Now Prosperity:

You will never know how much it cost us to preserve your freedom; I hope that you will make a good use of it. If you do not, I shall repent in heaven that I took half the pains to preserve it.

-John Adams

Critical Period: 1781-1789

•Impact of Revolution•Republicanism

•Representative Gov’t•Northwest Ordinance

•Articles of Confederation•Federalists and anti-Federalists

The Treaty of Paris: 1783• Cornwallis’s defeat at Yorktown heavy blow to Tories in

Parliament• War was increasingly unpopular in England

– Financially detrimental to British gov’t• Lord North & other Tories resigned• Whig leaders replaced Tories and sought ways to end war• Treaty of Paris: Provisions

– Britain would recognize U.S. as independent nation

– Mississippi River would be western boundary of U.S.

– Americans would have fishing rights off the coast of Canada

– Americans would pay debts owed to British merchants and honor Loyalist claims for property confiscation

Representative Democracy Also referred to as a republic Concept: Republicanism Government authority comes from the

people who elect officials that represent their interests

Promoted the end of slavery, encouraged education and sacrifice for the public good

• 13 colonies had a tradition of governing themselves…..

• Elected their own representative law making bodies

• Passed laws to keep peace within their communities.

• Colonies had a tradition of representative democracy

State Constitutions & State Gov’ts• Common aspects

– Each state listed the basic rights and Each state listed the basic rights and freedoms that belonged to all citizensfreedoms that belonged to all citizens

• “unalienable rights”• i.e. jury trial and freedom of religion

– Separation of powersSeparation of powers• Legislative powers to an elected two-

house legislature• Executive powers to an elected governor• Judicial powers to a system of courts

– All white males with property could voteAll white males with property could vote• Based on the assumption that property-

owners had a larger stake in government than did the poor and property-less

• Elected officials higher qualifications than the voters

Women’s Suffrage• Abigail Adams—1790’to early 1800’s

• Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony---1830’s to 1900’s

• Women’s rights reformers

• citizenship

• right to vote

• education

• Supported the abolition of slavery

• Republican motherhood

• Despite their contributions, women’s rights did not progress and would remain 2nd class citizens

Voting Suffrage: early U.S.

Occupational Make-up of Several State Assemblies: 1780s

Abolishment of Slavery

New England states are the first to abolish slavery after the Revolution.

Middle States would abolish later…. In 1791, the Quakers formed

first Anti-Slavery Society and Underground Railroad

Southern States would expand slavery after the invention of the cotton gin.

As country expands, North and South would compromise over the issue of slavery……

•Mason Dixon Line set the precedent over dividing the country over slavery.

•Ohio River would be the dividing boundary between North and South.

Articles of ConfederationBackground: 1.John Dickinson drafted first constitution for the United States as a nation (1776)2.Congress wanted to protect the rights of individual states- did not want to grant overriding power to federal gov’t3.Articles of Confederation was adopted in 1777- submitted to states for ratification

Ratification:1.Ratification delayed by land disputes west of Alleghenies2.Rhode Island & Maryland insisted new lands be placed under central gov’t authority3.Virginia & New York gave up claims to lands in the west4.When they did- Articles were ratified (1781)

Articles Continued

Structure of Gov’t:1.Central government w/ one body- a congress2.Uni-cameral legislation: each state given one vote3.9 out of 13 votes needed to pass laws4.Unanimous votes needed to amend laws

Powers:1.Congress had power to: a. wage war

b. make treatiesc. borrow money

2. Powers NOT given to Congress:a. power to regulate tradeb. power to tax (to finance any decision, Congress had to rely on states for money)c. no executive power to enforce its laws

Articles and Accomplishment

1. Winning the wara. can claim some credit for ultimate victory of Washington’s forces

2. Land Ordinance of 1785: a. Congress established policy for surveying and selling western landsb. one section in each township set aside for education

3. Northwest Ordinance of 1787:a. large territory between Great Lakes & Ohio Riverb. Ordinance (laws) for creating new statesc. Limited self-gov’t given to developing territories

i. slavery abolished in the region

Northwest Ordinance: 1787Encouraged settlers to form townships.New states formed would be equal to original 13Influx of settlers causes violence with IndiansGuaranteed settlers “unalienable rights”

Land Ordinance: 1785Grid system was created by Thomas Jefferson…Structured and organized land policy Allowed for a peaceful purchase of land. Promoted an orderly expansion westward..Confederation Congress convinced states who claimed land out west to cede their land to the US Govt.US Govt. was to come up with a fair and reasonable land policy…..Unlike the Proclamation of 1763….

The United States: 1787

Weaknesses of Articles• Financial:

– Most war debts unpaid

– States & Congress issued paper money (worthless)

– Congress had no taxing power

– States could only request state donations

• Foreign:– Other nations had little respect for new nation

– U.S. couldn’t defend itself or pay debts

– Spain & Britain threatened U.S. interests in West (Confederation to weak to defend its interests)

• Domestic:– Shay’s Rebellion

– U.S. gov’t lacked the ability to quell rebellion

U.S. Debt after the War

Foreign Debt:$11,710,000

State Debt$21,500,000

Federal DomesticDebt:

$42,414,000

U.S. owed France &

Spain

Individual states owed money to

citizens who loaned $ to

states

U.S. Gov’t owed soldier’s for fighting in war; debts to Loyalists &

British

American Imports & Exports w/ Britain: 1783-1789** What conclusions can we make about the economic plan

inherent in the Article of Confederation?

States held more power than the national gov’t:

states couldn’t tax, regulate trade or enforce its laws

REASON IN SIMPLISTIC

TERMS:

States feared authoritative power like that in England

Disputed Territorial Claims between U.S. and Spain: 1783-1796

Why a Constitution was Needed

• Articles weakened central authority• AOC hand-cuffed gov’t from acting decisively• AOC did not protect: Life, Liberty and Pursuit of

Happiness• States held too much power: if rebellion and revolt

broke out in states, who’s authority is it to stop it?– Shay’s Rebellion forced Founding Fathers to realize AOC

were too weak

Annapolis Convention (1786)• George Washington hosted a conference at

his home in Mt. Vernon, VA (1785)• Representatives agreed that the problems

were serious enough to hold further discussions at a later meeting at Annapolis, MD, at which all the states might be represented

• Only 5 states sent delegates • Alexander Hamilton and James Madison

persuaded the others to call for a Constitutional ConventionConstitutional Convention, to be held in Philadelphia for the purpose of revising the Articles of Confederation

Convention Delegates (1787)• 55 white male delegate went to Philly• Most college-educated, early 40s• Wealthier than the average citizen• Many were practicing lawyers and/or helped in

drafting state constitutions• Elected a presiding officer: George Washington• James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, Governor

Morris, John Dickinson were notable delegates (different ideas of central power- all sought to make stronger gov’t though)

• Notable absences: Jefferson, John Jay, John Adams, Thomas Paine, Sam Adams and John Hancock

• Patrick Henry opposed any growth in Federal power; refused to take part

Federalists & anti-Federalists

• You will read from Federalist No. Ten written by James Madison in which he defends the need for a large Republic to counter the influence of large majority factions.– Annotate and answer the questions found on the handout– Before reading Federalist #10, read from the excerpt

below:

• Read excerpt (pages 40-41) from AMSCO:– Break down the differences between Federalists and anti-

Federalists

– Be ready to discuss tomorrow…

Federalists and anti-Federalists at end of War

Ratification of Constitution