U.S. Politics 1783-1800

Post-Revolutionary Context
- Each state had its own constitution, paper money, and tax system post-war
- Economic decline led to state debts and demands for payment in gold/silver
- Farmers struggled with over-inflated paper money; faced foreclosures
Shays's Rebellion (1786-87)
- Armed protest by Massachusetts farmers led by Daniel Shays against taxation policies
- Failure prompted leaders to reconsider the Articles of Confederation
Constitutional Convention (1787)
- Delegates met in Philadelphia to create a stronger federal government
- The Articles of Confederation were discarded in favor of a new Constitution
- Supported by Federalists who claimed to seek a "more perfect union"
Federalists vs. Anti-Federalists
- Federalists: Supported strong federal power; led by Hamilton
- Goals: Take over state debts, establish a national bank, regulate interstate commerce, and implement high tariffs
- Base: Merchants, traders, shippers, and coastal commercial farmers
- Anti-Federalists: Advocated for states' rights; led by Jefferson
- Wanted a decentralized government, with power in the hands of yeoman farmers
- Base: Backcountry farmers and state leaders fearful of federal control
Ratification & Bill of Rights
- Federalists agreed to the Bill of Rights to secure the Constitution's ratification
- Emergence of the Democratic-Republicans as a faction opposing Federalists
Foreign Affairs & Partisan Divide
- After the French Revolution (1789), divided public opinion on Britain vs. France
- Federalists leaned toward Britain, while Democratic-Republicans supported France
Election of 1800
- Tension between Federalist John Adams and Anti-Federalist Thomas Jefferson
- Jefferson’s victory marked the first peaceful transfer of power between parties in history.