History: Exam 2

Pre-Declaration of Independence

• Congress had taken steps to win independence they declared

  • Created an army

  • Created a navy

  • Reached out to ally with other countries

War for Independence: US Advantages

• Geographically big

  • We had lots of territory for Britain to try and control

  • The British army couldn’t be everywhere all at once

• British weren’t unified in the war

  • Some Brits believed the Americans were fighting for their liberties

War for Indepndence: US Long Odds

• They didn’t have as strong or solidified army

• The US was deeply divided

Colonists Victory: George Washington

• He had a role in American victory

• Commander for Continental Army

  • Lost almost every battle he fought

• Strength of successfully retreating and keeping men together

• His army was almost only physical symbol of the US

Colonists Victory: Ally with France

• They won us the Revolution

• They wantedd to knock British down to help themselves

• They gave lots of money and military assistance

Colonists Victory: Ally with Dutch Republic

They provided money

Colonists Victory: Ally with Spain

• They quitely gave military supplies

• Unofficial ally

War for Independence: Yorktown (1781)

• Majority of army filled with French soldiers

• Navy closed off the Chesapeake and forced Cornwallis to surrender

• This ended the fighting and started negotiations

War for Independence: Britain Lost Interest

• It became a world war, they decided colonies weren’t worth a war

• Britain wanted to save the rest of their empire

The Treaty of Paris (1783)

• This established boundaries

• Britain offcially recognized the US as an independent nation

• This ended the war

Forms of Equality

• Political - voting and holding office

• Economic - owning property and job oppurtunities

• Civil - bringing suit, testifying and serving on a jury

• Social - marriage/divorce, worship and travel

Bases of Inequality

Race, gender, wealth, religion

African Americans: Freedom

• Only applied for some slaves

• Accomplished through escape or military service

  • Mostly by serving the British

African Americans: Massachusetts in 1781

• Massachusetts Supreme Court accepted slavery violated their new constitution

• Elizabeth Freeman

• Slavery died here due to this

  • No legal way get slaves that escaped their masters

African Americans: Pennsylvania

• They took real action against slavery

• Gradual Emancipation Act

Gradual Emancipation Act (1781)

• Not a single person currently enslaved will ever be set free

• Anyone born after law passes, once 28 years old, are set free

African Americans: Right to Vote

• Only the ones that got their freedom got the right to vote

• Massacusetts, every male over 21 could

Almost No Changes for Women

• Most women didn’t exist as a person

• They couldn’t break the law but could still be charged for crimes

• Married women gained neither civil, political or economic rights

• Unmarried women couldn’t own property

Women are “Republican Mothers”

• The future of American democracy depended on them

• They shaped and raised future male leaders

Poor Men and Voting

• Only some gained the right to vote

• They were denied a place in government

• Most states still had property requirements (graduated system)

Religion

• Most states maintained status quo

• Politically, most states had religion requirements

• Culturally, most states had restrictions

Virginia and Religous Freedom: Jefferson (1777)

• He drafted the Virginia Statute for Religous Freedom

  • No person religion or lack of could affect civil capacities

Virginia and Religous Freedom: Madison (1786)

• He enacted the Virginia Statute for Religous Freedom

• This wasn’t a permanent fix, just a step in that direction

US New Government

• They knew they didn’t want a monarchy

• They believed they barely escaped “enslavement” by Parliament

• Believed safest form of government was republica

Lessons Americans Took from Parliament

• Be careful not to let any government gain too much power

• Be particularly wary of more distant government

Republics: Confederation

• A federal, federated or confederated republic

• A government of the states and by the states making up the nation

• It doesn’t act on individual people

Republics: Union

• A national, unitary or consolidated republic

• A government of the people and by the people making up the nation

• It acts on individual people

Articles of Confederation

• 1st government of the United States

• Drafted in 1776, adopted in 1777

Articles of Confederation: Characteristics

• Central government had…

  • Limited, clearly defined powers

  • No power over individual citizens

  • No power to levy taxes

• Otherwise, states remained sovereign

Articles of Confederation: Accomplishments

• US fought a war leading to its independence

• Negotiated Treaty of Paris (doubled size)

• Established policies to distribute and govern their territory

Land Ordinance (1785) and Northwest Ordinance (1787)

• Finalized sectional division and state boundaries

• First action taken by government to restrict slavery

Articles of Confederation: Huge Problems

• No power to tax or pay debts

• No army and couldn’t control its territory

• They couldn’t control their economy

• Trade wars

Alternatives: Mount Vernon (1785)

• Meeting between Virginia and Maryland

• Talked about navigating Potomac River

Alternatives: Annapolis (1786)

