Making War and Republican Governments

preserve the army

what is GW's goal during the American Revolution?

Battle of Trenton

1776 American victory, battle on Christmas, GW and army cross frozen Delaware River at night

- surprise attack, lowest point of revolution

- GW's last chance to save the revolution

Battle of Saratoga

1777 American victory, brings French in on Patriot side

French allied with Patriots

what is so important about the Battle of Saratoga?

Battle of Yorktown

1781 American victory w/ French assistance, leads to Treaty of Paris

treaty of paris

what does the Battle of Yorktown lead to?

hessians

german soldiers hired by the British to fight the Americans

tradition not to fight in the winter

why did the Battle of Trenton surprise the British so much?

General Howe

general of the British troops in America, revolution survive b/c he opposed the Coercive Acts and still hoped for a peaceful compromise

- led troops to NYC

he had to work with militias, Congress didn't come through with soldiers or supplies

why did the American Revolution experience frustrate GW?

George washington

was the first general of America's continental army

yeoman

group in America that refused to fight for the revolution b/c they did not want to be taken from their families and farms

militias

what was the only thing that the yeoman would serve in?

Virginia gentry

who imposed a military draft?

radical whigs

believed that a standing army was a threat to liberty

Lord North, Lord George Germain

the 2 men that launched another major military campaign in 1777 when General Howe failed

General John Burgoyne

lead a large contingent of regulars south from Quebec

Colonel Barry St. Leger

forced a group of Iroquois to attack from the west

gentleman Johnny

what was the nickname for General Burgoyne?

Fort Ticonderoga

American fort that the British overwhelmed

General Horatio Gates

general that led American troops (not GW) who slowed British progress by felling huge trees in his path and raiding British supply lines to Canada

Valley Forge

is where the American army stayed the winter of 1777 and nearly starved and froze to death

Philadelphia

is where the British stayed the winter of 1777

Baron von Steuben

a former Prussian military officer, who in the dark hour raised the readiness of the American army, republican-minded foreign aristocrats who joined the American cause

- instituted a strict drill system and encouraged officers to become professional

- when the army emerged from Valley Forge they were much tougher and better-disciplined force

Benjamin Franklin

was the major American diplomat in France, everyone in France loved him, he was like a celebrity in France

- convinced the minister of France to convince the king to have the French side with the Americans

General Cornwallis

another general of the British troops that decided to go south but failed and later had to retreat at the Battle of Yorktown in 1781

Treaty of Paris 1783

when we really get our independence

- meeting between America, England, Spain

Spain

what country was the mediator during the signing of the Treaty of Paris 1783?

maintaining independence

what is the hardest part about the aftermath of a revolution?

focused on limiting aristocracy and increasing democracy

what were they focused on doing for the state constitutions?

Pennsylvania's democratic constitution

makes some worry about too much democracy, you didn't have to have property to vote

John Adams

"Thoughts on Government" mixed government, he believed in sharing power among several branches, bicameral legislature, elected governor with veto power, an appointed judiciary

New York, South Carolina

write more conservative constitutions, granting voting rights based on high property qualifications

disinterested

what was it popular to act like when they were forming constitutions?

loyalists, native americans, women, slaves

who were the losers after the American Revolution?

bicameral

means 2 houses

articles of confederation

guided governmental program for Continental Congress, created a loose union of states with power concentrated in the states

- alliance, 13 separate entities

their experience under the British monarchy

what are the articles of confederation a reflection of?

not to create a nation

what was NOT the goal of the revolution

one vote per state, no executive, no judiciary, unicameral legislature, no real power

what were the rules of the articles of confederation?

unicameral

1 house

northwest ordinance

created process by which future territory will become states

- significant that they wouldn't be colonies, is how the Ohio River Valley was made into states

wouldn't be colonies

why was it significant that the western land was becoming states?

rise of paper currency

individual states had too much power, were paying off loans given in gold with paper money

Shay's rebellion

rebellion in western Massachusetts, farmers rebel b/c their houses are being foreclosed by bankers

- farmers shut down the court house

increased calls for improvement of the Articles

what does Shay's rebellion and the rise of paper currency lead to?

mixed government

a sharing of power among the monarch, the House of Lords, and the Commons

- British Whig theory adopted by Adams

upperclass women

who engaged in political debate and, defying men's scorn?

