1. The New Nation

2. Newburgh Conspiracy Officers had not been paid after Revolutionary War
Petitioned Congress that “any further experiments on the army’s patience may have fatal effects.
GW was horrified that military action would undermine what they had fought for.
Allowed Horatio Gates to call meeting of soldiers and then made surprise speech. GW won over the soldiers.
Continental Army disbanded with promised payment. GW retired to Mount Vernon.

3. Articles of Confederation
The Second Continental Congress directed the colonies during the war, but had no real authority or mandate to do so.
States had real powers:
coin money
raise and maintain armies and navies
collect and levy taxes
erect tariffs
To legitimize authority, the Second Continental Congress drafted a written constitution that had to be ratified by all 13 states – called the Articles of Confederation

4. The Articles had two major
problems:
no power to control commerce
no power to levy taxes
These powers were left to
the individual states

5. A major issue was what to do with the land in the Ohio River Valley
A major issue was what to do with the land in the Ohio River Valley. Many states had claims and others didn’t – so who would control it? The state or national government?
A compromise was reached through the Northwest Ordinance and Land Ordinance
The states were now content and the Articles were unanimously ratified

6. Northwest Ordinance Forbade slavery in new territories
Set a procedure how a territory could become a state

7. Land Ordinance
All lands claimed by individual states had to be turned over to national government
All lands sold to the public would be revenue to pay for the national debt from the Revolution
All land would be surveyed and mapped before any public auction would take place
Set aside specific areas in the new territories for public education

8. Small farmers in Massachusetts began losing their farms to banks because they couldn’t pay their taxes or meet mortgage payments. One reason was that many of them had not been paid back pay for their military service during the War. A delegation of farmers approached the state legislature for relief but were unsuccessful. Led by Daniel Shays, these farmers took over many courts and a federal arsenal. The national government struggled to raise an army to put the rebellion down but eventually did. Importance – renewed interest in need for a strong central government
Shay’s Rebellion

9. The Constitutional Convention
Delegates were called to Philadelphia in
1787 to REVISE the Articles of
Confederation.
all states but Rhode Island attended.
delegates from American “aristocracy” – NO middle or lower class representation
Primary motives:
preserve the United States
stop anarchy
They secretly wrote a new constitution
against the orders of the Second
Continental Congress because they
couldn’t effectively amend the
Articles of Confederation.

10. Ratification of the New Constitution
Rather than unanimous
acceptance, the Convention
adopted a two-thirds ratification
rule.
Ratification would be done through
specially elected constitutional
conventions in each state.
Federalist Papers:
Written by Jay, Hamilton, and Madison
Collection of essays in favor of the new Constitution in New York newspapers to muster support for ratification

11. Problems with ratification:
Rhode Island and North Carolina refused to ratify – Congress had to threaten them with a high tariff to get them to ratify.
US was on its second constitution in a dozen years with little domestic and foreign confidence in the American government.
Some compromises were built in the Constitution to promote ratification.

12. Great Compromise
Great Compromise – compromise reached was a bi-cameral legislature with representation in House by population and in the Senate equally
large state plan – representation by population
small state plan – representation should be equal

13. 3/5s Compromise
Three-Fifths Compromise – compromise reached was slaves would be counted as 3/5s of a person
South said slaves should be counted into their population, but North said no
It was agreed that slavery would be abolished 20 years after ratification of the Constitution.

14. Articles of Confederation
Compare and Contrast
Articles of Confederation
Loose confederation of states
1 vote in Congress for each state (unicameral legislature)
2/3 vote necessary in Congress for all important measures
Laws were carried out by congressional committees
No congressional power over any commerce
No congressional power to levy or collect taxes
No federal court system
Unanimous vote needed by states to amend the Articles
No authority to make individuals and states to comply with federal laws
Constitution
Firm union of people and states
2 votes in Senate for each state plus a House with representation by population (bicameral legislature)
Simple majority needed in Congress on most manners but subject to presidential veto
Laws were executed by a powerful president
Congress regulates foreign and domestic commerce
Extensive congressional power to levy and collect taxes
Intricate system of federal courts headed by a US Supreme Court
Amendment was available through a variety of mechanisms
Ample power to enforce laws concerning states and individuals

15. Interpretation of the Constitution
Thomas Jefferson – strict interpretist (constructionist)
national government should exercise no powers that are not specifically granted in the Constitution
all unspoken powers are reserved for the state governments
Alexander Hamilton – loose interpretist (constructionist)
cited elastic clause of the Constitution – Congress may pass any laws “necessary and proper” to carry out its granted powers

16. Political Parties Constitution doesn’t provide for political parties.
Political parties resulted from ideological clash between Jefferson and Hamilton:
interpretation of Constitution
financial policy
foreign policy
Federalists – led by Hamilton:
strong central government
positive relations with England
favored upper class
Democrat-Republicans – led by Jefferson:
strong state government
positive relations with France
favored common man

