forcefully
o
Demonstrate that citizens must obey federal law
·
Almost 13,000 militiamen marched west and
rounded up rebellious farmers
o
20 were sent to Philadelphia for trial
o
2 received death sentences
o
Later Washington pardoned them
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