Articles of Confederation - Washington's Presidency

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Debt Under the Articles of Confederation

\-Debt post war - $27million

\-central gov't owed money to soldiers who fought in the war

-soldiers sold off bonds @ fraction of value (1/4)

\-foreign debt → France, Spain, Holland

\-states had their own war debt to pay off separate from federal debt (RI, MA)

\-printing of paper money → devalues currency (inflation)

\-raising taxes (MA) → farmers lost property b/c couldn't pay taxes → Shays' Rebellion

\-Congress can't pay debt (can't impose taxes) → asked for $5 million; got $400k+

Trade Under the Articles of Confederation

\-no uniform trade agreement within US

\-states controlled trade individually w/ foreign nations → foreign nations negotiate unfair trade deals

-more Brit imports than Amer exports → nation losing wealth

State Tensions Under the Articles of Confederation

\-states functioned independently (almost as separate countries)

\-state sovereignty important in Articles

\-rivals against one another → trade laws against each other/tariffs

\-together to fight for independence, but operated alone after

Problems Within the Central Gov’t Under the Articles of Confederation

\-Articles of Confederation → limits on power (Madison agreed w/ Washington that it was bad)

\-purposefully kept weak (didn't want a repeat of British tyranny)

\-central gov't was weaker than the states gov'ts - distrusted power of central gov't

\-Congress granted ability to declare war, make treaties, settle disputes btwn states, oversee national postal system

\-no enforcement power/making laws

Madison’s Diagnosis

\-smaller republics don't work as well as a larger republic b/c factions

-factions - less intermingling of classes, groups (religion, politics)

-larger republic leads to more people & more factions → less led by one particular group/TYRANNY OF THE MAJORITY!

\-states operating out of self interest

-states in competition w/ one another (trade agreements)

-federal gov't lacked power of enforcement

-failure to coordinate between states

Madison’s Solution

\-Federal gov't needs more power → needs the power of coercion

\-enlarge the sphere

\-federal negative (Congress can veto state laws)

\-divide branches of gov't to balance power

\-NEW CONSTITUTION

-federal gov't supremacy in taxation; military; executive - to enforce laws; judiciary added; trade (domestic/foreign); monetary policy

-adjust representation at the federal level - population of state; create a bi-cameral legislature at the federal level

Federal Gov’t’s Power Under the Constitution

\-ability to tax → collect $ to pay off debts

\-control of money/circulation

\-national supremacy over states

\-division of power into 3 branches

\-stronger military force/weaponry

\-control over trade

-more alliances & more trading w/ foreign nations

\-combining states to "get along" - federal control to improve relations

\-make the nation more unified

\-ability for federal gov't to make "final decision" - prevent states from overpowering federal gov't

-define state borders & control interstate trade; reduce competition between states (be able to have insight on how states are taxing/how much)

\-strong executive branch - execute laws passed by legislative branch; make sure states "fall in line"; be able to enforce Treaty of Paris; follow up on promises to foreign nations

\-national gov't can respond to rebellion

Structure of Gov’t Under Constitution

\-bicameral congress

-citizens elect lower house; lower house would choose members of upper house; states decide candidates

-voting would be proportional in terms of representation → based on population & contribution in taxes

-senate - upper house - smaller; contains elite leaders - fear of tyranny of the majority - extra layer to defend against tyranny in the future (more refined, more elite members - seen as being wise in making decisions); more control than lower house (need approval by upper house); less accountable - longer terms; NOT DIRECTLY ELECTED

\-larger states could have more power than smaller states - fear of tyranny of the majority

\-smaller states proposed unicameral legislature w/ equal representation

\-delegates agree to have state legislatures choose members of upper house (another check/balance on system)

\-senate ends up being based on equal representation, not population

\-creation of judiciary to interpret laws

\-exec branch → single representative (President)

Checks & Balances Under the Constitution

\-Congress can pass laws, but prez can veto laws & Supreme Court can rule them unconstitutional

