I.Problems in the New Country
A.How to include state constitutions into unified state w/o stepping on individual state’s constitutions
B.How to choose leadership, singularly & congressionally, and guarantee that they cannot abuse their power
C.How do we increase federal revenues, create new states, and exchange money made between them
D.What do we do w/ the slaves? Do we prohibit slavery? How do we do so w/o the Southern states having a fit
II.Designing a national union
A.General Beliefs
1.Depended on consent of governed/citizens = social compact (Hobbes/Locke)
2.Citizens had to be protected from tyranny/arbitrary power
3.Elected had to be protected from changing leadership/majority
B.Competing ideas – the issue of legislation/Congress
1.Virginia Plan – James Madison (Federalist Position)
a.Power in 2 house (bicameral) legislature
b.Legislators would vote as individuals—not blocs
c.Leg. Would have unlimited law making/taxation powers
d.Leg. Would elect judicial/s executive branch
e.Representation –> reflective of population: Leg. = people= reflective of dynamic/strengths/power of states
2.New Jersey Plan – William Peterson (Anti-Federalist Position)
a.Power in one house (unicameral)
b.Separately chosen judicial/executive branch
c.Every state has equal number of votes in leg = protect from tyranny of majority
3.“Great Compromise” – Connecticut Plan (The Resolution)
a.Bicameral legislature
b.Lower house = population base rep
c.Upper house = equal votes
d.All tax laws originate in lower house
4.How do we count slaves?
a.Northern/abolitionists—slaves should gain measure of civil rights
b.South—wanted more seats in Congress so they wanted slaves to be counted for representation, but not for taxes
c.Most North opposed for ideological reasons—no civil rights = no count
d.3/5 Compromise – slaves were counted as 3/5 a person
5.Process for Amendments
a.Constitution remains fundamental/supreme law of the United States
b.Amendment process included in order to adapt to times
c.Not easy, requiring overwhelming majority in Congress
6.Reservations—Reserved Powers
a.Powers not provided in Constitution/federal gov’t = given to states
b.Loyalty remained with states
c.Voting rights – participation – very limited
C.The Two Party System—The Element of Factions
1.The Federalist Party
a.Advocated by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay
b.Beliefs in Government
1.Rule by rich and well educated
2.New government should favor merchants, manufacturers, and lawyers
3.Strong central government with a strong president
4.Favored industrial production and strong infrastructure
5.Wanted strong alliance with Britain
6.Centralized banking and create debt spending
7.Cynical—Strong government to protect people from themselves
8.Loose interpretation of the Constitution
9.Concentrated mostly in New England
2.The Anti-Federalists (a.k.a. Jeffersonian Democrats, Democratic-Republicans)
a.Advocated by Thomas Jefferson
b.Beliefs in Government
1.Rule by everybody, “The People”
2. Government should favor farmers, artisans, and poor classes—the majority of American
3.Weak central government, power given to the states to reflect individual interests
4.Favored agriculture and farming
5.Wanted strong alliance with France
6.Low taxes, small tariffs
7.Idealistic—Thought that government inhibited natural liberties
8.Strict interpretation of the Constitution
9.Concentrated in the Southern states (South Carolina and Virginia, most prominently, and New York)
3.The Evolution of Political Parties
a.Based on:
1.Interpretation of Constitution
2.States rights vs. Federal rights
3.Undue enforcement/illegal laws nullification
4.Needs ruling class
b.Challenges and Flareups
1.French Revolution – bloody revolution
2.Citizen Genet – start rebellion (1793)
3.British impressments (sailors)
4.Whiskey Rebellion (1794)
c.Alien and Sedition Act
1.Limit immigration from France
2.Target Francophiles—Anti-Federalists
3.Eliminate political criticism against Federalists
4.Target freedom of speech
5.Solidify federal government and consolidate Federalist power
d.Response: Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions
1.States can refuse to follow “unconstitutional” laws
2.= Nullification
3.Break of social contract
4.No consent = no law
4.The Radicalism of the American Revolution
a.Application of modern political philosophy: The Enlightenment
1.Hobbes: Humans can’t be trusted, required social contract to keep people from killing themselves
2.Locke: Humans naturally have (own) property, social contract between government and people should property (and life and liberty)
3.Montesquieu: Power corrupts, government should be balanced in separate branches
b.Role of Government
1.Structure of government remained virtually unchanged from Britain
2.Local government deals with local issues, members from each state participates in a “congress”, execution of law controlled in single person
3.Economic structures remained unchanged
- Rich merchants (New England, New York)
- Rich Landowners (Southern plantations)
- Small land owners (pushing the frontier)
III.Launching the New Government
A.Setting precedents: Establishing the electoral process
1.New Legislation
a.Congress est. 1st Cabinet posts (1789)
b.Judiciary Act (1789)—Establishes the Supreme Court