• Meeting between 5 states around Chesapeake Bay area

• Talked about navigation

• They realized they would have to amend AOC to get things done

Annapolis Convention (1787)

• Called all states to meet in Philadelphia

• Meeting would address amending the AOC

• Shay’s Rebellion

• Some believed that the AOC was right whereas some thought it tilted to anarchy

• James Madison

Shay’s Rebellion (1786-1787)

• Occured before convention opened

• Farmers in Massachusetts revolted against being taxed

• Provided another reason to amend AOC

Annapolis Convention: James Madison

• He sought to find “the middle ground”

• Supremacy of national authority (congress)

• Keep local authorities as subordinates

Proposed Drafts in Philadelphia

• They all proposed a more powerful central government

• Virginia Plan, New Jersey Plan and Hamilton Plan

Big Question Regarding Power

• Proportional: The largest states would hold majority of population and power

• Equality: Smallest states would hold majority of power

Compromise of Power

• Legislation - bicameral legislature of house (proportional) and senate (equal)

• President - elected by electoral college

• Retification - supermajority of states

• 3/5 law for slaves

The Great Compromise

• House of Reps - based on state population

• Senate - 2 representatives for each state

Enumarated Powers

• Powers specifically stated in Constitution

• Congress has final word

• Created government that could act directly on individuals

Implied Powers

• Congress can do whatever necessary and proper to carry out enumarated powers

• Gave congress a lot of power

Dangers of the Government

• Could endanger the liberty it was intended to protect

• Tyranny of the majority

Central Government Power Checks: Federalism

Division of power between state and central government

Central Government Power Checks: Separation of Powers

• Executive - President

• Legislative - Congress

• Judicial - Supreme Court

The Term Federalist (1788)

• Those who favored the proposed Constitution

• They wanted a stronger central government

The Term Anti-Federalist (1788)

• Those who objected the proposed Constitution

• The liked a weak central government and stronger state powers

  • This was the AOC

• Patrick Henry, Sam Adams, Rhode Island

Anti-Federalist Worry: Tyranny

• The power to deprive citizens of their liberties

• They saw things in the Constitution that threatened liberties

  • Establish and regulate new federal courts, raise and support armies, levying taxes

Anti-Federalist Worry: Consolidation

• Consolidating states into one unified nation

• Full government control

Purpose of States

• Keeps the government close to the people

• Stands between the central government and citizens

The New Government

• Took shape April 1789

• 12 proposed ammendments

  • These were individual liberties to protect from tyranny

Thomas Jefferson

• Wealthy, slave-owning elitist of Virginia

• Ideal America → small, independent family farms

  • He wanted Americans to have a voice

  • He hated England and didn’t want to follow in their path

Alexander Hamilton

• Admired Great Britain and wanted to follow in their path

  • Strong central government

  • No state sovereignty

  • Strong industrial economy

Political Party Creation: Tariffs

• Congress needed money so this was done to raise money

• Raised cost on imported goods

• Benefited American manufacturers but hurt consumers

• Jefferson - believed they were immoral and unconstitutional

• Hamilton - belived this is how to protect American industry

Political Party Creation: National Bank

• They could buy, regulate or sell currency

• Easier for government to pay bills

• Jefferson - Constitution didn’t say the government could do this

• Hamilton - Useful to regulate economy, justified with implied powers

Political Party Creation: Funding

• How to pay the national debt

  • Little money slips being passed around everywhere

• Jefferson - believed people who supported the army should get the money

• Hamilton - believed people should pay in full

Political Party Creation: Assumption

• The government taking on state debts

• Jefferson - wanted people rooting for state, not national, government

  • Virginia paid their debts and didn’t want to pay for other states

• Hamilton - understood loyalty followed money

Whiskey Rebellion (1791-1794)

• This really split Jefferson and Hamilton

• Hamilton proposed a tax on whiskey

  • Whiskey was a preffered drink and important to economy

• The tax was unfair and discriminated against farmers

Democratic-Republican Societies (1793-1794)

• Beginning of the now Democratic party

• They spoke out against the tax

The French Revolution

• Mild start in Paris (1789)

• It quickly spread to a war between France and Great Britain

  • Became much more violent

• Hamilton - wanted to support England

• France - expected our help but we refused

• Britain - angered Americans by taking ships and occupying our land

The French Revolution: Negotiations with Britain

• They agreed to give up their forts in America

• They refused to open trade with West Indes

• Jays Treaty

1st Real American Election (1796)

• Jefferson (Democratic Republican) vs. Adams (Federalist)

  • Adams became President

  • Jefferson became VP

• Hamilton ruined his image and wasn’t running

The Quasi War

• Unofficial war with France

• French pirates were capturing American ships

• Alien and Sedition Acts passed to defend America

The Alien Act (1798)

