Aim: What led to the split from England?

September 30, 2014

The English settlers

Colonists left England for many reasons:

• To escape feudalism and for the opportunity to own land

• For economic opportunities

• To practice religion freely

Political participation in the colonies

• Less restrictive b/c more people owned land• Religious qualifications were more restrictive• Gender—women were not officially excluded from

voting until the Revolution; – most could vote if they owned property and

there were no males in the household. Additionally, many widows could vote.

Conflict between England and the colonies

Why England believed it was right

• Wanted colonists to help pay for the French and Indian War

• Colonists rejected offers of representation in Parliament

• England funded the venture of sending them to the New World yet was faced with numerous complaints

Why the colonists believed they were right

• Unfair taxation, such as the Sugar and Tea Acts

• Tyrannical monarch ignored colonists’ civil liberties

• Colonists believed in popular sovereignty

• Lack of oversight and management

The Declaration of Independence

• informed England that the colonists no longer accepted England’s authority of them any more

• Jefferson was influenced by Locke’s belief in– the social contract – natural rights- such as life, liberty, and property.

• List of numerous complaints • Jefferson had to make the case why this revolution

was just, but others were not. • Many colonists wanted to remain loyal to England.

Life after the Revolution

• African Americans • Native Americans• Women

The Articles of Confederation

• The first Constitution of the United States

• Established a “firm league of friendship”

• Created a confederacy giving power to the states

• Federal government had few powers and limited ability to carry out those powers

Aim: Why did the Articles of Confederation Fail?

Provisions in the Articles

• A national government with a Congress empowered to:– make peace– coin money– appoint officers for an army– control the post office– negotiate with Indian tribes

• One vote in the Continental Congress for each state (regardless of size)

• The vote of nine states to pass any measure; amendments had to be unanimous

• Delegates selected to the Congress by their respective state legislatures

• Because of the fear of a tyrannical ruler, no executive was created and the national government was quite weak.

Achievements

• Power to make treaties• Power to Declare War• Receive ambassadors• Helped conclude the Amer. Rev.- Provided guidelines for states to join the nation.

Problems with the Articles

• No executive to administer • No power to tax without states’ consent• No authority to regulate commerce; • Congress could pass laws but had little power to

execute or enforce them.• No national judiciary• Congress could not raise an army- only could

request troops from states.• No single Currency- states also could coin money

Article III

Establishes the United States as a new nation, a sovereign union of sovereign states, united

". . . for their common defense, the security of their liberties, and their mutual and general welfare, binding themselves to assist each other, against all force offered to, or attacks made upon them . . . ,"

while declaring that the union is "perpetual," and can only be altered by approval of Congress with ratification by all the state legislatures.

Georgian Plantation Owner•“I can’t get a fair market price for my cotton in Spain anymore because plantation owners over in South Carolina made a deal” Massachusetts Farmer•“I’m tired of the privileged elite in Boston always putting trade over agriculture. The property taxes are too high and I’ve had enough!”

Retired General from New Hampshire•“I’m afraid those crazy Allen boys over in Vermont are going to hand over the Green Mountain Commonwealth to England and put them right at our doorstep again!”New York Congressman•“I have an idea for a piece of immigration legislation that would really help my state. I have 7 of the more populated states ready to go along but we can’t get the bill passed!”

North Carolinian Lumber Dealer•“Every time I ship a load of wood up through Virginia, I have to pay a state tax on it and its not even being sold in Virginia! Is that legal?”Colonel in the US Army•“I’m as patriotic as the next guy but I haven’t been paid on any kind of regular basis since the war ended! Should I be looking for a new profession instead of soldiering?”

French Ambassador to the US•“We came to the aid of the United States when they were at war with England and supplied them with loans to finance their fight for independence but they can’t seem to pay it back!”New Jersey Constable•“We’ve got a big problem with criminals out of Pennsylvania and New York committing crimes in my city and then fleeing my jurisdiction! The citizen of Trenton think I’m incompetent.”

South Carolinian Shopkeeper•“Sometimes I lose money when patrons pay me in money from other states. The bank I use says its not all worth the same! How am I supposed to know when a dollar isn’t a dollar?”Pennsylvania Governor•“Every time the federal government needs money for something they ask us to give it to them but some of the other states don’t contribute. Maybe we should quit paying too?”

Rhode Island Fisherman•We’ve been arguing with Massachusetts boats over fishing rights in the waters southwest of the Cape. Who settles this dispute?” Maryland Congressman•“A large percentage of my constituency in and around Baltimore is Catholic. They would like to see an amendment that would protect their religious freedom but I know at least one state that will not agree to it!”

The Constitutional Convention

• Described as “an assembly of demigods”

• Called to revise the Articles of Confederation after concern over Shays’s Rebellion. It had become abundantly clear that the Articles of Confederation were inadequate.

• Meetings were held in secret

• Created a whole new government

• Major debate remained over how much power the federal government should have

Two competing plans for the Constitution

The Virginia Plan• Bicameral legislature • Representation in both

chambers based on population

• One house elected by the people; one house elected by state legislatures

• Single executive chosen by Congress

• Favored by large states

The New Jersey Plan• Unicameral legislature• Equal representation in

both chambers • Representatives elected

by state legislatures• Multi-person executive• Favored by small states

The Great Compromise

• Bicameral legislature– House of Representatives based on population and

chosen by the people– Senate based on equal representation and chosen by

the state legislatures• Single executive chosen by the Electoral College• Federal court system• Each states has its own legislature and court

system

Other compromises• Three-fifths Compromise:

– Counted three-fifths of a state’s slave population for purposes of representation in the House of Representatives. Each slave counted as three-fifths of a person.

• Bill of Rights:– Many historians contend that it was written only to

appease the Anti-Federalists.– Most Federalists didn’t even believe it was necessary.– This was a list of ten things the government could not

do. Written to protect citizens’ individual rights.

The battle over ratification

Federalists• Supported ratification of

the Constitution• Wanted strong central

government• Concerned about security

and order• E.g., James Madison,

Alexander Hamilton, John Jay

Anti-Federalists• Opposed ratification of

the Constitution• Wanted states to have

power over the federal government

• Corruption best kept in check at the local level

• E.g., Samuel Adams, Patrick Henry, Thomas Jefferson

The Federalist Papers

• Written by Madison, Hamilton, and Jay under the pen name Publius

• Called for ratification of the Constitution

• Published in New York papers to persuade legislators to ratify the Constitution

• Among the best known: Federalist Nos. 10, 51, and 78

Federalist No. 10

• Madison warned against dangers of factions

• The causes of factions cannot be controlled (that infringes on liberty); must control the effects of factions

• Effects of factions could best be controlled by a republic

Federalist No. 10, cont’d.

A republic could best control factions:

• Representation would dilute the effects of factions

• A large territory would make it difficult for one faction to become a majority

• In a large territory, it would be difficult for people who shared common interests to find each other

Ratification of the Constitution

• Required support of nine of the thirteen state legislatures

• Small states were quick to support the Constitution because of the inclusion of the Senate

• Eventually all thirteen states ratified it (Rhode Island the last in 1790)

• Very heated political battles regarding the Constitution. It was a hard won victory to get it passed.

The citizens and the founding

• Competing elites– Elites weren’t united in their views about a new

government. They had very diverse opinions regarding the Constitution.

• The rise of the “ordinary” citizen– Development of citizenship as we know it today.

Although citizens had fewer rights than they do today, the new government laid the ground work for the individual rights and freedoms enjoyed today.

Three elements of citizenship

• Citizenship should rest on consent.

• There should not be grades or levels of citizenship.

• Citizenship should confer equal rights on all citizens.