Making War and Republican Governments 1776 – 1789 Check out the description for videos that match up with the new curriculum. An production

Strengths  Population (7.5 million to 2.5 million colonists)  Monetary wealth  Naval forces – strongest in the world  Professional and experienced army armed with 6' muskets with bayonets attached  50,000 British  30,000 Hessians  30, 000 American Loyalists Weaknesses  Unrest in Ireland drew attention as well  British government inept and confused, led by King George III and Lord North  Lack of united British desire to crush American cousins. Whigs cheered American victories.  Military difficulties  Second-rate generals  Brutal treatment of soldiers (one lashed 800 times for striking an officer)  Inadequate, poor provisions (old, rancid, wormy). Undernourished  Need for clear victory. A draw would be a colonial victory.  Armies were 3000 miles from home. Orders took months to reach the front.  Vast colonial territory (1000 by 600 miles) to subdue. No urban nerve center to conquer. *** Note that these notes are NOT from your textbook ***

Strengths  Outstanding leadership  Military--Washington  Diplomatic--Franklin  European imports--Lafayette, Kosciuzko, Von Steuben  Colonists fighting defensively  Self-sustaining agricultural base  Colonists were better marksmen (Americans accurate at 200 yds.)  Moral advantage. Americans were supporting a just cause with a positive goal. Weaknesses  Colonies were badly organized, disunited for war.  Continental Congress debated, but took little action and exercised less leadership  Could not agree on taxes so money for the military effort was unreliable  No written constitution (Articles of Confederation) not adopted until  Colonies were jealous of Congress, each other's region  Economic difficulties  Little metallic currency available  Fearful of taxation, Congress issued virtually worthless Continental currency  Inflation led to increased prices, desertions from army.  Limited military supplies  Inadequate firearms and powder  Clothing and shoes scarce. At Valley Forge, 2800 men barefooted  American soldiers were numerous but unreliable  Profiteers used greed and speculation to weaken morale and aid the British *** Note that these notes are NOT from your textbook ***

 War in the North:  Britain’s military vastly outnumbered the Patriots  Some Natives sided with the British  Victories at Saratoga 1777:  The Battle of Saratoga was a turning point  The Patriots won; as a result France sided with the rebellion and provided aid to the US (financial and military)  The Perils of War:  Women played an important role – created clothing, ran farms  Some women hoped to gain more rights (Abigail Adams)  Financial Crisis:  State currencies were highly inflated  Robert Morris (Chief Treasury) secured valuable aid from Holland and France  Valley Forge:  Baron von Steuben – former Prussian military officer, helped train the American army, giving it a discipline it was lacking before

 The French Alliance:  France and US made an unusual alliance (Catholic monarchy)  France a constant enemy of Britain and usually ready to fight them  Ben Franklin played an important role in the Treaty of Alliance ▪ America and France would ensure the independence of the U.S.  War in the South:  Spain fought against Britain in 1779  Britain’s Southern Strategy: ▪ The South contributed fewer individuals to war effort – fear of leaving slaves unattended ▪ Philipsburg Proclamation – slaves that rebelled would gain protection and freedom from Great Britain – backfired as slaveowners sided with Rebellion ▪ 5,000 African Americans (free and slave) fought for Patriot Cause ▪ The Marquis de Lafayette – instrumental in gaining French troops to America  Guerrilla Warfare in the Carolinas: ▪ Battle of Yorktown(1781) – last major battle of the war, Cornwallis surrenders

 The Patriot Advantage:  French aid  “Home-field advantage”  Leadership – George Washington  Diplomatic Triumph:  Treaty of Paris (1783) ▪ Britain recognized US independence ▪ US gained all land east of Mississippi River ▪ US fishing rights off Newfoundland ▪ Britain could pursue debts from individual Americans  Spain and France gained very little  France becomes severely in debt (thanks France!)

 The State Constitutions: How Much Democracy?  Pennsylvania’s Controversial Constitution: ▪ Unicameral legislature was created with total power (no governor)  Tempering Democracy: ▪ Other states created bicameral legislatures ▪ Most states were not truly democratic – only PA and VT  Women Seek a Public Voice:  Abigail Adams’ “Remember the Ladies” ▪ Hoped to end customs and laws that oppressed women (married women could not own property, have contracts, etc.)  Only white men were full citizens in new government  This is one of many examples of women stepping up in U.S. history, only to lose most of the gains made after crisis passes. Stay tuned…  The War’s Losers: Loyalists, Native Americans, and Slaves:  Many loyalists suffered economically, others fled  Native Americans were pushed further west off their lands  Slaves did not gain freedom after the war Don’t forget about us John….

 The Articles of Confederation :  Created a weak central government, states had a lot of power  Each state had one equal vote in the national government  In order to amend the Articles, unanimous approval was required  The federal government could: make treaties, borrow money, ask for tax $  Continuing Fiscal Crisis:  The US was in debt from war, began to sell off western land to individuals  The Northwest Ordinance (one of few achievements under AoC):  Slavery was banned in the Northwest Territory  $ from 1 out of 36 square miles that were sold would go towards education  Territories could apply for statehood when they reached 60,000 people  Shays’ Rebellion:  MA state legislature increased taxes  Many farms were foreclosed  Former Rev. War vet, Daniel Shays led a rebellion ▪ Demonstrated the weakness of the government under the Articles ▪ Helped many recognize the need for a new government

 The Rise of a Nationalist Faction:  Sectional differences emerged: northerners tended to favor tariffs, southerners did not  The Philadelphia Convention:  55 delegates, mostly wealthy and upper-class, all white, all male  Thomas Jefferson and John Adams were NOT in attendance  Representation – the VA and NJ Plans: ▪ VA Plan – proposed a bicameral legislature where representation in Congress was to be based on population ▪ NJ Plan – favored smaller states, representation would be equal for each state  The Great Compromise – the CT Plan: ▪ Combined elements of both VA and NJ plans ▪ Created bicameral legislature: lower house (Representatives) would be based on population and elected by the people, upper house (Senate) would have 2 per state and elected by state legislatures  Negotiations over Slavery: ▪ 3/5 Compromise – 60% of slaves would count towards population for representation in Congress, advantage for the South ▪ Also slave importation for 2o more years; would be ended by  National Authority: ▪ Constitution is the “Supreme Law of the Land” ▪ “Necessary and Proper” (Elastic) clause increases power of Congress

 The People Debate Ratification:  Constitution would take effect when 9 out of 13 states ratified it  Emergence of two groups: ▪ Federalists – favored ratification ▪ Anti-federalists – weary of ratification  The Antifederalists: ▪ Feared centralized power at states’ expense ▪ Criticized the lack of a bill of rights  Federalists Respond: ▪ The Federalist Papers (Jay, Madison, and Hamilton) ▪ 85 essays written to promote the Constitution ▪ Federalist 10 discussed factions  The Constitution Ratified: ▪ Typically, people in the backcountry were Antifederalists, easterners were Federalists ▪ With the promise of the Bill of Rights, many Antifederalists ratified the Constitution

 Battle of Saratoga – turning point  Foreign assistance (Spain, Holland, France)  Women, Natives, and African-Americans did not gain rights after the Rev. War  Shays’ Rebellion  Articles of Confederation - +’s and –’s  Northwest Land Ordinance  NJ and VA Plans, and the Great and 3/5 Compromises  Federalists and Antifederalists