Period 3 Notes

Land Disputes and the French and Indian War

• Land disputes over the Ohio River Valley led to the French and Indian War.

Mercantilist Policies and the Navigation Acts

• The time period ushers in mercantilist policies.
• Navigation Acts of 1650 and 1660: These acts regulated colonial trade, requiring colonists to trade only on British ships and primarily with the British.
• If colonists traded with other countries, Britain would tax them.
• Britain controlled trade out of their North American colonies.

Salutary Neglect

• From 1650 to 1750, Britain was occupied with internal issues (English Civil War, disputes between Puritans and Catholics) and left the American colonies alone.
• Salutary Neglect: A period where the British ignored the Navigation Acts, allowing the British colonies to set up their own trade and government systems.
• This is important because after the French and Indian War, this dynamic changed.

Treaty of Paris of 1763

• The Treaty of Paris of 1763 ended the French and Indian War.

Pontiac's Rebellion and the Proclamation Line of 1763

• Pontiac's Rebellion: Violent interactions with Native Americans led by Chief Pontiac in the Ohio River Valley.
• The British put down the rebellion and established the Proclamation Line of 1763.
• Proclamation Line of 1763: An imaginary line around the Appalachian Mountains, restricting colonists from settling in the Ohio River Valley.
• This reversed Salutary Neglect as the British started regulating colonial life and trade.
• Colonists largely ignored the proclamation.

Taxation Without Representation

• Colonists, led by John Dickinson from Pennsylvania (Letter from a Pennsylvania Farmer in 1765), protested taxation without representation.

Common Sense and Thomas Paine

• Common Sense, written by Thomas Paine in January 1776, was based on Enlightenment ideas.
• Paine argued that the British shouldn't rule the Americas due to the distance and larger colonial population.
• He advocated for natural rights (life, liberty, and property) and self-government.
• Republican Virtue (Civic Virtue): Citizens in a republic follow the rules for the common good.
• Citizens give up some rights and follow the rules for the betterment of society.

Declaration of Independence

• The Declaration of Independence was influenced by John Locke's concept of natural rights.
• John Locke's Two Treatises of Government argued that governments should protect natural rights, and if they fail to do so, the people have the right to overthrow the government.
• The Declaration of Independence declared America's independence from Great Britain (July 4, 1776).
• The Declaration of Independence was adopted on July 2, 1776, and partially signed on July 4, 1776.

Turning Point: Battle of Saratoga

• The Battle of Saratoga was a turning point in the Revolutionary War.
• The American victory convinced the French to join the war.
• Franco-American Alliance of 1778: The French joined the Americans, providing troops and support.
• The British surrendered after the Battle of Yorktown after being surrounded by French and American forces.

Treaty of Paris of 1783

• The Treaty of Paris of 1783 ended the American Revolution.
• It granted America independence and land up to the Mississippi River.
• The British were supposed to vacate forts in the Midwest but didn't, leading to future conflict (War of 1812).

Republican Motherhood

• Republican Motherhood: The idea that women should train young citizens in civic culture and virtue.
• Women's roles changed as they were responsible for teaching their children civic virtue.

Articles of Confederation

• The Articles of Confederation was the first American government, set up in 1777 and adopted in 1781, lasting until 1789.
• It established a weak federal government with strong state governments.
• It created a "firm league of friendship" between states.
• The structure intentionally avoided a strong central authority to prevent another monarchy.
• There was no president, a unicameral (one branch) legislature (Congress), no federal court system, and no standing army.
• The federal government couldn't coin money or tax people.

Strengths and Weaknesses of the Articles

• Land Ordinance and Northwest Ordinance: Territories could set up their own legislatures and apply for statehood once they reached 60,000 people.
• The government was very weak and struggled to address national issues.
• Shay's Rebellion: Demonstrated the weakness of the government when it couldn't effectively put down the rebellion.

Constitutional Convention of 1787

• The Constitutional Convention of 1787 was initially intended to revise the Articles of Confederation but resulted in writing a new constitution.
• James Madison is considered the "father of the US Constitution."
• Convention took place in Independence Hall in Philadelphia.

Great Compromise

• The Great Compromise was between small (New Jersey Plan) and big states (Virginia Plan).
• New Jersey Plan (William Patterson): Called for a unicameral legislature with equal representation.
• Virginia Plan: Called for a bicameral legislature with representation based on population.
• The Great Compromise created a bicameral system: one house (House of Representatives) based on proportional representation, and the other house (Senate) based on equal representation (two senators per state).