\-Prez can make treaties, but must be ratified by Congress

\-Prez can enforce laws, but Supreme Court can stop those actions if it finds that they violate Constitution

\-Supreme Court interprets laws, but Congress can write laws

\-The Supreme Court can order a prez to enforce a law, but a prez has the pwr to appoint justices

YES to federal negative

\-needed to create a better sense of unity

\-bigger gov't to organize

\-no check on state power → can't have success w/in nation otherwise

\-reduce tension/problems between states

\-needs to be absolute → too subjective if it's open to constitutionality

NO to federal negative

\-too much power to Congress

\-bigger states could overpower smaller states

\-lacks check on congressional power

The Annapolis Convention

\-Washington hosted conference @ his home in Mt Vernon, VA (1785)

-Purpose = review what could be done w/ country's inability to overcome critical probs caused by Articles of Confederation

\-Reps from VA, MD, DE, & PA agreed that probs were serious enough to hold further discussions at later meeting at Annapolis, MD, w/ all states invited

\-Only 5 states sent their delegates to Annapolis

\-Discussed ways to improve commercial reforms among states

\-James Madison & Alexander Hamilton persuaded the others that another convention should be held in Philly

-Purpose= revise Articles of Confed.

Drafting the Constitution at Philadelphia

\-Only RI, not trusting the other states, refused to send delegates

\-many lawyers who helped write state constitutions attended

\-1st order of business => elect presiding officer & decide whether or not to communicate w/ public at large

-Agreed to keep meetings secret & say nothing to public until work was completed

-Washington unanimously elected chairperson

-Franklin provided calming & unifying influence

\-Work in fashioning specific articles of the Constitution was led by Madison (who became known as Father of the Constitution), Hamilton, Gouverneur Morris, & John Dickenson

\-Several major leaders of Amer Rev weren't at convention

Key Issues at the Constitutional Convention

\-revise Articles or draft entirely new document?

\-representation in Congress

\-slavery

\-trade

\-presidency

At the time of the Constitutional Convention, American citizens generally…

distrusted gov't & feared officials would seize every opportunity to abuse their pwrs, even if properly elected

Representation Debate @ Convention

\-Argued if large states like VA/NY should have proportionally more reps in Congress than smaller states like NJ & DE

\-Madison's Proposal (Virginia Plan) favored larger states v.s. New Jersey Plan, which favored smaller states

\-Solution = Compromise -> Connecticut Plan/Great Compromise

-Bicameral Congress

-Senate -> states would have equal rep (2 reps per state- chosen by state legislatures, NOT chosen by ppl)

-House of Representatives -> each state represented according to size & population (elected by ppl)

Slavery Debate @ Convention

\-Should enslaved ppl be counted in state populations?

-Southerners = yes

-Northerners = no

\-Agreed to 3/5 Compromise

-Counted each enslaved person as 3/5 of an individual for the purposes of determining a state's level of taxation & representation

\-Should slave trade be allowed?

-Some wanted to ban for humanitarian reasons

-Others were concerned abt maintaining supply of labor

-Delegates decided to guarantee that enslaved ppl could be imported for at least 20 yrs (until 1808)

-Congress could vote to abolish slavery after that date if it wished

Trade Debate @ Convention

\-Northern states wanted central gov't to regulate interstate commerce & foreign trade

\-South afraid that export taxes would be placed on its agricultural products (ex. Tobacco, rice)

\-**Commercial Compromise** allowed Congress to regulate interstate & foreign commerce (including pacing tariffs on foreign imports), but it prohibited placing taxes on any exports

Presidency Debate @ Convention

\-Debated prez's term in office

-Some argued chief exec should hold position for life

\-Limited prez's term to 4 yrs but no limit on # of terms

\-Electoral College system

-Rather than having voters elect prez directly (popular vote), each state assigned # of electors that equalled total of state's reps & senators

-Instituted b/c delegates feared that too much democracy can lead to mob rule

Federalist Traits (Position on Constitution, Arguments, Strategies, Advantages/Disadvantages, Who/Where?)

