Key Concepts

• How the continued presence of European powers in North America challenged the US to find ways to safeguard its borders, maintain neutral trading rights, and promote its economic interests.

• How many new state constitutions and the Articles of Confederation reflected republican fears of both centralized power and excessive popular influence, placed power in the hands of the legislative branch, and maintained property qualifications for voting and citizenship.

• How difficulties over trade, finance, and interstate and foreign relations as wel as internal unrest caused many Americans to call for significant revisions to the Articles of Confederation and the creation of a stronger central govt.

• How the delegates from the states worked through a series of compromises to form a Constitution for a new national govt based on federalism and separation of powers.

• How the framers of the Constitution set the stage recurring conflicts over slavery by postponing a solution to the problems of slavery and the slave trade

• How during and after the American Revolution an increased awareness of the inequalities in society motivated some individuals and groups to call for the abolition of slavery and greater political democracy in the new state and national govts.

The Confederation

• Colonists were setting up a new type of govt, but this "evolution" also led to changes in social Customs., economic practices and ideas about race and gender

• States had to make their own constitutions → MA wrote a constitution and had it ratified by the people, which influenced how the federal Constitution was written. All states intentionally limited the authority of the executive and judicial branches after their bad experiences with the monarchy of Britain.

• The idea of giving power back to the people is seen when large plots of land→ economic democracy provided everybody with equal opportunity. Manufacturing also increased as the US expanded their markets abroad are split up into small farms

• Articles of Confederation: govt created by Continental Congress. The (purposeful) lack of a strong central govt. led toba lack of authority over basic powers like tax collections and commerce regulations. However, it provided significant outline of a govt.

• Land Ordinance of 1785: land in the Old Northwest would be sold and profits would be used to pay off natl. debt. Additionally, some land would b set aside for public schools

• Northwest Ordinance of 1787: said that Northwest territory could becom a state when it has a population of 60,000

• Shay's Rebellion (1786): led by Daniel Shay and other Rev veterans turned farmers who protested the fact that their were being foreclosed. Wanted govt to issue paper mone lighten taxes. State militia barely put down uprising → shows the need for a strong central govt, as the elite fear of a "mobocracy," where people revolt to get their demands.

Constitutional Convention 1787

• After an initial failure, a convention was held where all the states sent delegates, totaling 55, all picked solely by the people. All of them were wealthy professionals (no poor debtors → their concerns aren't addressed). Hoped to create a govt that could easily enforce domestic laws and garner respect abroad (many foreign nations had bad relations w/ the US)

• Plan for representation:

  • Virginia Plan: both houses of a two body Congress should allot representatives to states based on population → better for large states b/c it gives them more representation

  • New Jersey Plan: there would be one body of Congress where each state gets a set number of representatives regardless of population → prevent smaller states from being overpowered by larger states

  • Great Compromise: created a two body Congress where one body had representatives based on population and the other had a set number of representatives (Senators). Also, every tax bill must originate in the House of Representatives

• Common Law: Constitution provided broad, flexible rules of conduct instead of detailed laws

• Debate over slaves → Do they count as population? South, which had more slaves and therefore wants to include them as people so they get more reps, in the HOR, says yes. North, who think slaves are property and want to reduce South's influence, say no.

• 3/5 Compromise: slaves count as /s of a person

  • Antifederalists: opposed ratification of the Constitution. Often from the poorer classes, they saw a stronger fed. govt as a way for the rich to take power from the people. Eventually gave in after a Bill of Rights enumerating an individual's rights was also added

  • Federalists: often more wealthy, wanted to ratify Constitution. Convinced people of the necessity of a Constitution with The Federalist Papers

Miscellaneous

• Society of the Cincinnati: exclusive group for former Continental army officers → most thought it was pretentious, which shows the public disdain for pre-Revolution and/or Anglican traditions.

• To further sever ties with British traditions, churches were disestablished, allowing for the separation of church and states.

• Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom: banned state-supported churches and allowed for religious freedom.

• Quakers create an anti-slavery society; although the importation of slaves is stopped, the domestic trade prospers → slave rights wasn't a contending issue with the Constitution because it would have intensified debates surrounding the Constitution, which meant a longer time without a central authority.

• Civic virtue: concept that democracy depended on the commitment of every citizen to unselfishly work for the common good.

• Republican motherhood: since women were responsible for caring for children, they were in charge of instilling democratic ideals in them as well → women were put on a prestigious platform as the homemaker and given more educational opportunities.