The United States Constitution

1. The United States Constitution

2. The United States Constitution Economic Problems Military men: refusal of Congress to fund pensions Manufacturers: uniform high national duty Merchants/shippers: a single, national commercial policy Land speculators: remove Indian menace Creditors: stop states from issuing paper money Investors: government fund debt Large property owners: protection from mobs

3. The United States Constitution Tensions based on fear of disorder/violence Resolute defense of individual rights (a core principle of Revolution) and public concern for safety and security

4. The United States Constitution Alexander Hamilton Most resourceful of the reformers Political genius New York lawyer Revolutionary War aide de camp to Washington Called for a national convention

5. The United States Constitution September 1786: Annapolis Convention Tried to resolve some differences among states Only 5 states: DL, NJ, NY, PA, VA Decided to meet again with all states in Philadelphia in May 1787 Proposal drafted by Hamilton

6. The United States Constitution Washington Franklin Madison Sherman Gorham Paterson Randolph

7. The United States Constitution Procedural rules Closed to public & press Each state delegation had one vote Simple majority for major decisions

8. The United States Constitution The Virginia Plan Taxes Laws Trade Strong national government Bicameral legislature Membership in both houses based on population Strong executive Judiciary

9. The United States Constitution Issues/Concerns with Virginia Plan First house elected by people Second house elected by first house from among candidates nominated by states Small states felt this plan favored the larger states (VA, PA, MA, MD, NC) Executive & Judiciary selected by Congress Some feared strong executive National court system

10. The United States Constitution The New Jersey Plan Counterproposal to VA Plan, more representative of states, particularly small states Tax Commerce William Patterson Weak executive controlled by legislature Strong unicameral legislature Each state equal representation—one vote each Members chosen by state legislatures One supreme court—chosen by legis.

11. The United States Constitution My under- wear is too tight! The Great Compromise Roger Sherman Bicameral legislature House of Representatives chosen by population/ elected by the people (Virginia Plan) Senate—each state have 1 (later changed to 2) representatives elected by state legislatures (NJ Plan—smaller states equal to larger ones)

12. The United States Constitution Slavery—the 3/5 Compromise Southern states: count slaves as population (for representation in The House of Representatives) Many northern delegates opposed slavery Slaves had no legal rights, therefore should not be counted in population Some southern states: if slaves not counted, would not sign Constitution The compromise: each slave = 3/5 of one free person

13. The United States Constitution Other compromises Southerners feared that Congress could vote to make importing slaves into the U.S. illegal Southerners also did not want taxes on exports—economy of southern states depended on exports The compromise: Congress could not ban importation of slaves before 1808 and could not tax exports

14. The United States Constitution Other compromises President chosen by state electors— the number of electors for a given state = its senators + its representatives Electoral Votes If no candidate receives a majority of electoral votes, House of Representatives would choose Has occurred twice—1800 and 1824

15. The United States Constitution Most creative political thinker (Father of the Constitution): James Madison Protégé of Jefferson Took extensive notes of the debates—main record of what went on—convention closed to public Based on extensive study of history and politics, developed the Virginia Plan

16. The United States Constitution Co-sovereignty issue All power directly flowed from the people, so neither federal government nor state governments were truly sovereign Federalism: Article VI: Supremacy Clause: the national government creates the supreme law of the land Federal: broad powers to tax, regulate commerce, control currency, pass laws (elastic or necessary and proper clause)

17. The United States Constitution Possible tyranny from concentrated authority? Montesquieu: a republic must be confined to a relatively small area; large area breeds despotism because rulers too distant from most of the people. Madison: large republic less likely to produce tyranny, because it would contain so many different factions that no single group would ever dominate. Concept of checks and balances

18. The United States Constitution Concept of separation of powers and Checks and balances

19. The United States Constitution Signed by delegates September 17, 1787

20. The United States Constitution Federalists Supporters of Constitution Better organized

21. The United States Constitution Anti-federalists Included Patrick Henry Defenders of true principles of the Revolution Believed Constitution would betray those principles by establishing a strong, potentially tyrannical, center of power Biggest complaint: no bill of rights No government can be trusted to protect the liberties of its citizens without enumerating the natural rights of people

22. The United States Constitution New York and Virginia States of greatest concern to Federalists

23. The United States Constitution To “sell” the Constitution to those states, New Yorkers John Jay and Alexander Hamilton and Virginian James Madison Wrote a series of pamphlets known as The Federalist Papers calling them- selves Publius

24. The United States Constitution Madison also promised that, if New York and Virginia ratified the Constitution, the First Congress would create a national Bill of Rights. The strategy worked— all 13 states finally ratified the Constitution

