The Republican Experiment: A New Political Morality 6 The Republican Experiment: A New Political Morality

Defining Republican Culture Republicanism—new core ideology Uncompromising commitment to liberty and equality Evangelical notions of high public morality Post-Revolutionary divisions Balancing individual liberty with social order Balancing property rights with equality Varying answers resulted in variety of republican governments 2

Living in the Shadow of Revolution Revolution introduced unintended changes into American society Hierarchical social relations challenged Fundamental questions raised about the meaning of equality

Social and Political Reform Cincinnatus Crisis G.Washington set up the Society of the Cincinnati – hereditary organization – want to maintain old friendships Seen as contrary to republican principles Possible destruction of civil liberties Property qualifications for voting reduced Georgia and Pennsylvania allowed all taxpayers to vote (male only) As people moved west, they received political representation in their state legislatures – but less trained because poorer and further away from legislative meetings Capitols moved to enable better representation for frontier settlers Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, New York, New Hampshire Separation of church and state Thomas Jefferson insisted rules had no right to interfere with the free expression of someone’s religious beliefs Still very little toleration for anything that challenged Christian values 3

African Americans in the New Republic Abolitionist sentiment spread in wake of the Revolution John Woolman – Quaker – evils of slavery African Americans embraced Declaration’s stress on natural rights African American intellectual success made it hard to deny their equality Benjamin Banneker, math and astronomy Phyllis Wheatley, poetry 4

African Americans in the New Republic: Emancipation Northern states By 1800, slavery was legally dying in North Racism and segregation remained Southerners debated abolition Some individuals freed slaves Economic motives overcame republican ideals Cotton gin breathed new life into slavery

The Challenge of Women’s Rights Pre-Revolutionary trend ended tyranny in the family Locke, Some Thoughts Concerning Education – children watch parents and mimic their behaviors English ideals are focused on love Women demanded the natural right of equality – Abigail Adams New petitions for divorce New Jersey – women owned property =vote Nurtured proper values through “Republican Motherhood” Mother, wife, homemaker 1807 repeal of women’s right to vote in NJ Thomas Jefferson – uneducated voters is not something the country is ready for 5

Blueprints for State Government 1777 – 10 states had written constitutions – adopted by state legislatures Bill of Rights Separation of powers Voting to all white men who owned property Higher qualifications for office holders State constitution writers insisted on preparing written documents Major break with England’s unwritten constitution

Natural Rights and the State Constitutions State constitutions guaranteed natural rights: Freedom of religion Freedom of speech Freedom of the press Private property Trial by jury 8

Natural Rights and the State Constitutions Governors weakened Elected legislatures given most power 8

Articles of Confederation John Dickinson’s plan for central government Proposed cession of West to Congress opposed Proposed equality in state representation opposed Articles of Confederation severely limited central government’s authority over states Could wage war, make treaties, send diplomats, borrow money 11

Articles of Confederation: Central Government Structure and Power Each state had one vote Could send two to seven representatives No executive branch No taxing power –reliance on states Amendments required unanimity

Articles of Confederation: Central Government Structure and Power In charge of foreign and Native American relations, military, and disputes between states No western lands

Problems with Articles Financial: war debt unpaid; worthless money, no taxing power, donations only Foreign: little respect for a nation that didn’t pay debts nor have an army; Britain and Spain threaten settlement in the West Domestic: Shay’s Rebellion – Massachusetts colony taxed farmers in the west; they tried to seize weapons from armory – G. Washington sent military – set a precedent that rebellion is no longer the answer.

Acomplishments of AoC Western Land: Key to the First Constitution Native Americans lost out when British left 1781—Virginia took lead in ceding western claims to Congress Other states ceded claims to Congress Congress gained ownership of all land west of Appalachians 12

Western Land Claims Ceded by the States

Northwest Ordinance: The Confederation’s Major Achievement Land Ordinance of 1785 Orderly division of land into sections and townships One section set aside to finance school system Land to sell for minimum of $1 gold per acre 13

Land Ordinance of 1785 13

Northwest Ordinance: The Confederation’s Major Achievement Created three to five new territories in Northwest (territory lying between the Great Lakes & the Ohio River) Population of 5,000 may elect Assembly Population of 60,000 may petition for statehood Bill of Rights provided Slavery outlawed

Northwest Ordinance: The Confederation’s Major Achievement South of the Ohio River Settlement more chaotic Daniel Boone and Kentucky 1775 - population 100 1784 – population 30,000 Speculators purchased the land from Indians and sold at higher prices to settlers. 1790 – entire region was crazy quilt of claims and counterclaims that generated lawsuits for years.

