Chapter Six

The Constitution and the New

Republic, 1787-1800
 The United States Under the Articles
• Foreign Problems
– The states could not adhere to the Treaty of Paris
– Could not stop Britain from placing dampers on
trade
• Economic Weaknesses
– Less trade and no credit all fell together to create
an enormous economic depression
– The thirteen states competed among themselves
 The Annapolis Convention
• George Washington held a conference to
determine what could be done about the
country’s inability to overcome the problems
they were facing
• This turned into the Annapolis Convention,
ended up deciding that they should revise the
Articles of Confederation
 Drafting the Constitution at
Philadelphia
• All of the states sent delegates to Philadelphia
to plan the new Constitution, besides Rhode
Island
• Most delegates were college graduates, and
around the age of 40, and rather wealth
• Washington was elected chairperson
 The Issues
• Americans generally feared and distrusted the
government, therefore a system of checks and
balances was formed
• The Virginia Plan
– Larger states had larger representations
• The New Jersey Plan
– All states had equal representations
• The Connecticut Plan (Or, the Great Compromise)
– Provided a two house congress. Each state was given
equal representation in the senate, but the House of
representatives was based on size
 Slavery
• The Three-Fifths Compromise
– Each slave was counted as three fifths of a person,
for purposes of taxation and representation
• Slaves were guaranteed to be imported for at
least 20 more years, whereupon Congress may
have voted to abolish it
 Trade
• Northern States
– Wanted regulated interstate commerce and
foreign trade
• Southern States
– Afraid of export taxes on tobacco and rice
• Commercial Compromise
– Congress was allowed to regulate all commerce,
but not allowed to put taxes on exports
 Powers and Election of the President
• The president was granted the power to veto
acts of Congress
• The term was limited to four years, but no
limit on terms was imposed
• Each state was given a number of electors
equal to their representation
 Ratification
• On September 17th, 1787, the first draft of the
constitution was submitted for ratification
• 9 out of 13 states votes would be required for
ratification
 Federalists and Anti-Federalists
• Federalists
– Supported the constitution and a strong federal
government
– Generally along the Atlantic coast, and in large
cities
• Anti-Federalists
– Opponents of the Constitution, advocates of a
weaker federal government
– Usually farmers and settlers on the western
frontier
 The Federalist Papers
• Written by James Madison, Alexander
Hamilton, and John Jay
• Written for a New York newspaper
• Presented reasons for believing in the reason
for each and every part of the Constitution
 Outcome
• The Federalists promised to add a bill of
rights, which destroyed the Anti-Federalist’s
major complaint
• Once Virginia ratified, the other hesitant
states followed
 Adding the Bill of Rights
• Anti-Federalists believed that the Bill of Rights
was necessary because it would guarantee the
rights that they had fought to protect from the
British
• Federalists believed that it was better to
assume that all rights were protected, rather
than make a limited view of rights
 A Quick Overview…
• 1st Amendment
– Congress may make no laws the infringe on a citizen’s
right to freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly,
or petition.
• 2nd Amendment
– The people have the right to keep and bear arms in a
state militia
• 3rd Amendment
– The people cannot be required to quarter soldiers
during peacetime
 Continued..
• 4th Amendment
– The government may not carry out unreasonable
searches or seizures of the people’s property
• 5th Amendment
– No individual may be deprived of life, liberty, or
property without due process
• 6th Amendment
– Anyone accused of a crime has the right to a
speedy and public trial
 And Continued…
• 7th Amendment
– Citizens have the right to a trial by jury
• 8th Amendment
– Persons accused or convicted of crimes are protected
against excessive bail or punishment
• 9th Amendment
– Any rights not specifically mentioned in the
Constitution are also guaranteed
• 10th Amendment
– All powers not delegated to the government belong to
the state or people
 Washington’s Presidency
• On April 30th, 1789, Washington became the
first president
 Organizing the Federal Government
• Executive Department
– The principal task of the Chief Executive was to
organize new departments of the executive
branch
• Thomas Jefferson – Secretary of State
• Alexander Hamilton – Secretary of the Treasurer
• Henry Knox – Secretary of War
• Edmund Randolph – Attorney General
 Hamilton’s Financial Program
• The government’s financial difficulties had
been the main problem of the A of C
• Hamilton’s program promised to..
