Constitutional Convention Notes

The Constitutional Debate

Introduction

Koki Roberts introduces the historical context, emphasizing American suspicion of strong central government.
The film recreates the debates surrounding the formation of the US government, highlighting the challenges faced by the states under the Articles of Confederation.
The debates, though dominated by white men, are reframed using modern television to cover the unfolding events in New York. This acknowledges the exclusion of women and blacks from the political process at the time.

The State of the Union in 1787

The Continental Congress is broke, with states failing to contribute their share.
Alexander Hamilton seeks to address the difficulties of the Confederation of States at the Philadelphia Convention, including lack of support for Congress, unpaid national debt, and trade wars between states.
Shays' Rebellion in Massachusetts, caused by economic hardship and farm foreclosures, is spreading fear into Columbia County, New York, prompting Governor George Clinton to offer rewards for captured rebels.
Forrest Sawyer reports that the rebellion is rooted in the faltering economy, leading to farm auctions and desperation among farmers.
Daniel Shays, a Revolutionary War captain, leads the rebellion, aiming to shut down the legal system and defend their farms by force.
John Chancellor emphasizes the breakdown of confidence in government and the weakness of the Continental Congress, raising concerns about potential takeover by hostile groups or a return to monarchy.

Foreign Affairs and Domestic Issues

John Jay reports the capture of American ships by pirates off Tripoli, highlighting the weakness and lack of unified foreign policy, which leads to the humiliation of the American flag and endangers the sailors.
New York City faces garbage collection and sanitation problems due to lack of funding, leading to conflicts over roaming pigs, illustrating the challenges of providing public services.
Al Roker forecasts a cold snap in the northern states due to a high-pressure system over Northwestern territories, contrasting with warmer temperatures in the South.

Trading Eddie's Constitutional Blowout Blitz

Advertisement promoting barter as a solution to the lack of hard cash, emphasizing the insanity of accepting continental dollars. Offers wheat, rye, barley, sugar, ginger, rum and pickled oysters in exchange for hemp, buttons, glass, nails, spikes, boots, stockings, gloves, razors, coffee, and blankets.

The Debate Over the Constitution

The proposed Constitution, signed in Philadelphia, must be ratified by at least nine states, sparking a nationwide campaign against ratification.
Delegates John Lansing Junior and Robert Yates object to the Constitution as it deprives the state of its rights and sovereignty and was created by a federalist clique.
Alexander Hamilton argues that the Constitution addresses the profound crisis facing the country and the failings of the Articles of Confederation.
Yates accuses Hamilton of creating a crisis to grab power, defends the confederation that won the Revolutionary War, and warns against surrendering civil liberties gained through bloodshed.
Hamilton argues that the country is already united by transportation, trade war, language, and shared history of war, emphasizing the need for a strong nation.
Lansing questions the practicality of a central government for such a large nation with diverse interests, religions, and economic concerns, suggesting that true liberty is only possible in a small republic.
Hamilton counters by pointing out the border disputes among the states and the constant wars in Europe due to fragmented states, emphasizing the danger of the country falling apart.
Yates claims that the Constitution gives massive powers to the central government, subjecting New Yorkers to laws made by people from distant states, while Hamilton is accused of twisting words and attacking loyalty.

Paid Political Announcement

The announcement calls for a unified national government to address issues like pirate attacks, British control of the western frontier, and Spanish control of the Mississippi River.

Candidates and Visions

Andrea Mitchell introduces Jesse Woodhull, a farmer, judge, state senator, and militia colonel, who opposes a strong national government because he fears it will take away his property and autonomy. Woodhull invokes the common farmer's mistrust of centralized authority.
Robert Livingston, Chancellor of the State of New York, argues for a strong national government run by experienced leaders, decrying the current politicians as narrow-minded and focused on short-term gains. Livingston highlights the need for statesmen with long-term vision.

Public Opinion and Debate

The anti-federalists, those delegates against the constitution, have won a huge majority.
Jesse Woodhull believes the states can solve their own economic problems without a dangerous new system.
Isaac Roosevelt, president of the Bank of New York, argues the country lacks credit because the states cannot pay their debts.
Roosevelt claims the state government gets a free ride, funded by customs duties from the city, while farmers avoid land taxes.
The need for a bill of rights to protect civil liberties is raised, criticizing the absence of explicit protections for freedom of speech, assembly, press, and religion.
Livingston argues against listing every freedom, stating the constitution is not taking them away, while critics demand written guarantees for basic civil liberties.
A paid political announcement warns against a king-like president and centralized power, urging support for local candidates against the constitution.

The Poughkeepsie Convention Opens

Robert MacNeil discusses Hamilton's efforts writing the Federalist Papers to promote the pro-Constitution message.
Melancton Smith expresses that the Friends of the Rights of Mankind outnumber the advocates of tyranny two to one; also that the rich and powerful don't have much say in the running of the country, a victory for the common man.
Hamilton criticizes the shoemakers and carpenters running state governments, advocating for an aristocracy of intelligence and experience; furthermore popular government cannot run on the scale of town meetings.
Smith invokes Hamilton's background by calling attention to the slave colony of the West Indies.
Hamilton declares the need for stable governments, denouncing petty republics and the impracticality of voluntary state cooperation.
Smith highlights representatives must always be re-elected and cannot specialize, causing chaos in the government.
Hamilton brings up his distrust of popular government, using the example of mob rule to describe his criticism.
Smith claims that if the people had power, there would be property danger.
Hamilton attacks the government's constant change, with a yearly re-election, and points out that his government would be far enough away to prevent tyranny.
Smith claims that Hamilton's constitution would be far-reaching like the English government and that we should decide together the best form of government.

New Hampshire Ratifies: Convention Week Three

Debate continues, delegates discuss whether the constitution should be ratified as is and amended later (Federalist claim) or whether New York State can make a list of amendments, conditionally (anti-Federalist claim).
John Jay asserts that attaching amendments creates a new document that would have to be passed by the States (i.e. not amendable).
Jay warns against not trusting the States enough to try something new, and instead advocates sabotage of the union.
Charlene Hunter announces that Virginia has ratified the constitution.
Roosevelt observes that the convention will be stampeded and New York should join the United States.
Christian notes that New York (and Rhode Island and North Carolina) will get the constitution and the bill of rights that they advocated for.

Aftermath

On the 4th of July, protests in response to the anti-Constitution efforts were rioted on Green Street.
With Virginia's victory, the Federalist stopped trying to press the issue so strongly as they now had enough votes with the sister states.
From July 2nd to 10th, the majority wanted a bill of rights, the Federalist were not willing to compromise.
Hamilton claimed that soon those who opposed the new constitution would find themselves aliens among their own families.
The city of New York said that if the state did not ratify it would separate from the state.
Smith dropped the bill of rights demand and only wanted to reserve the right to withdraw after a given amount of time.
Smith's efforts and breaking of the party line were frowned upon and the group went into disarray.
The parade in New York protested against the anti-Federalist paper, the New York Journal which was sacked and destroyed, and supporters of the movement had to hide.
The Federalists' success came with the economic risk of being alone in the union, and so they voted to ratify.
Jay came up with the bill of rights and declared that had New York's commitment not been so strong, they would not have joined the Union at all.

Conclusion

Yates who was against the constitution admitted defeat and declared it the law of the land.
27 against and 30 supporting ratification shows that New York joined with strong reservations whose roots would later form the Bill of Rights.
The arguments on both sides formed the basis for a new country that no one could have imagined.
Many countries throughout history have passed into history, but the American Constitution remains due to compromise.