Chapter 9

Chapter 9

A Revolution of Sentiments:

A The revolution was more an accelerated evolution, than revolution.

B. Many changes did take place in society & politics, like when 80,000 loyalist made their

departure, states reducing their property holding requirements for voting & some inheritance laws were removed in some states.

C. Religion changes occurred too, like how the congregational church continued to be

legally established in some New England states, the Anglican church was reformed &

in Virginia Thomas Jefferson won victory with the passage of the Virginia Statute for

Religious Freedom in 1786.

D. Slavery was also challenged when the Quakers founded the Its. Antislavery society in 1 775, & when the continental congress called for the abolition of the slave trade in 1774.

Constitution Making in the States:

A. In 1 776, the continental congress called upon the colonies to draft new constitutions.

B. the new constitutions had many features in common, like they were all meant to represent a fundamental law, most had a bill of rights, & most required tile annual election of legislators.

Economic crosscurrents:

A. After the war the confiscated loyalist holdings were cut up into small farms & helped spread economic democracy.

B. The colonies had to learn how to make the goods they had formerly imported from Britain.

C. The colonies were forced to look for new customers after the Revolution & as a result the colonies began to trade with foreign countries as far as the Baltic & China sea's.

D. The whole economics & social atmosphere became unhealthy, and because of the

controversy leading to the Revolution War bred distaste for taxes, & the seizure of

loyalist estates encouraged disrespect for private property.

A Shaky start toward union:

A. America was more of a name than a nation because of the lack of unity.

B. British manufacturers began to flood the American market with cut-rate goods.

Some signs of hope did arise, like the fact that all the colonies were basically alike in government, Americans had rich political inheritance, & the colonies had real political leaders.

Creating a Confederation:

A. The second Continental Congress was little more than a conference of ambassadors of the thirteen states, because it had no constitutional authority although it did have some control over military affairs & foreign policy's.

B. Shortly before declaring independence in 1 776, the congress appointed a committee

to relocate or draft articles of confederation, which was adopted in 1 777 & finally

Approved directly on behalf of the congress.

C. Western lands became apples of discord

This being when,

1:six states did not have land holdings beyond the Allegheny Mountains,

2: the six states complained that land blessed states would not have retained possession if all other states had not fought for it also, showing jealousy for New York & Virginia.

D. Articles of the confederation required unanimous approval, yet Maryland held out until New York and Virginia gave their western land up in 1 781.

E. Congress decided to carve "republican " states out of the western lands, but the pledge was later redeemed in the Northwest Ordinance of 1787.

The Articles of Confederation: Americas 1st constitution:

A. The articles of confederation provided for a loose confederation, because it had no executive branch & the judicial arm was left to the sovereign states.

B. Congress was purposely designed to be weak

1. This is because states did not want to lose their control over taxes & commerce.

C. The articles of Confederation proved to be a landmark in government, as a result it

became a stepping-stone towards the present constitution.

Landmarks in Land Laws:

A. The congress of the confederation succeeded in passing supremely far sighted pieces

of legislation

1: The first was the ordinance of 1785, which provided that the old northwest should

be sold to pay off the national debt

2:more important than the 1st was the North west Ordinance of 1787?

The World's Ugly Duckling:

A. Foreign relations continued trouble during the years of the confederation as

England decided to repeal its Navigation laws.

B. England maintained a chain of trading posts on US soil, so it could continue trade with the Indians & keep them on Britain's side.

C. The colonies also had troubled with Spain, France, & Pirates, remaining unfriendly to

the New Republic closing the Mississippi to American commerce claiming a large area,

Including Florida, & restricting trade with the West Indies

The horrid Specter of anarchy:

A: Economic storm clouds continued to loom in the mid-1780:

1. Independent states began getting out of hand taxing for goods from neighbors.

2. This led to the "shays rebellion" in Massachusetts in 1 786 causing farmers, led by Daniel Shays, to demand cheap money paper, lighter taxes, & a suspension of property takeover.

B: Massachusetts authorities respond.

1.they raised a small army, causing the movement to collapse, yet did not kill their dream.

2.By 1 789 overseas shipping regained its place in the commercial world due to

Confederation Strengthening.

A convention of "Demigods"

A. Control of commerce:

1. This control set off a chain reaction leadin-to a constitutional convention in 1786,

Which, if not for thirty-one-year -old Alexander Hamilton would have completely failed.

2. Fifty-five embassies from 12 states finally convened at Philadelphia at the red brick house.

3. Every state chose a representative, which in May 25,1787 George Washington was unanimously elected chairman.

4. Most of the Revolutionary leaders of 1 776 were absent at that time.

Patriots in Philadelphia:

A. The 55 delegates:

1. These 55 delegates were high-ranking spokesmen, but not one of them was from the poor debtors group.

2. These delegates main interest was to strengthen the government & protect the American democratic experiment from weakness, such as republicanism.

3. Other motives included preserving the union, forestalls anarchy, & ensures security of life & property.

4. Later on Daniel Shays became another founding father occupying the 56th Chair.

Hammering out a bundle of compromises

A. Overth o wing tli e Un ited States:

1. Some of the travel-stained delegates had intentions of overgrowthing- the existing-

Government of United States.

2. Virginia made the scheme known as "the large state plan " giving right to representation of both houses to population advantage- giving, large states the advantage.

B.New Jersey counter attacks:

1.New Jersey countered with "the small-state plan for equal representation regardless of size or population, cause of fear that larger states would band together & lord over the rest.

2. The population in the House of Representatives agreed upon, "Great

Compromise " giving the larger states representation, & smaller states were appeased by equal representation in the senate.

C. The constitutional outcome:

1. The constitution was a bundle of compromises whereas electing a president was

indirect, rather than by direct means.

2. Jealousy also intruded, as in the case of arguing if a slaves should count in

references to apportioning direct taxes, but was decided to count as one third of a person.

Safeguard for Conservatism:

A. The convention was largely agreed on many subjects & was more compatible than seemed.

B.Not many of the delegates were agreeing with democratic elements and therefore, from May 25 to September 17,1787 only 42 of them remained to sign the Constitution & none were completely happy with the result it had.

The Clash of Federalist & Antifederalist:

A. Troubles with accepting the Constitution:

1. Since the farming fathers knew it would not be accepted easily they formed a barrier for amendment of the still-standing articles from it which shocked tile Americans and raised a enormous debate.

2. Many people gathered at the Antifederalist camp with suspicions that the

conniving tipper crust was making a plot against the common folks, but were able to

force antifederalists-list to change some of the Constitutions actions.

The Great Debate in the States:

A.Electionfor the Constitution.

1. Special elections were held to determine if candidates who had been elected were towards or against the constitution, where as four accepted it.

2. Despite the fact that certain people feared what was to come of tile constitution the majority of the states decided that the constitution would serve very useful later on & so on June 21,1 788 the document was officially adopted.

The four laggard States

A. Virginia provided fierce Antifederalist opposition, by ratifying the constitutions

after a debate in the state convention 89 to 79.

B . New York allowed a manhood suffrage vote for the members of the ratifying

convention, which resulted in heavy antifederalist majority & ratified the constitution 30 to 27, but North Carolina & Rhode Island did not even vote.

A Conservative

A. Only about one fourth of the adult white males in the country voted for the delegates to the ratifying convention, which resulted in very little opposition of the constitution.