History The New Republic

Burgreen

Who wrote the Articles of Confederation?

John Dickinson (PA)

When was the Articles of Confederation adopted by Congress?

1777

When was the Articles of Confederation ratified by the States?

1781

What did the Articles of Confederation do?

Established a central government

How many states had to agree on a vote in order for it to pass? To amend?

9 of 13; unanimous to amend

What were the four powers given to Congress?

Power to wage war, make treaties, send diplomatic representatives overseas, and borrow money

What powers were not given to Congress?

Power to regulate trade, enforce laws, and collect taxes (had to wait on taxes to be voted by each state)

What were some accomplishments of the New Republic?

• helped win war (negotiated Treaty of Paris)

• Land of Ordinance 1785: policy for surveying/selling land; each township had to set aside one section of land for public education

• Northwest Ordinance 1787: rules for creating new states between the Great Lakes and the Ohio River; territories got limited self-government and no slavery was allowed

What were some financial problems with the New Republic?

Their war debts went unpaid; States/Congress issued worthless paper money

What were some foreign problems in the New Republic?

• Little European respect for our new country

• Britain and Spain tried to explore their interests in the west

What were some Domestic problems during the New Republic?

• Newburgh Conspiracy: officers tried to get payback (but this collapsed)

Shay’s Rebellion (1786):

• Farmer rebellion occurred because of high taxes and no money

• It stopped taxes and debtors courts

• 1787 attempted to take weapons from Springfield Armory (but militia broke it up)

In the New Republic, what were some social changes after the war?

• no aristocratic titles

• separation of church and state

In the New Republic, what were the social changes with women after the war?

• some went to war; some kept the economy going

• were still treated as second class

In the New Republic, what were the social changes with slavery after the war?

• went against the Revolution’s ideas

• Continental Congress abandoned importation of enslaved

• some states abolished it; most thought it was vital to the economy

What was the Constitutional Convention?

The process to fix the New Republic

When and where did the Constitutional Convention take place?

May-September 17, 1787 in Philadelphia

How many people attended the Constitutional Convention? What kind of people were they?

55 delegates; all white, wealthy, educated, older men

Who was the leader of the Constitutional Convention? The advisor?

George Washington; Benjamin Franklin

Who wrote most of the Constitutional Convention?

James Madison

Did the delegates of the Constitutional Convention decide to tell the public about it?

No

What were the four key issues of the Constitutional Convention?

Representation, slavery, trade, and presidency

What were the steps in the Constitutional Convention to get the representation we still have today?

1) Virginia Plan (James Madison) [legislative, executive & judicial]

2) New Jersey Plan (William Patterson) [one house; smaller states need representation too]

3) Connecticut Plan (Roger Sherman) [The Great Compromise] -two-house system called bicamera-

• Senate (equality)

• House of Representatives (population)

What was the solution to whether or not slaves should count in the population number?

3/5ths Compromise (James Wilson), where slaves counted as 3/5ths of a person

What was the solution to whether or not slave trade should be allowed?

They would revisit it in 20 years (1808)

What was the main conflict between trade in the north and the south?

The south grew the crops but had to be allowed by the north to ship them through there

What was the Commercial Compromise?

North would be happy bc congress can place tariff on foreign imports (not exports)

South would be happy bc congress could regulate trade with states and foreign countries, not the north

What was the solution to the presidential term?

It was a four year term with no term limit (until 1945—>22nd amendment to two term limit)

What chose the president?

Constitution gave the president power to veto and was chosen by electors through the Electoral College

Who were the federalists?

Strongly supported big government

Who were the anti-federalists?

Opposed the idea of a big government; wanted a split

Who were some main federalist leaders?

From big cities along Atlantic coast:

• George Washington

• Alexander Hamilton

• James Madison

• Benjamin Franklin

Who were some main anti-federalist leaders?

From farms/small towns along frontier boarder:

• Patrick Henry

• John Hancock

• George Mason

• George Clinton

• James Winthrop

What were the federalist papers?

85 essays published in newspapers through two volumes (March; May)

What was the purpose of the federalist papers?

To convince New-Yorkers to send delegates to convention to vote and ratify the treaty.

What were the three main federalist paper essays?

• Federalist #39&#51 (Madison) Checks & Balances and Separation of Power

• Federalist #10 (Madison) How to Prevent Majority from Ruling

• Federalist # 84 (Hamilton) The Case Against the Bill of Rights

Preamble

“We the people of the united States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”

Limited Government

Where government bodies are prohibited from certain activities to keep the government from having too much control

Republicanism

Support for government where the people hold the power

Checks and Balances

Provides each branch of government with individual powers to check the other branches and prevent any one branch from becoming too powerful.

Separation of Powers

System where the three branches of government (executive, legislative, and judicial) are kept separate.

Popular Sovereignty

Government based on the consent of the people.