Unit 3 - Constitutional Foundations and Federalist Ideologies

Declaration of Independence ( $1776$ ): Authored by Thomas Jefferson, it served as America's official break-up letter to Britain.
Core Components: Included the Preamble, the Declaration of Natural Rights, a List of Grievances, and the Resolution of Independence.
Significance: Established starting beliefs and prior attempts at redress; signed by representatives from each colony.

Nature of Government: Defined as a "Confederation," a loose association of states under localized control with a common goal.
Structure: Created by the Continental Congress in $1777$ and ratified in $1781$ . It intentionally lacked an executive and judicial branch to avoid tyranny.
Powers: The Continental Congress could declare war, raise armies, and sign treaties.
Limitations: It could not impose taxes or regulate trade; power was concentrated in the legislative branch.
State Requirements: Most new state constitutions included property qualifications for voting and citizenship.

Land Ordinance of $1785$ : Provided a way for the government to raise revenue through land sales instead of direct taxes.
Northwest Ordinance: Established a three-step process for admitting new states:
- Step $1$ : Governor appointed for the territory.
- Step $2$ : Upon reaching $5,000$ free men, the territory elects a legislature.
- Step $3$ : Upon reaching $60,000$ residents, the territory could apply for statehood.
Social Impact: The Northwest Ordinance promoted public education, protected private property, and banned slavery in the northern territory.

Economic Crisis: The $1780s$ economy suffered from massive debts to countries like France, high inflation, and a decimated Navy.
Shay's Rebellion ( $1786$ ): Led by Daniel Shays, war veterans and farmers seized an armory in Springfield, $MA$ , due to land debt and unpaid wages.
Outcome: The slow government response underscored the need for a stronger central authority.

Assembly: $55$ delegates (excluding Rhode Island) met in June $1787$ to address government weakness.
The Virginia Plan: Proposed three branches of government with representation based on the number of citizens.
The New Jersey Plan: Proposed modifying the AoC to give every state equal power in Congress.
Three-Fifths Compromise: Southern delegates wanted slaves to count for representation; it was decided that slaves would count as $3/5$ of a person for electing representatives.

Federalists: Favored a strong national government, a single executive, and power divided among branches. Mostly wealthy property owners who believed the "educated" should make decisions.
Antifederalists: Favored keeping power within the states and a strong legislative branch. They demanded a Bill of Rights to protect citizens and represented middle-class farmers and laborers.

Democratic Deficit: The Constitution was less democratic than perceived; only white male property owners could vote, and the President/Congress nominated Supreme Court judges.
Voting and Representation: Caucuses were used for local voting; Gerrymandering emerged as a technique to redraw district lines to influence voting outcomes.