– Pay off national debt
– Protect the nation’s developing industries
– Create a national bank
• Opponents included the Anti Federalists
– Feared that the states would lose power
 What Was Put Into Action
• Debt
– Jefferson agreed to get the debt paid off in full,
and Hamilton in turn agreed to build the Nation’s
capital in the south, along the Potomac
• Tariffs
– Tariffs were lowered, and excise taxes passed
• National Bank
– The Bank was created by the federal government,
but it was privately owned
Foreign Affairs
 French Revolution
• When Washington was elected president,
France was in the middle of a revolution.
• The US-French alliance remained in effect, and
the French expected support
 Proclamation of Neutrality
• Washington believed that the nation was not
strong enough to engage in any wars
• Jefferson resigned from the cabinet in protest
 Citizen Genet
• ‘Citizen’ Edmond Genet, the French minister
to the United States broke all of the diplomacy
rules
• He appealed directly to the American people
to support the French cause
 The Jay Treaty (1794)
• John Jay was sent to Britain to allay hostilities.
• Jay brought back a treaty where Britain agreed
to relinquish bases on the US Western
Frontier, but said nothing about British seizure
of American ships
 The Pinckney Treaty (1795)
• Spain agreed to open the lower Mississippi
River and New Orleans to American trade
• Americans could ship in new Orleans without
paying taxes
• The border of Florida was moved to the 31st
parallel
Domestic Concerns
 Native Americans
• Settlers who were moving westward crossed
the land of the Indians
• British gave Indians guns and told them to
attack the Americans
• General Anthony Wayne defeated the Indians
at the Battle of Fallen Timbers in Ohio.
• The Chiefs agreed to the Treaty of Greenville
– Surrendered claims to the Ohio Territory
 The Whiskey Rebellion (1794)
• In Pennsylvania, farmers refused to pay the
tax on whiskey
• Washington sent 15,000 militia, under
Alexander Hamilton, which scared the farmers
into submission
 Western Lands
• After the Battle of Fallen Timbers, the
government gained a large amount of land
• Congress passed the Public Land Act , which
established orderly procedures for dividing
and selling federal land at reasonable prices
• Vermont became the first new state, then
Kentucky, then Tennessee
 Political Parties
• Federalist Era
– Time in 1790’s, characterized by two Federalist
presidents
• The Federalist party formed around Hamilton
• Democratic Republicans formed around
Jefferson
 Washington’s Farewell Address
• Don’t get involved with the Europeans
• Don’t make permanent alliances
• Don’t form political parties
• Avoid sectionalism
 John Adams as President
• John Adams was a Federalist
• Ran against Jefferson, the DR
• Won by three electoral votes
 XYZ Affair
• French negotiates (Known as X, Y, and Z)
demanded bribes for entering into
negotiations
• Adams avoided war and sent new ministers to
Paris
 The Alien and Sedition Acts
• Naturalization Act
– Made the years required for immigrants to qualify
for US citizenship 14 years
• Alien Acts
– Deport any aliens considered dangerous
– Detain any enemy aliens
• Sedition Acts
– Illegal for newspapers to criticize the president or
Congress
 Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions
• Declared that the states could nullify all
federal laws that they didn’t agree with
• This and the Alien and Sedition Acts led to the
loss of Federalist majority in Congress
 Election of 1800
• During Adams’ presidency, the Federalists
rapidly lost popularity
• The People hated the Alien and Sedition acts
• Because of this, the majority was finally given
to Jefferson, and he became the next
president
• The transition of power from the Federalists
to the Democratic Republicans was known as
the Revolution of 1800
Compare and Contrast Original Parties

Federalists Anti-Federalists
• Argument: • Argument:
– Strong government was – Strong government would
destroy the work of the
needed to maintain order revolution
• Strategy: • Strategy:
– Focused on weakness of the – The Constitution gave the
AofC, showed opponents as government more power than
pessimists with no solutions the British had
• Advantages:
• Advantages: – Appealed to public distrust of
– Strong leaders, well organized government
• Disadvantages: • Disadvantages:
– Lacked a bill of rights – Poorly organized
 Compare and Contrast Later Parties
Federalists
• Loose interpretation of
constitution
• Pro-British policy
• Large peacetime army and
navy
• Aided businesses
• Supported the national bank
and tariffs
• Northern businessmen and
large landowners were the
chief supporters
Democratic-Republicans
• Strict interpretation of the
Constitution
• Pro-French policy
• Small army and navy
• Favored agriculture, and
opposed tariffs and the
national bank
• Supported by artisans,
farmers, and plantation
owners.