\-Supported ratification

\-Stronger central gov't needed to maintain order & preserve the Union

\-Emphasized weakness of Articles

\-Portrayed Anti-Federalists as merely negative opponents w/ no solutions

\-Advantages:

-Strong leaders

-Well-organized

-Widespread concern abt problems under Articles

Disadvantages

-Constitution was new & untried

-O.G. Constitution lacked bill of rights

\-Common along Atlantic Coast & in larger cities

Anti-Federalist Traits (Position on Constitution, Arguments, Strategies, Advantages/Disadvantages, Who/Where?)

\-Opposed Ratification

\-Stronger central gov't would destroy work of the Revolution, limit democracy, & restrict ppl's rights

\-Argued that proposed Constitution contained no bill of rights to protect indiv. freedoms

\-Claimed proposed Constitution gave central gov't more pwr than the Brits ever had

\-Advantages:

-Widespread distrust of gov't pwr bc of experience as colonists

\-Disadvantages:

-Less united than Federalists

\-Small farmers/settlers on western frontier

Federalist Papers

\-Key element in Federalist campaign for Constitution

\-85 highly persuasive essays written for NY news paper

\-Written by Madison, Hamilton, & Jay

\-Presented cogent reasons for believing in practicality of each major provision of the Constitution

Debate on Bill of Rights (Path to Ratification of Constitution)

\- Anti-Federalists proposed Constitution didn't have specific list of rights that fed gov't couldn't violate

-Americans had fought Rev War to escape tyrannical gov't in brit-> what was to stop a strong central gov't under Constitution from acting similarly?

-Only by adding Bill fo Rights could protect Amers from such possibility

\-Federalists’ argument = since members of Congress would be elected by the ppl, they didn't need to be protected against themselves

-Ppl should assume all rights were protected rather than created limited list of rights that might allow unscrupulous officials to assert unlisted rights could be violated

\-Federalists ended up promising to add bill of rights as first order of business for new Congress in order to win support for Constitution

Judiciary Act of 1789

\-Supreme Court had 1 chief justice & 5 associate justices

\-This highest court was empowered to rule on constitutionality of decisions made by state courts

-In other words -> cases in state courts could be appealed to Supreme Court (give final say to justices & federal Constitution)

-Provided system of 13 district courts (1 for each state) & 3 circuit courts of appeals

Hamilton’s Financial Program

1. Pay off national debt at face value & have fed gov't assume war debts of states
2. Protect young nation's "infant" industries & collect adequate revenues at same time by imposing high tariffs on imported goods
3. Create a national bank for depositing gov't funds & printing banknotes that would provide basis for stable U.S. currency

Supports/Opponents of

Hamilton’s Financial Program

\-Supporters = northern merchants who would gain directly from high tariffs & stabilized currency

\-Opponents = Anti-Federalists

-Feared states would lose pwr to extent that central gov't gained it

-Jefferson led faction of southern Anti-Feds who viewed Hamilton's program only benefiting the rich @ expense of indebted farmers

\-Congress eventually adopted Hamilton's plan but in slightly modified form (Ex. Tariffs weren't as high as Hamilton wanted)

Debt During Washington’s Presidency

\-Jefferson & his supporters agreed to Hamilton's insistence that U.S. gov't pay off national debt @ face value and assume payment of war debts of states

\-In return for Jefferson's support on this aspect -> Hamilton agreed to Jefferson's idea for nation's capital to be in south along Potomac Rvr (aka later named Washington, D.C.)

