Constitution and New Republic, 1776-1800

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Constitution and New Republic,1776-1800
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Philadelphia Convention 87

• Washington agrees to preside only after Shays
  Rebellion
• Complete overhaul of fed. govt on the agenda
• Weaknesses of Art. of Con. obvious
• Fear of centralized govt still strong

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Madison and the VA Plan

• Madison, Randolph and other Virginians dominate
  early proceedings
• Executive, legislative, and judicial branches
  called for by Randolph
• Bicameral Congress
• Lower house by pop
• Lower chooses upper

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Small States Respond (NJ Plan)

• Patterson calls for unicameral Congress
• Equal rep. for all states
• Increased taxing/interstate power
• Virginia plan supporters knew they had to
  compromise with the small states to ensure
  ratification

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The Great Compromise

• Bicameral Congress created
• House of Rep. (Lower)
• elected based on pop.
• 3/5 compromise
• Senate (Upper)
• equal rep. for all states
• Appointed by state leg.

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Dodging the Issue

• Southern delegates worry about the legality of
  slavery and the fed. govt interfering with it
• Slave trade allowed to continue until 1808
• No heavy taxing on imported slaves

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Federalists

• Hamilton, Madison, and Jay (Publius) publish The
  Federalist Papers
• Thought a stronger, more centralized govt was
  needed
• Abandoned the ideas of the Art. of Confederation
• Feared chaos and the
• power of the people

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Anti-Federalists

• Jefferson led school of thought
• Feared concentrated power
• Trusted the will of the people
• Thought Constitution was too removed from the
  people
• Demanded a bill of rights

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Bill of Rights

• Appeased the Anti-Federalists
• 1-9 stop Congress from impinging on rights
• 10 Powers not mentioned reserved to the state
  govts

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Washington takes the oath of office
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Washingtons Presidency

• Received all electoral votes
• Adams (Fed.) becomes VP
• Remained neutral in politics (actually,
  supported
• Federalists)

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Forming the First Cabinet

• Hamilton
• Sec. of Treasury
• Knox
• Sec. of War
• Randolph
• Attorney General
• Jefferson
• Sec. of State

• Tried to balance regions and viewpoints
• Rift develops between Hamilton and Jefferson

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Hamiltons Financial Program

• Washington supported
• Tried to gain support of the elite
• Govt should assume public debt and state debt
• Taxes raised by whiskey tax
• Create a National Bank to stabilize financial
  structure

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Opposition to Federalist Program

• VA protests assuming state debts
• Future capital is moved to DC as compromise
• Small farmers protest taxes
• National Bank
• Loose interpretation of Const. troubled
  Jefferson, Madison, and co.
• Passed over protests

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Beginnings of Political Parties

• Const. does not mention parties
• Washington opposed them
• These early squabbles created allies and enemies
• Two camps emerge
• Federalist
• Republican (Anti-Federalist)

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Securing the Frontier

• Northwest Ordinance was not enough
• Land claims sorted out
• Whiskey Rebellion in PA put down by fed. govt.

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Foreign Difficulties

• Britain and France engaged in war
• American neutrality declared
• British impressment
• Jays Treaty w/ Britain (Federalist influenced)
• Pinckneys Treaty w/ Spain (US can use the
  Mississippi)

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Pinckneys Treaty
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John Adams Presidency

• Washingtons Farewell Address
• One-term Federalist, elected in 1796 over
  Jefferson (became VP)
• Fed. were splintering

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The Quasi War with France

• XYZ Affair outrages Americans
• Undeclared naval warfare
• Eventually tensions cool

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Alien and Sedition Acts

• Fed. attempt to quiet Rep. Opposition
• Alien Act
• Harder for foreigners (tended to be Rep.) to
  become citizens
• Sedition Act
• Punished anti-govt activities (writings and
  otherwise)

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The Revolution of 1800

• Rematch from 1796
• Bitter campaigns
• Jefferson elected after 36 counts
• Rep. Control exec. and leg. Branches
• Fed. Control the judiciary
• Adams appoints midnight judges

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