Slavery Compromises

• The word slavery never appears in the constitution until the 13th amendment.
• One interpretation suggests that the framers believed slavery would eventually die out.
• Three-Fifths Compromise: Each slave counted as three-fifths of a person for representation and taxation, giving Southern states more power in Congress and the Electoral College.
• Slave Trade Compromise: The importation of enslaved people would end twenty years after the ratification of the Constitution (in 1808).

Federalists vs. Anti-Federalists

• Federalists: Supported the Constitution, advocating for a strong central government.
• Anti-Federalists: Opposed the Constitution, fearing a powerful central government.
• The Federalist Papers were written to argue in favor of the Constitution.
• Bill of Rights: The Anti-Federalists agreed to the Constitution but only after the Bill of Rights was added. These listed basic rights that can not be taken away be the federal government.
• The Bill of Rights was added to the Constitution as a condition for ratification.

Bill of Rights

• The Bill of Rights comprises the first ten amendments to the Constitution.
• They list basic rights that cannot be taken away by the federal government (though they can be limited).
• The Bill of Rights was ratified in 1789 after George Washington became president.
• It was part of the compromises that created the Constitution, not part of the original document.

George Washington's Presidency

• George Washington became the first president, winning unanimously twice in the Electoral College.
• The Electoral College is a system that chooses the president, with people voting for electors who then select the president.
• Washington set many precedents, including appointing advisors (his cabinet).
• His first cabinet included Alexander Hamilton (Treasury), Thomas Jefferson (Secretary of State), Henry Knox (Secretary of War), and John Adams (Vice President).
• Washington established the title "Mister President" and added "so help me God" to the inauguration ceremony.

Hamilton's Financial Plan

• The first major crisis under the Constitution was Hamilton's financial plan.

• The US had significant federal and state debt after the Revolution.

• Hamilton's Banking Plan involved four things:

  1. Assumption of State Debts: The federal government would assume all state debts.
  2. Excise Tax: A tax on goods used in the system, like whiskey.
  3. Protective Tariff: A tax on imported goods to encourage buying American-made goods.
  4. National Bank: A national bank where the federal government would store its money and provide credit to manufacturers and businesses.

• Opponents and proponents of Hamilton's plan created the first two political parties:

  • Federalists: Supported Hamilton's plan, the tariff, the bank, the excise tax, and a strong federal government. They wanted to base the economy on manufacturing.
  • Democratic-Republicans: Led by Thomas Jefferson, they opposed the bank, the tariff, and the excise tax. They believed farming should be the primary way of making money.

• The creation of the banking plan led to the two party system.

• In order to pass the banking plan, Federalists made a deal with the anti-federalists to move the capitol from New York to the South in ten years.

Interpretation of the Constitution

• Federalists favored a loose interpretation of the Constitution, using the elastic clause (Article 1, Section 8, Clause 18, the "necessary and proper" clause) to justify actions not explicitly stated in the Constitution.
• Democratic-Republicans favored a strict interpretation, believing the government could only do what was specifically written in the Constitution.
• The Tenth Amendment gives states power over issues not specifically addressed in the Constitution.

Washington's Presidency: Whiskey Rebellion

• Washington enforced federal laws using the military in the Whiskey Rebellion of 1794.
• Whiskey farmers in Pennsylvania rebelled against Hamilton's excise tax on whiskey.
  Washington led 15,000 troops to put down the rebellion, demonstrating the power of the federal government to enforce laws.

Treaties and Foreign Policy

• Washington signed treaties with other countries, including Jay's Treaty and Pinckney's Treaty.
• Washington's foreign policy was to remain neutral in foreign affairs.
• Proclamation of Neutrality in 1793: America wouldn't assist either the French or the British in their wars.
• Farewell Address*: Washington warned Americans to remain isolated and avoid foreign entanglements; this policy was followed until the formation of NATO in 1949.

John Adams and the Alien and Sedition Acts

• British and French were impressing American sailors, Adams sent envoys to France to negotiate, but the French asked for a bribe.
• The incident enraged Americans.
• Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798: Restricted civil liberties during wartime, making it illegal to speak out against the president or the Federalist Party and allowed the president to deport non-citizens.

Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions

• Written by James Madison and Thomas Jefferson in response to the Alien and Sedition Acts.
• They introduced the theory of nullification, arguing that states had the right to nullify federal laws they deemed unconstitutional.
• The Alien Sedition Act limited people's rights.
• This theory was later used in the Tariff Compromise of 1832 and the secession crisis of 1861, leading to the Civil War.