National Bank During Washington’s Presidency

\-Jefferson argued that Constitution didn't give Congress pwr to create bank

\-Hamilton took broader view arguing that the document's "necessary & proper" clause authorized Congress to do whatever necessary to carry out enumerated pwrs

\-Washington supported Hamilton, & proposed bank was put into law

-Was privately owned

-As a major shareholder of the bank, the federal gov't could print paper currency & use fed deposits to stimulate business

Americans & the French Revolution

\-Americans generally supported French ppl's aspiration to est republic, but many mortified by reports of mob hysteria & mass executions

\-To further complicate matters -> US-French alliance remained in effect even tho it was alliance w/ monarchy & not newly emerging republic

\-Jefferson & supporters (Democratic-Republicans) sympathized w/ revolutionary cause

-Argued that bc Brit was seizing Amer merchant shups bound for French ports, US should join France in it defensive war against Brit

\-Hamilton (& Federalists) didn't want to fight Brits b/c Brits were largest trade partners w/ Amer

-Feds wanted to support Brits

\-Proclamation of Neutrality (1793)

\-"Citizen" Genê

\

Proclamation of Neutrality

\-Washington believed US was too young/weak to engage in Euro war

-Didn't take sides, was NEUTRAL

-Ex. So much debt to still pay off

\-Resisting popular opinion, Washington signed Proc

-Jefferson resigned from cabinet in disagreement w/ policy

"Citizen" Genê

\-Objecting Washington's policy, French minister to US broke all rules of diplomacy by appealing directly to Amer ppl to support French cause

\-Organized military expeditions against Spanish & FL & New Orleans -> undermined US neutrality

\-Washington annoyed -> petitioned French gov't to remove him

\-Recalled by French gov't, he chose to stay in US

Why did the British ignore America’s neutrality during the French Revolution?

\-Amers claimed right to carry nonmilitary goods to ports of any warring nation

\-Carib Sea filled w/ Amer ships after French lifted restrictions there

\-Brit claim no port closed in peacetime could be opened during war→ Seized Amer vessels -> sent John Jay to negotiate

\-led to Jay Treaty

The Jay Treaty (1794)

\-Washington sent Chief Justice John Jay on special mission to Brit to talk abt:


1. Brit's continued occupation of posts on US western frontier
2. Brit's offensive practice of searching  & seizing Amer ships & impressing seamen in Brit navy

-Brit agreed to evacuate posts but included nothing on impressment

-Brit could still seize neutral ships in certain waters; each could have right to free navigation of Mississippi Rvr thru Spanish territory

-Brit won right to cont fur trade w/ Natives on Amer side of US/Canada

\-Jay was trying to protect relationship btwn Brit & Amer (Hamilton's orders)

\-Angered Amer supports of France, but maintained Washington's policy of neutrality, which kept US @ peace

\-Only significant positive of Jay Treaty -> helped US secure Pickney Treaty

Pickney Treaty (1795)

\-Totally unexpected effect of Jay treaty -> Spain's policy toward its territories in Americas

-Saw treaty as sign that US might be drawing closer to Spain's longtime foe Britain, Spain decided to consolidate its holdings in North Amer

-Played into Spain's fear that Brit-Amer actions would occur against Louisiana territory

\-Thomas Pinckney, US minister of Spain, negotiated treaty:


1. Spain opened lower Mississippi Rvr & New Orleans to Amer trade w/o making them pay tariff
2. **Right of deposit** granted to Amers so they could transfer cargoes in New Orle. w/o paying duties to Spanish gov't
3. Spain accepted US claim that FL's northern boundary should be at 31st parallel (not north of that line, as Spain had formerly insisted)

American Indians during Washington’s Presidency

\-Final decades of 18th cent -> settlers crosses Alleghenies & moved westward into Ohio Valley & beyond

\-In effort to resist settlers' encroachment on their lands, many tribes formed Northwest (or Western) Confederacy

-Shawnee, Delaware, Iroquois, & other tribes

-Initially won series of bloody victories over settler militias

-In some cases, Brits supplied Natives w/ arms & encouraging them to attack settlers