Northwest Territory

Strengthening Federal Authority Dissatisfaction with Confederation Economic recovery after the Revolution slow People thought stronger central government would restore economic growth 14

The Nationalist Critique Restoration of trade with Britain caused trade deficit and hard currency shortage Congress unable to address trade, inflation, and debt Congress had no power to tax Nationalists versus localists Failure of reform prompted nationalists to consider Articles hopelessly defective 15

Diplomatic Humiliation Congress failed to get states to collect debts owed British merchants In retaliation, British refused to evacuate Ohio River Valley Spain closed New Orleans to American commerce in 1784 John Jay to negotiate re-opening Mississippi Instead, signed treaty favoring Northeast and not the farmers of the Ohio River Valley West and South denounced, Congress rejected Jay-Gardoqui Treaty 16

“Have We Fought for This?” By 1785, the country seemed adrift Washington: “Was it with these expectations that we launched into a sea of trouble?”

The Genius of James Madison Stronger central government gained support (Federalists) James Madison persuaded Americans that large republics could be free and democratic Competing factions would neutralize each other Federalist #10 17

Constitutional Reform May 1786—Annapolis Convention agreed to meet again, write a new constitution Shay’s Rebellion, 1787 Tax revolt of indebted veterans Symbolized breakdown in law and order as perceived by propertied classes – showed Americans the need for a stronger central government 18

The Philadelphia Convention Convened May 1787 Fifty-five delegates from all states except Rhode Island Delegates possessed wide practical experience Secrecy rule imposed Vote by state, needed only a majority instead of nine states 19

Inventing a Federal Republic: The Virginia Plan (larger states) Central government may veto all state acts Bicameral legislature of state representatives One house elected, the other appointed Larger states would have more representatives Chief executive appointed by Congress Small states objected to large-state dominance 20

Inventing a Federal Republic: The New Jersey Plan Congress given greater taxing and trade regulation powers Each state would have one vote in a unicameral legislature Articles of Confederation otherwise untouched 21

Compromise Saves the Convention Each state given two delegates in the Senate—a victory for the small states House of Representatives based on population—a victory for the large states All money bills must originate in the House Three-fifths of the slave population counted toward representation in the House 22

Compromising with Slavery Issue of slavery threatened Convention’s unity Northerners tended to be opposed Southerners threatened to bolt if slavery weakened Slave trade permitted to continue to 1808 “Great as the evil is, a dismemberment of the Union would be worse.” —James Madison 23

The Last Details July 26—Committee of Detail formed to prepare rough draft Revisions to executive Electoral College selects president – 4 year terms; unlimited terms allowed Executive given a veto over legislation Executive may appoint judges Decision that Bill of Rights unnecessary

“We, the People” Convention sought to bypass vested interests of state legislatures Power of ratification to special state conventions Constitution to go into effect on approval by nine state conventions Phrase “We, the People” made Constitution a government of the people, not the states 24

Whose Constitution? Struggle for Ratification Supporters recognized the Constitution went beyond the Convention’s mandate Document referred to states with no recommendation

Federalists Supported the Constitution Name suggests they supported less of a strong central government than they did Well-organized The Federalist Papers 26

Anti-Federalists Opposed to the Constitution Distrusted any government removed from direct control of the people Suspected the new Constitution favored the rich and powerful Their ideas later reflected in the age of Andrew Jackson 25

Progress of Ratification No clear correlation between social status and support for Constitution Succeeded in winning ratification in eleven states by June 1788 North Carolina ratified November 1789 Rhode Island ratified May 1790 Americans closed ranks behind the Constitution

Ratification of the Constitution

Adding the Bill of Rights The fruit of anti-Federalist activism Adding Bill of Rights forestalled Second Constitutional Convention Purpose was to protect individual rights from government interference 27

Adding the Bill of Rights Rights included: Freedom of assembly, speech, religion, the press, and bearing arms Speedy trial by a jury of peers No unreasonable searches First ten amendments added by December 1791 27

Success Depends on the People Some Americans complained that the new government had a great potential for despotism Others were more optimistic and saw it as a great beginning for the new nation 28