Unit 3B - Questions

What changes did the American Revolution bring?

• New social customs

• Political Institutions

• New ideas about society, government, and gender roles

Describe the domestic changes the Revolution brought

There are five main changes the revolution brought, primarily due to the impact of revolutionary ideals

• Social structure

  • New ideas of social leveling: anti-aristocratic, pursuit of equality

    • Society of Cincinnati ridiculed

    • No primogeniture nor royal titles (Washington dubbed President)

    • Servitude drastically decreases

• Emerging ideas of abolitioning slavery

• New structures of government

  • anti-monarchy

  • pro-egalitarian

  • new political thoughts

• Revolution impacted women

  • Republican motherhood - women were to be educated so they can instill republican values into their children

  • Same role, elevated status

    • New social role inspired by Revolution and Revolutionary Ideals (Enlightenment)

• Disestablishment

  • Rise of freedom of religion

  • Separation of church and state

  • Churches were disestablished, no official state-supported religion

    • Virginia Stature for Religious Freedom of 1786

Describe the global impact the revolution had

It proved to other countries they could rebel against their oppressor and establish a successful government.

• France

• South America

Why do some consider the American Revolution as more of an accelerated evolution?

It changed many aspects of the U.S.; Changes in social structure, economic practices, and political institutions. New ideas regarding race, gender, and class emerged.

Why do some believe economic democracy was achieved before political democracy in the United Staes?

• Indentured servitude basically disappeared

• No use of titles nor primogeniture

Describe the economic state the U.S. was in after the Revolution. What were 3 major economic drawbacks that occurred due to the Revolution?

• New class of profiteers (sold weapons to both sides) and destitute people (lost everything)

• Runaway inflation

• Average citizen was worse off due to debt and inflation

Although there was an increase in manufacturing (Americans could no longer buy British goods due to boycotts and war, so they made their own), the country still remained mostly agricultural. They did begin to trade with other countries and they chose to keep loyalist lands.

Describe early state constitutions

They were mostly written in 1776 and drew their authority from the people

• Contained Bill of Rights

• Weak executive and judicial branches

  • They feared tyranny and too much power

  • Avoided centralizing power

• Most power in legislature branch

  • Law-maker

  • Property requirements for voting

  • Yearly elections for legislatures

The similarities in state constitution led to the development of the Articles of Confederation

What were the biggest problems the colonists faced after the war (5)?

• Demobilization of Army

• National debt

• Inability to regulate foreign nor interstate commerce

• No restrictions on states printing currency

• Inability to force Britain to leave military installments in the Northwest Territory

Basically stems from the Articles of Confederation

Describe the Articles of Confederation. What were its weaknesses?

The Articles of Confederation was the U.S. first constitution that formed a confederation of states with a weak national Congress. There was no executive nor judicial branch.

Weaknesses:

• It was made to have a weak Congress which could basically only deal with foreign relations and conduct war. Could conduct, issue, or borrow money. In reality, it couldn’t enforce any laws nor taxation, so it couldn’t actually regulate trade (neither between states nor foreign)

  • could not levy or collect taxes

  • could not regulate trade

  • could not enforce laws

  • Required 13/13 states to amend articles

  • 9/13 states to enact laws

  • no judicial or executive branch

Describe the accomplishment the Articles had. What were its two major ones?

• Won Revolution

• Got states to cede western land and was able to handle it properly

• Land Ordinance of 1785

  • Northwest land owned by states was ceded and given to federal government which then divided and sold land.

  • Helped establish a precedent for public education

• Northwest Ordinance of 1787

  • Established how to administer Northwest territories and path hood to becoming a state.

    • First, land would be under temporary tutelage with appointed governors and judges

    • Temporary constitution and elect own government once voting residents reached 5,000

    • Once it reached 60,000 it could be admitted by Congress and become a state

Why was it a good thing the Articles were unworkable?

• They helped define the rights of the people

• They were able to be replaced by a stronger and more efficient government

What helped facilitate the need for a new constitution?

Shay’s Rebellion helped increase support for a new constitution for the fear of mobocracy/too much democracy. It was the conservatives and the wealthy landed people who wanted a stronger central government as they didn’t want there to be too much power in the hands of regular citizens, which they felt weren’t educated enough.