-Hearing this angered the Amers

-1794-> Battle of Fallen Timbers

-General Anthony Wayne defeated Confed tribes

-Treaty of Greenville

Treaty of Greenville

\-post-Battle of Fallen Timbers

\-surrendered claims to Ohio territory

\-allowed for Amer settlement for payment of $20k in goods (included Chicago, Ft. Detroit, Lower Sandusky region of Ohio)

The Whiskey Rebellion (1794)

\-To make up revenue lost b/c tariffs lower than he wanted -> Hamilton persuaded Cong to pass excise taxes on sale of whiskey

\-In western PA→ refusal of grp of farmers to pay federal tax on whiskey seemed to pose major challenge to viability of US gov't under Constitution

-Rebelling farmers could barely afford to pay tax on whiskey that they distilled from surplus corn

-Rather than pay tax, defended their "liberties" by attacking revenue collectors

\-Washington responded by sending 15k state militia & placing them under command of Hamilton

\-Rebellion collapsed w/o bloodshed & fed gov't solidified authority

\-Some Amers applauded Washington's actions in comparison to Shay's Rebellion

\-Among westerners, though, military action was widely resented & condemned as unwarranted use of force against commonppl

\-Gov't's chief critic, Jefferson, gained popularity as champion of western farmers

Public Land Act (1796)

\-1790s-> Jay Treaty & victory @ Battle of Fallen Timbers gave Fed gov't control of vast tracts of land

\-Cong encouraged rapid settlement of these lands by passing Public Land Act (1796)

-Est orderly procedures for dividing & selling fed lands at moderate prices

\-Process for adding new states went smoothly

-Vermont, Kentucky, Tennessee

The First Political Parties

\-Washington's election by unanimous vote of Electoral College (1789) underscored popular belief that political parties weren't needed

\-Constitution itself didn’t mention political parties

-Farmers assumed none would arise

\-Debates btwn Feds & Anti-Feds 1787-88 = 1st indication that 2 party system would emerge as core of Amer politics

\-ORIGINS

-In colonial times, grp of legislators commonly formed temp factions & voted 2geher either for or against policy

-When issue was settled -> faction dissolve

\-Disputes btwn feds & Antifeds over ratification of Constitution closely resembled factional disputes of earlier period ○

-What was unusual abt this conflict was the way it was organized, at least by federalists, across state lines which kinda prefigured national parties that soon emerged after

\-Federalist Era

-Dominated largely by Federalist policies

-Political parties began forming around 2 main figures: Hamilton (Feds) & Jefferson (Democratic-Republicans)

Federalist Party Leaders

\-John Adams

\-Alexander Hamilton

Federalist Party’s View of the Constitution

\-interpret loosely

\-create strong central gov’t

Federalist Party View on Foreign Policy

pro-British

Federalist Party View on Military Policy

develop large peacetime army & navy

Federalist Party View on Economic Policy

\-aid business

\-create national bank

\-support high tariffs

Federalist Party’s Main Supporters

\-Northern business owners

\-Large landowners

Democratic-Republican Leaders

\-Thomas Jefferson

\-James Madison

Democratic-Republicans’ View on the Constitution

\-Interpret strictly

\-Create weak central gov't

Democratic-Republicans’ View on Military Policy

develop small peacetime army/navy

Democratic-Republicans’ View on Foreign Policy

pro-French

Democratic-Republicans’ View on Economic Policy

\-favor agriculture

\-oppose national bank

\-oppose high tariffs

Democratic-Republicans’ Chief Supports

\-Skilled workers

\-Small farmers

\-Plantation owners

Washington’s Farewell Address

\-Didn't wanna run again → Didn't want presidency = monarchy


1. Don't get involved in Euro affairs
2. Don't make "permanent alliances" in foreign affairs

→So we never end up in same situation as we did w/ France

→Only temporary alliances in state of emergency

→Nations only out for their own personal interests


3. Don't form political parties

→Will lead to disunity

→Dominated certain states depending on region, creating sectionalism

→Ex. Most Feds from north, most Dem-Repubs from south


4. Don't fall into sectionalism

-Sectionalism is fine as long as the diff "sections" are also working together

Impact of Washington’s Farewell Address

\-For next century, future presidents mostly heed to Washington's 1st two warnings against foreign entanglements