25. The United States Constitution Federalists Feared disorder, anarchy, chaos: the unchecked power of the masses Wanted a government that would function at a distance from popular passions; anti-federalists feared dangers of concentrated power

26. The First United States Government George Washington unanimous choice as first president John Adams—first VP

27. The First United States Government Establishing a Judiciary Constitution vague “. . . Judicial power . . . vested in one Supreme Court, and in such inferior courts as the Congress may from time to time ordain and establish.” Article 3, Section 1

28. The First United States Government Judiciary Act of 1789 Supreme Court Federal Circuit Courts Federal District Courts

29. The First United States Government Executive Branch First cabinet: Secretary of State: T. Jefferson Secretary of Treasury: A. Hamilton Secretary of War: H. Knox Attorney General: E. Randolph

30. The First United States Government Executive Branch First cabinet: conflict by design Washington a range of opinions Hamilton vs. Jefferson

31. The First United States Government vs. Jefferson Hamilton Northern (NY) Southern (VA) Strong central govtState/local govts share power; limited natl. govt Feared mob ruleFeared absolute rulers or power Loose interpretationStrict interpretation of Constitution

32. The First United States Government vs. Jefferson Hamilton Leadership by elites Virtuous farmers and tradesmen Supported by Supported by merchants, land- plain people: owners, lawyers, farmers and manufacturers, trades people investors, clergy

33. The First United States Government “. . . Acrimony seldom matched . . . since” Framers dealt with many disagreements by not solving them; papered them over with vague compromises leading to conflict

34. The First United States Government First fundamental disagreement Strong or modest central government One group: genuine nation-state, centralized authority, complex commercial economy Other group: American society should not aspire to be highly commercial or urban; rather rural and agrarian, with most power in hands of states

35. The First United States Government Washington’s position? Strong national government Presidency should remain above political controversies Avoided personal involvement with Congress Hamilton emerged as the dominant figure: exerted most influence on Domestic and foreign policy

36. The First United States Government Hamilton’s Economic Plan 1790: U.S. huge national debt. • Government take responsibility for • for existing public debt • Federal government assume states’ • debts • Create a large and permanent national • debt • Create a national bank • Excise taxes on distillers & tariff

37. The First United States Government Hamilton’s Economic Plan Jefferson opposed paying off states’ debts Only pay off national debt; many southern states had already paid off state debts. Would accept national bank if capital moved to new city on banks of Potomac River.

38. The First United States Government Hamilton’s Economic Plan For: influential segments of population, speculators plus manufacturers and merchants Anti: small farmers (majority) Disproportionate tax burden Property taxes to states Bore brunt of excise taxes

39. The First United States Government Washington and Political Parties A party system is a danger to national unity. It should be avoided. Madison & Jefferson: convinced that Hamilton and his supporters had become an overbearing majority

40. The First United States Government Republican Party: Hamilton had worked to establish a national network of influence that embodied all the worst features of a party Federalists had used control over appointments and awarding government franchises to reward supporters and win additional allies Same as corrupt British governments

41. The First United States Government Jefferson’s Vision Agrarian republic, most of whose citizens would be sturdy, independent farmer- citizens Neither opposed industry nor scorned commercial activity U. S. should develop some manufacturing, but suspicious of large cities

42. The First United States Government Reactions to French Revolution Federalists Republicans Horror Applauded

43. The First United States Government Areas of partisan strength Federalists Republicans

44. The First United States Government Whiskey Rebellion--1794 Key event in establishing the Federal Gov as being supreme in domestic affairs. Congress: protective tariff on goods imported from Europe. To pay off national debts, Hamilton wanted more revenue.

45. The First United States Government Whiskey Rebellion--1794 Hamilton got Congress to approve an excise tax on the manufacture of whiskey. Farmers in western PA refused to pay tax; attacked tax collectors collectors and soldiers. Washington led militias of 3 states into PA; rebellion quickly collapsed.

46. The First United States Government Events leading to Jay Treaty British assaults on American shipping British governor general of Canada: bellicose speech to Native Americans on northwestern frontier

47. The First United States Government Jay Treaty With England November 19, 1794 British—evacuate all posts in Northwest Territory but could continue fur trading on U. S. side of Canadian border. Created a reasonably satisfactory commercial relationship with Britain French went to great lengths to defeat it

48. The First United States Government 1795—Pinckney Treaty with Spain Spain gave up all claims to land east of Mississippi River Spain recognized right of Americans to navigate the Mississippi River & deposit goods at New Orleans Northern boundary of Florida: 31st Parallel

49. The First United States Government Election of 1796 Washington decided not to run, setting a precedent that would last until 1940 Federalists: J. Adams and T. Pinckney; Republicans: T. Jefferson and A. Burr

50. The First United States Government