17. Early Problems Difficulties for the new government:
constitutional interpretation
economic stability
foreign relations
how to avoid war
political precedents

18. George Washington – Father of the United States
Unanimously named president by the Electoral College. Sworn into New York City – the temporary capitol of the United States

19. First Cabinet Not provided for in the Constitution
Vice President – John Adams
Secretary of State – Thomas Jefferson
Secretary of Treasury – Alexander Hamilton
Secretary of War – Henry Knox

20. Funding the National Debt
Hamilton’s goal – bolster national credit status Fund at par – government pays off national debt at face value Debt due to private individuals, foreign countries and banks that bought war bonds during the Revolution Hamilton got the government to issue new bonds at face value – important because the old Continental Bonds dropped in value

21. Assuming the State’s debts
Hamilton wanted Congress to assume – take over – the debts of all the states. He felt it was a national obligation because of the national war for of independence. States with large debts liked the plan. States with small debts or paid them off didn’t. Hamilton got the support of Jefferson by promising to support building the nation’s capitol next to Jefferson’s home state if he would support the assumption.
Assuming the State’s debts

22. Revenues High protective tariff: bring in money from imports
protect US manufacturers from outside competition
Excise Tax (on domestic goods):
tax on whiskey led to Whiskey Rebellion
first militant challenge to the new Constitution
mountain men from Appalachians refused to pay the tax
Washington with the help of the military forces from the states put down the rebellion
Importance – federal government
commanded a new respect from the
states.

23. Bank of the United States (BUS)
Federal government’s bank National mint was to be an extension of this

24. Neutrality Proclamation
US attitude toward France –
at first pleased with French Revolution in 1789 but lost hope after the Reign of Terror
Democrat-Republicans stayed true to principles of Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity
continued to export food without sending larges sums of money or military support
The Proclamation – US sided with no one but continued trade with both

25. US attitude toward England –
90% of tariff revenue came from Great Britain
continued to export food
Federalists were primarily ex-Loyalists (relations very positive)
US merchant marines prospered
because of trade with England and
France.

26. The Neutrality Proclamation was issued – US sided with no one but continued trade with both

27. Jay’s Treaty Complaints against England –
they still maintained forts in Old Northwest Territory
they were supplying and inciting Indian attacks on American settlers
they impressed sailors
Chief Justice John Jay was sent to
talk to British on these three areas.

28. Result – Jay’s Treaty:
England would withdraw all troops from the Ohio River Valley
England would pay Americans for losses at sea
US would pay Loyalists for property taken during the War
Democrat-Republicans mad
because it said nothing of the
Indian and impressment problems.

29. Results and importance –
US independence was reserved
temporarily settled differences with England
continued to prosper from European wars
caused France to be more upset with US
kept us out of war

30. Washington’s Second Term
He wanted to retire after his first term but the public wanted him for a second term. Washington relented because of the political turmoil. He was again unanimously elected

31. Washington’s Farewell
Physical fatigue mixed with the verbal abuse from the Democrat-Republicans caused Washington to be determined to retire after his second term. Farwell address was a written message published in newspapers. Help for writing this came from Hamilton. It said the US should avoid permanent and entangling alliances that did not benefit the US

32. John Adams Second President
The strongest of the two parties was the
Federalists headed by Hamilton but he
was too outspoken and therefore
alienated a lot of people.
So the Federalists went with John
Adams as their candidate.
Democrat-Republicans chose Jefferson
who would lose to Adams and become
Vice President – the Electoral College
was initially set up to name the second-
most vote getter to become the VP
Adam’s inherited foreign situation:
French upset at the US Neutrality Proclamation and the signing of Jay’s Treaty

33. The French felt the US was allying with Britain because they were still impressing American seamen. Adams sent ambassadors to France to open up a line of communication. Those ambassadors were confronted by French governmental agents identified as X, Y, and Z. The agents said the delegates had to pay a sum of money before negotiations could be reached. The American public saw this as an act of disrespect. They wanted war with France.
XYZ Affair

34. Alien and Sedition Acts
The American public saw every French
foreigner and dissenter as a traitor
and/or spy.
Alien Acts -
lengthened residence requirement from five to fourteen years
authorized the president to deport or imprison any alien he felt dangerous
Sedition Acts –
people who spoke out against the national government could be fined or imprisoned.

35. Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions
Jefferson and Madison saw the Alien and Sedition Acts as violations of the Constitution. Jefferson composed a draft for the Kentucky legislature while Madison composed one for Virginia – known as the compact theory of government. Essence of resolutions – states had the right to declare national laws null and void if those laws were in violation of states’ rights. No other states followed this theory. If it was accepted, the Supreme Court would have been useless since the states would determine which national laws were constitutional or not.