\-But political parties alr becoming vital to Amer political system

\-later presidents followed his two-term example

-Prez elected to 2 terms would voluntarily retire even tho Constitution didn’t place limit on prez tenure in office

-Two-term tradition cont unbroken until 20th cent, but then it became amendment in Constitution

Accomplishments of Articles of Confederation

\-Independence

-US gov't can take some credit for victory of Washington's army & for negotiating favorable terms in peace treaty w/ Brit

\-Land Ordinance of 1785

-Congress est policy for surveying & selling western lands

-Policy set aside one square-mile of land in each 36 square-mile township for public education

\-Northwest Ordinance of 1787

-Set rules for creating new states in large territory btwn Great Lakes & Ohio Rvr

-Granted limited self-gov't to developing territory & prohibited trade in the region

\-By reserving land for schools & banning slavery, gov't made Northwest attractive to White & free Black settlers

-However, -> gov't auctioned land by square mile (640 acres) -> even tho starting price per acre was a low $1, benefit of system went first to those rich enough to spend at least $640 at once

-The purchasers, then, sold off land in smaller parcels to less wealthy Americans

Shays’s Rebellion

\-Summer 1786-> Captain Daniel Shays (MA farmer & Rev War veteran) led other farmers in uprising against high state taxes, imprisonment for debt, & lack of paper $

\-Rebel farmers stopped collection of taxes & forced closing of debtors' courts

\-Jan 1787-> Shays & his followers attempted to seize weapons from Springfield armory, but state militia of MA broke Shays's Rebellion

The Founding Fathers failed to eliminate slavery because

A) they did not truly believe in democracy.

B) a fight over slavery might destroy national unity.

C) they were more concerned with securing equality for women.

D) the North, as its industry expanded, began to rely more heavily on slave labor.

E) economic conditions would not allow such a loss.

B) a fight over slavery might destroy national unity.

The delegates at the Constitutional Convention were concerned mainly with...?

Protecting America from its weaknesses abroad and its excesses at home.

What single issue nearly kept several colonies from refusing to sign the Articles of Confederation? \n \n a. slavery \n \n b. the organization of the federal government \n \n c. taxation \n \n d. states' rights \n \n e. western lands

e. western lands

Although a landmark in government, why were the Articles of Confederation ultimately replaced with the U.S. Constitution? \n \n a. The Articles gave each state just one vote in Congress regardless of size. \n \n b. The Articles required a unanimous vote of all states to amend them. \n \n c. The Articles gave Congress no power to regulate commerce or to enforce taxation. \n \n d. The Articles forced states to sacrifice too much of their authority to a central government. \n \n e. The Articles prevented Congress from making treaties.

c. The Articles gave Congress no power to regulate commerce or to enforce taxation.

In New York, ratification of the Constitution was obtained after its supporters promised…

to call for a second convention to call for Constitutional amendments

Which of the following was NOT among the reasons for revising the Articles of Confederation at the 1787 meeting of state delegates in Philadelphia? \n \n a. Gaining better control over commerce. \n \n b. Curbing unlimited democracy practiced in several states. \n \n c. Strengthening the central government \n \n d. protecting existing institutions, including slavery \n \n e. safeguarding the union from uprisings

d. protecting existing institutions, including slavery

The Constitution that was drafted in 1787 contained all of the following compromises that secured its final passage EXCEPT \n \n a. a strong central government. \n \n b. a president elected by the people. \n \n c. counting slaves as three fifths person \n \n d. closing the slave trade by 1807 \n \n e. lifetime appointments for federal judges.

b. a president elected by the people.