Authorized President that anytime they felt a citizen was dangerous to the US they could be deported

The Sedition Act (1798)

Any writing or speaking criticizing the government is a crime

• This can result in punsihment for that person

Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions

• These were a result of Alien and Sedition Acts

• If Congress does something unconstitutional, the state can block the law

Election of 1800

• One of most divisive elections in American history

• Parties were constantly attacking and making claims about the other

• Ended in a tie

  • Ultimately Jefferson won

President Thomas Jefferson

Goals

• Government free of corruption

• Small government

• Low taxes

Government without Corruption: Spoils System

He really just wanted a government free of Federalists

Government without Corruption: Impeachment

• He saw this as a political tool

• He wanted to impeach John Marshall (didn’t work)

Government without Corruption: Lawfair

• Legal persecution of political enemies

• He did to Aaron Burr, his VP

  • Couldn’t get him convicted

A Small Government

• Adopted a Hamiltonian view of governmet (strong central government)

• Wanted to fill America and “American West” with small farmers

Alexander Mackenzie (1801)

• He walked across North America

• Published Voyages from Montreal

• Encouraged British to come and sett;e

• This resulted in Jefferson sending Lewis and Clark

Lewis and Clark

• Supposed to cross Spanish territory and beat the British

• They brought back new species, geographic knowledge, etc.

The Louisiana Purchase

• Jefferson sent people to Paris to buy New Orleans

• Napolean sold all of Louisiana

• The US doubled in size

Jeffersons Foreign Affairs

• Administration and foreign policy affected by Napoleonic Wars

• Claimed neutral ships make neutral goods

• He passed an embargo

  • Barred American ships going abroad and banned foreign trade

• He eventually repealed the embargo

The War Hawks

• Henry Clay and John C. Calhoun

• They really wanted war with England (obtain more land)

The War of 1812

• US declared war on Britain

  • We had no army or navy

• British captured and burned the Capital

• Battle of New Orleans

The Battle of New Orleans

• Andrew Jackson

• Our biggest victory of the war

• Battle already over when this occured

The Hartford Convention (1814-1815)

• Federalists didn’t like the war (hurting New England economy)

• They proposed ammendments to the Constitution

Federalists Ammendments to the Constitution (1815)

• They wanted to…

  • Ban trade embargos

  • Ban the 3/5 clause

  • Ban successive Presidents from same state

Election of 1816

• Federalists paid the price for their anti-war stance

• They basically vanished

Era of Good Feelings (1816-1820)

• Federalists disappeared as a national party

• The national government was in the hands of the Democrats

• Henry Clay and John C. Calhoun became staunt nationalists

The American System

• 2nd Bank of United States (lasted 20 years)

• Protective tariffs

• Internal improvments

• Associated with Henry Clay

• Designed to make national economy stronger

Internal Improvements

• Largely meant upgrading roads

• It became a sectional issue

• Initially didn’t happen

The Supreme Court

• Expanded power of national government

• Constitution was vague on how it would operate

• Original vs appellate jurisdiction

Original Jurisdiction

A court and jury look at evidence and decide guilt or innocence

Appellate Jurisdiction

• They assess if the lower court did their job correctly

• Main role of Supreme Court

Chief Justice John Marshall (1801-1835)

• Most important we’ve had in the country

• Under him, SC took steps to strengthen national government

Marbury vs. Madison (1803)

• Involved Judiciary Act of 1801

• A justice went to the court to sue Madison when he didn’t recieve his job document

• Assessed if Judiciary Act was unconstitutional

  • Congress overturned and nulified law

Martin vs. Hunter’s Lessee (1816)

• Involved relationship between state and federal courts

  • Cases could only stay on one side

• The Supreme Court interprets law for anything national

• Allowed for crossover of courts for cases

McCulloch vs. Maryland (1819)

• Involved the bank

• Maryland didn’t like the bank but couldn’t abolish it

  • They tried to weaken and destroy the bank

• He stated that states can’t impede the opeartions of constitutional laws

Growth of America

• Florida was a Spanish territory

• Jackson and John Quincy Adams

Jackson Invasion of Florida (1818)

• The government didn’t like this idea

• He attacked seminoles and captured some of their territory

• This scared the Spanish

John Quincy Adams and the Spanish

• He opened negotiations with the Spanish

  • They sold us all of Florida

  • Adams Onis Treaty

The Admans Onis Treaty

This was the legal claim of US territory

Sectionalism

The split between North and South

Pre-Sectionalism

• Pre-revolution, every colony allowed slavery

• Modest improvement in slavery

  • Gradual emancipation and manumission

• Congress passed the Northwest Ordinance

Manumission

Allowed owners to free their slaves if they wanted to