Robert Morris

became superintendent of finance in 1781, tried to expand the Confederation's authority

ordinance of 1784

written by Jefferson, established the principle that territories could become states as their populations grew

land ordinance of 1785

mandated a rectangular grid system of surveying and specified a minimum price of $1 an acre, required that half of the townships be sold in single blocks of 23,040 acres each and the rest in parcels

nationalism

idea that states should come together in alliance, the old definition of this word

get rid of Articles and make new government

what was the hidden goal of the Constitutional Convention?

Virginia Plan

bicameral congress with population-based representation, national supremacy, limited democracy

- bulk of power with the central government

New Jersey Plan

unicameral Congress with equality-based representation and increased powers, state supremacy

- more in favor of smalls states

- not that different from Articles, just gives central gov. more power

Connecticut Compromise/Great Compromise

bicameral Congress, senate + house of reps

senate

equality-based representative house

- 2 per state

house of representatives

population based representatives house

- number of reps based on population in that state

bicameral, population-based rep

what kind of houses did the Virginia plan have?

unicameral, equality-based rep

what kind of house did the New Jersey Plan have?

bicameral

what kind of houses did the Connecticut compromise have

3/5ths Compromise

answered question on how slaves were to be counted in apportioning representatives

- slaves = 3/5s of a person

fugitive clause

allowed for masters to reclaim runaway slaves

- if they run away people are obligated to return them if found

GW, Madison, Hamilton

who were the lead nationalists?

Daniel Shay

the leader of Shay's Rebellion, fought during the Revolution

Philadelphia Convention

when 55 delegates gathered in May 1787 to revise the Articles of Confederation, but actually created a whole new government

William Paterson

man that proposed the New Jersey Plan

other persons/lost property

term used in the constitution to refer to slaves

1. reaction to democracy 2. to protect slavery 3. leads to electoral college

what is the constitution made to do when it comes down to it and what does it lead to (3 points)?

electoral college

created to act as a check on the ignorance of the people, to help pick the correct president at the time

- mean to be temporary = now permanent

- elector votes = # senators + # reps in the House

- winner takes all situation

federalist

those that want the ratification of Constitution, wrote many pamphlets to try and convince people

- people from the coast/cities

anti-federalist

those that don't want the ratification of the Constitution, want a bill of rights, feared it would be run by wealthy men

- wanted states to remain small sovereign republics tied together only for trade and defense

- generally backcountry people

9/13

how many states had to ratify the Constitution in order for it to go into affect?

The Federalist

series of 85 essays written by James Madison, John Jay, and Alexander Hamilton to defend the proposed constitution, influenced political leaders throughout the country, has the idea of checks and balances

boston artisans

wanted tariff protection from British imports so supported ratification of Constitution

supreme court

part of judicial branch, decides matters of constitutionality (not felony), can put barriers on rights

rights and responsibilities

means balancing individual rights with the well being of the nation as a whole

necessary and proper clause

clause that allows Congress to make law w/o being tied to a literal interpretation of the Constitution

- allows congress to make expansion of powers

- congress can do whatever they need to properly carry out certain things

expansion of powers

the necessary and proper clause allows for what?

supremacy clause

clause that says that the federal government is supreme to state, state has its own laws but if state laws go against federal then federal laws trump state laws

9th amendment

is the most important amendment, says even if you don't see a right on the Bill of Rights you still have more the ones listed are just specified ones

right to privacy

what is one of the biggest rights that is not listed on the Bill of rights?

Bill of rights

written by Madison, first 10 amendements of the Constitution, doesn't give rights, it takes power away from government which then protects your rights

negative liberties

mean that the bill of rights states that Congress can't take away rights, the bill of rights isn't giving rights it is "negatively" taking power away from the government and protecting your rights

VA and NY

the last 2 states that needed to ratify the constitution in order for it to be truly legitimate after the 9/13 ratified it

New Hampshire

what was the 9th state to ratify the constitution?

North Carolina and rhode island

the 2 states that don't ratify the constitution until a few years later, doesn't matter b/c they don't really contribute much, everyone knows that they will join anyway b/c can't survive on their own