During the Constitutional Convention, there were many debates and compromises. List the three main debates

1. New Jersey VS Virginia Plan

2. Electing the President

3. Slavery - 3/5ths Compromise

Talk about the Great Compromise and why its important

The Great Compromise combined both the New Jersey and Virginia Plan.

• Virginia Plan

  • “Large State” Plan; bicameral Congress with both houses being decided by proportional representation (based on population)

• New Jersey Plan

  • “Small State” Plan; Unicameral legislature that proposed equal representation regardless of population

The Great Compromise introduced a bicameral legislature with the Senate giving equal representation while the House was decided by proportional representation. Moreover, tax bills and revenue measures originate in the house.

Describe the Electoral College and the system

Basically can be summarized like this:

• amount of senators + amount of representatives = electoral votes

• If there was no popular majority, then the vote will go to the Senate, where each state held 1 vote

• Indirect vote for President due to fear of common people (not educated enough, mobocracy)

Describe the Three-Fifths Compromise and why its important

This compromise basically counted slaves as three-fifths of a person. This was needed to decide how many representatives a state would get and how much taxes they’d pay. It’s important to note that this helped Southern states get more power as they could have more representatives due to the compromise.

What were a couple of things all delegates could agree on during the Constitutional Convention

They all generally believed they needed a stronger government with 3 branches and with checks and balances to limit power.

What two republican ideals did the Constitution stand firmly on?

1. The only legitimate government was based on the consent of the governed

2. Powers of the government should be limited by Constitution

Who were the federalists? What did they believe in and who were their leaders?

The federalists were for the ratification of the Constitution; argued that the checks and balances would safeguard people’s liberties

They were generally wealthier, manufacturers, commercial, lived in seaboards.

Primarily led by Hamilton

Who were the anti-federalists? What did they believe in and who were their leaders?

They were against the ratification of the Constitution, they feared encroachment of rights and believed it to be undemocratic, especially because the Constitution did NOT have a Bill of Rights, which guaranteed the rights of the people

They tended to be state’s right devotees, backcountry dwellers, small farmers, poorest classes, etc.

Led by Jefferson, Samuel Adams, Patrick Henry,

Antifederalists were likely to believe that sovereignty of the people resided in-?

The legislature

Federalists were likely to believe that sovereignty of the people resided in-?

Every branch; executive, legislative, and judicial represented the people

What did both antifederalists and federalists believe in?

Power had to be derided from the people.

Also, they both used newspapers in order to convince people to support or not support.

Why did New York and Virginia ratify the Constitution even though they were generally against it?

For both, 9 states had already registered their approvals for the government. This meant that it was already going to be imposed in the majority of the states. Neither wanted to be left out as they knew they couldn’t make it as solo states, they needed to be in a country. Moreover, for New York, the Federalist Papers were written. These helped lay down arguments for the ratification of the Constitution.

In this new age of democracy, why did American not seek the abolition of slavery?

Slavery was generally avoided since the founding fathers did not want to shatter the little unity the country had (divided since birth).

• Slavery was an important economic institution for the South as they used them for plantations.

What was the Constitution?

The second Constitution of the United States. It is a written charter that provides a generalized framework with rules the country must follow. It lays out the fundamental law and what system of government it follows. It includes three branches, the executive, legislative, and judicial branch which provide checks and balances between three to prevent any from being more powerful than the other.

What did the original Constitution not have?

A Bill of Rights

What does the Constitution do?

It differentiated between the national and state powers.

• National

  • Coin money

  • Foreign affairs

  • Mail Service

  • War declaration

  • International trade

  • In-between state trade

• State

  • Public Safety

  • Schools

  • Intrastate Commerce

  • Anything the national government wasn’t given the power to do

• Both can tax

• Three branches of the government

  • Executive

    • President

  • Legislative

    • Bicameral

  • Judicial

    • Federal court system

Give examples of the checks included in the Constitution.

• Executive (enact laws)

  • Veto laws

  • Appoint supreme court judges

• Legislative (make laws)

  • Impeach president

  • Undo veto

  • Overturn supreme court rulings

  • Impeach judges

• Judicial (Interpret laws)

  • Overturn laws

  • Overturn executive orders

What is in the Constitution?

