1. United States After American Revolution
Issues:
-Weak government (Articles of Confederation)
-Debt
-Internal issues (Newburgh Conspiracy and Shay’s Rebellion)
-trade issues

2. Articles of Confederation Success:
-Land Ordinance of 1785

3. Northwest Ordinance of 1787
-Territories would become a state when it had 60,000 inhabitants; equal status w/ other states.
-Forbade slavery in Old Northwest - north of the Ohio River.
Southerners could cross state lines and reclaim fugitive slaves

4. Shays Rebellion (1786) Issue: High taxes Farm foreclosures
Demand for cheap paper money
Outcome:
Rebellion stopped by wealthy New Englanders
fear of the “mobocracy”
Call for a stronger central government by “prominent citizens.”

5. Annapolis Convention (1786)
Purpose:
Settle issue of interstate commerce
Only 5 states showed up
Convention rescheduled to next year in Philadelphia to rewrite the Articles

6. The Constitutional Convention (1787)

7. 55 delegates from 12 states (R.I. Did not attend)
Patrick Henry, Richard Henry Lee, and Samuel Adams not present (why?)
Franklin, Hamilton, Madison present Washington=chairman of the convention
Convention in complete secrecy
Great arguments persisted throughout the sessions: state representation, slavery, commerce

8. What about Bill of Rights?
Problem
Solution
Representation (New Jersey v. Virginia Plan)
Great Compromise
Slavery
3/5 Compromise, end of slave trade by 1808, Commerce Compromise
Creation of strong gov’t
Elastic Clause (Art. 1) and Supremacy Clause (Art. 6)
Control of the “mob”
Judges elected for life, no direct voting for senators and president
What about Bill of Rights?

9. Federalists v. Anti-federalists
James Mason (father of Bill of Rights) refuses to sign unless Bill of Rights is provided
A. Hamilton, J. Jay and j. Madison write 85 essays (Federalist Papers) to convince New york to ratify the Constitution
Only 1/4 of adult white males had voted for delegates to ratifying conventions

10. The New Nation (1789-1797) Serious problems for the new republic:
Debt (foreign and
domestic)
Spain, England and France
No experience running national government
Worthless paper money (national and state)
WHO COMES TO THE RESCUE?

11. George Washington unanimously chosen by Electoral College
Took oath of office on April 30, 1789 in NY (temporary capitol)
Picked advisors to help him (ultimately led to creation of the Cabinet – never mentioned in the Constitution!):
Secretary of State -- Thomas Jefferson
Secretary of the Treasury -- Alexander Hamilton
Secretary of War -- Henry Knox

12. The politics during Washington’s Presidency dealt primarily with the disagreements of T. Jefferson and A. Hamilton!

13. First US Congress passed:
The Bill of Rights
The Judiciary Act of 1789
Solving the Debt:
Hamilton’s economic policy: Report on Public Credit (1790) and Report on Manufacturers (1791)
Proposals:
Funding at Par
Assumption of State Debts
Tariffs (Revenue Act of 1789)
Excise Taxes
Creation of a National Bank (most controversial!)

14. Hamilton’s programs caused serious controversy and ultimately were partially responsible for the following:
Whiskey Rebellion (1794)
Creation of Washington D.C.
Creation of political parties

16. What led to the formation of political parties?
Different political, economic and social philosophy between Hamilton and Jefferson
Democratic-Republicans
Federalists
Pro-French
Pro-British
Strict construction
Lose Construction
Favored agricultural nation
Favored industrialized nation
Paying off national debt
Never completely paying off the debt—WHY?
Against excise taxes
Excise taxes to promote industry
Admired the French revolution despite bloodshed
Feared “mobocracy” and French Revolution

17. George Washington’s Presidency
Domestic issues:
Provided for a solution of debt through Hamilton’s financial proposals
Showed power of the federal gov’t by crushing the Whiskey Rebellion.
Sided with Federalists on most domestic and foreign issues
His Farewell Address warned against political parties and against entangling alliances
Expelled Citizen Genet from US for obstructing executive authority

18. Foreign:
Jay’s Treaty (1794) w/England=complete failure
Pinckney’s Treaty (1795) w/Spain gave US access to Mississippi River and disputed land north of Florida
Passed the Neutrality Proclamation (1793)
Violated the Franco-American Treaty of 1778 resulting in unofficial fighting
secured land in the Ohio country by defating Indians at the Battle of Fallen Timbers (1794) and the signing of the Treaty of Greenville (1795)

20. John Adams becomes President (1796)
-defeats Jefferson 71 to 68 electoral votes
-attempted to negotiate a peace treaty with France resulting in the XYZ Affair
-alienated his party by continuing to work on a treaty with France despite XYZ (successful with Treaty of 1800)
-Federalists feared Jefferson’s supporters and passed the Alien and Sedition Acts

21. In response to the Alien and Sedition Acts, Jefferson and Madison wrote the Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions – arguing compact theory and nullification (only passed in Virginia and Kentucky)

22. Despite being unpopular they were needed!
Federalist Achievements:
Provided respect for the authority of the federal gov’t
Established a financial strategy that would help to pay of the debt
Solved the disagreements with France (at least for a brief period of time)
Provided strong leadership in the early stages of the nation
Failed to solve disagreements with England
Despite being unpopular they were needed!