c.Naturalization Act of 1790—Sets conditions and criteria for citizenship/immigration
d.Militia Act of 1792—Establishes qualifications for military service
e.Fugitive Slave Act of 1793 – denied legal sanctuary/due process for slaves
f.Northwest Ordinance—Establishing criteria for territorial expansion
g.Alien and Sedition Laws (1798)—prevent immigration of potential radicals and Franco-philes (and targeted Federalist enemies)
2.The Struggle for Ratification: The Bill of Rights (1791)
a.Need for a Bill of Rights to convince Anti-Federalists that the rights of individuals would not be trampled on by a strong Federalist government
b.Considered a pre-condition for Constitutional ratification
c.Protected individuals
d.1st 10 amendments
B.The Features of a New Constitution
1.Bicameral Legislature – Congress –Senate (equal), House of Representatives (pop) = compromise
a.Given broad powers, any “necessary and proper”
b.Checks and balances prevent tyranny of masses
c.Develop tax system
2.Independent Executive Branch
a.Chosen by Electoral College—in order to eliminate too much democracy
b.Hoped to prevent permanent political parties (Washington warned about factions ripping the new country to shred)
c.Or the saving grace of the Constitution
d.Executes law/Commander in Chief
1.W/ checks
2.Veto power of Congress
e.Federal Judicial Court – The Supreme Court
1.Can create lower courts
2.Lifetime appointments = free from interference/party politics
3.Resolve constitutional disputes: conflicts between branches, interprets laws, judge between differing views
f.The Constitution = The supreme law of the land
IV.Hamilton’s National Bank: Securing the National Debt
A.Background
1.West Indies, bastard, self-made man
2.Washington’s Aide during Revolution
3.Foremost economist and politician of his day—well hated by Federalists, and Anti-Federalists, alike
4.Staunch Federalist—supported strong central government
B.Need to preserve Union is most important
1.State debt is too high, with no way for it to be paid
2.Farmer debt too high, causing restless farmers
3.States competed over boundaries, tariffs, imports/exports
4.No stable currency—every state printed its own currency
5.No enforcement of stable political policy—no bureaucracy
6.Strengthen American credit at home, and abroad
7.Create dependency on the federal government, thereby strengthening the power of the federal government
C.Hamilton’s Economic Plan
1.Assumption
a.Federal government assumes state debt—eliminate the burden of individual state debt
b.Ties the states to the federal government—each state “owes” the federal government
c.Equalizes each state
2.Funding at Par
a.Money provided to each state dependent on need and population
3.Excise Taxes
a.Federal government taxes items to create revenue for the federal government for internal improvements
b.7 cents/gallon of whiskey caused Whiskey Rebellion, 1795
4.Creation of the First Bank of the U.S., 1791
a.Based on loose interpretation of the Constitution
b.Fixed interest rates/coinage—the government issues paper money based on the securities (the contract of debt between the state and federal government)
c.Required a contract with individual bank investors with the federal government
d.Allows for the circulation of money
D.The Political Implications of the BUS
1.Business classes would benefit because of federal investment
2.Congress, in accepting the BUS, would be forced to accept the “implied powers” principle.
3.No authorization for Congress to establish a bank—nothing to say it couldn’t either.
4.Justifications
a.Congress could could coin money, borrow and raise by taxes
b.Bank was “necessary and proper” to carry out Constitutional powers for country’s finances
E.The Results
1.Increased power of Congress and the federal government
2.Increased political factions, particularly regarding foreign debt
3.Agreement between Jefferson and Madison
4.Support of southern capital—Washington D.C. in return for concessions for VA.
F.Hamilton and Political Parties
1.Strong financial policies polarized Washington’s followers into two camps: Hamilton vs. Jefferson
2.Federalists looked forward to an industrialized America governed by a strong central govt under aristocratic control
3.Anti-Feds favored agrarian, decentralized America government
4.Alarmed Washington because he feared the new government would crumble
V.The New United States
A.Population boom
1.Natural
2.Immigration
B.Westward Movement
1.Treaty of Paris (1783)
a.Finishes the war between Britain and America
b.Britain cedes control of all British controlled land west to the Mississippi River
c.Americans granted fishing rights off Atlantic coast and in Nova Scotia
d.Granted unrestricted access to Mississippi and Great Lakes transportation
2.Northwest Ordinance -> MI River
a.Address the issue of criteria for statehood in the United States
b.Abolishes slavery in Northwest Territory
c.Stipulate requirements for local government and public education
3.Further West
a.Tobacco and cotton farmers needed more land, fertile (King Cotton’s exploitive capacity)
b.Bring slaves—improve new slaves, breed slaves
c.Create a buffer zone for protection from natives, Spain, and England
d.Use of new agricultural staples—corn, cotton, beef
e.Charted land – maps (cartography = Lewis/Clarke 1805)