It lays out the system of the government in 7 articles

• Preamble - purpose and goals of the Constitution

• Article 1 - Legislative (Congress)

  • Has the power to regulate taxes and trade

• Article 2 - Executive (President)

  • How to elect president, powers they have, qualifications, and removal

  • Commander of chief of military, veto laws, appoint judges

• Article 3 - Judicial (Supreme Court)

  • Organization and jurisdiction of federal courts

• Articles 4-7

  • Relationship b/w federal gov and states

  • How to amend

  • How to elect and impeach

• Bill of Rights (first ten amendments) added

Describe the shifts (changes) that occurred from the Articles of Confederation and Constitution

• Federal power > state

• Federal power able to tax and enforce taxation

• New federal court system

• President

• Easier to amend

• Federal regulation of interstate trade and foreign trade

What didn’t change from the shift between Articles and Constitution?

• Type of government stayed the same (republic)

• Some individuals didn’t have any rights

  • Slaves

  • Native Americans

• Many individuals retained same rights

  • Women couldn’t vote; no new rights

  • Property requirements for voting

What were the two ways amendments could be proposed in the Constitution?

1. New constitutional convention requested by 2/3 of states

2. 2/3 vote of both houses in Congress

The first ten amendments of the Constitution are commonly referred to as the Bill of Rights. Write a brief summary of these rights

• Freedom of speech, religion, and press

• Right to bear arms and be trialed by a jury of peers

• Right to assemble and petition government

• Prohibit cruel and unusual punishments

• Prohibit arbitrary government seizure of private property

• 9th Amendment

  • Declared it wasn’t denying other rights not mentioned

• 10th Amendment

  • Any rights not given to government were meant for the people/state

What was the 12th Amendment and why was it important?

Adjusted the Electoral College; Both the president and vice president had to be from different states

Describe the role of slavery in the Constitution

Generally protected, even if not mentioned by name. Could not be banned until 1801.

• Think of the Three-Fifths Compromise

What problems did the new country face well into the 1780s-1800s?

1. Lack of unity - much divisions

2. Not well economically - still in debt

3. Still very weak, lack of allies

Describe Hamilton’s economic policies

• Funding at par

  • pay off debts at face value

• Revive public credit

  • Stimulate business and trade by favoring the wealthy in trade, trickle down to classes

• Assumption of national debt

  • Tie the wealthy to the government, not states

  • maybe help with unification

• National Bank

  • Stimulate business

  • Print paper money

  • Loans

  • Provide strong and stable economy

• Generate Revenue through tariffs

  • Protect infant industries

  • Promote change from agriculture to commercial

  • Excises taxes were controversial

Hamilton VS Jefferson’s interpretations for the Constitution

• Jefferson

  • “Strict Construction”

    • What the Constitution did not permit, it forbade

    • Literal interpretation of the Constitution; word-for-word, if it isn’t on there then it can’t be done

• Hamilton

  • “Loose”

    • What the Constitution did not forbid, it permitted

    • Looks at what the Constitution could imply; if it isn’t denied, it can be done

What two factors led to the development of political parties?

1. Hamilton’s economic policies

2. Foreign Affairs, AKA French Revolution

How were foreign affairs handled in the new country under our first two presidents

Washington

• Proclamation of Neutrality

• Jay’s Treaty

John Adams

• XYZ Affair

• Quasi-War with France

• Convention of 1800

What did the Convention of 1800 do?

Dissolved U.S. and French treaty from the American Revolution. Difficulties Americans experienced from this alliance led to opposition against foreign affairs

What was the Whiskey Rebellion? Why was it important?

An uprising in southwestern Pennsylvania by whiskey distillers against the Whiskey tax. It was put down by Washington, who raised a militia. Proved the government had the right to enforce laws and taxation.

What were some cultural changes that occurred during 1754-1800?

Began to view themselves different from British

• Common Sense

• Declaration of Independence

Change in Political structure

• Republican

• Stronger national government

• Hamilton’s economic policies

  • Beginning of development of an industrial economy (no more mercantilism)

• Articles of Confederation

• Constitution

Technology

• Introduction of new manufacturing technology

What were some cultural continuities that occurred during 1754-1800?

Not all people were given rights

• Slavery protected

  • Slave trade

  • Three-Fifths Compromise

• Women same role

• Native Americans generally not cared for

  • Displaced and mistreated