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Colonists resented the privileges that accompanied noble birth
GWs Society of the Cincinnati were rejected as hereditary peerage
Laws of primogeniture and entail were outlawed
Westerners fought for more equality, centralized state capitals
State churches were disestablished
Quaker John Woolman urged the abolition
Double standards about slavery were openly discussed
Natural rights seemed to contradict slavery
The accomplishments of Phyllis Wheatley were celebrated
Former slave lived in Boston
Published a volume of poetry in 1773
Benjamin Banneker was also highly accomplished
As a writer, city planner, scientist
Published a well-known almanac
Exchanged letters with Thomas Jefferson
Prominent Americans opposed slavery
Franklin's Society for the Relief of Free Negroes (1775)
Manumission Society in NY (1785)
Founded by John Jay, Alexander Hamilton and others
Vermont's Constitution outlawed slavery (1777)
PA (1780) passed gradual emancipation
MA state courts declared slavery illegal
Free blacks were denied many basic rights
Could not vote, serve or juries or militias
Were segregated in churches
Richard Allen began the Bethel (1793)
and AME church (1814)
Over 30,000 free blacks in VA by 1800
GW and others freed their slaves
Jefferson freed a few but kept most
The cotton gin helped expand slavery to AL and MS
Pamela and Clarissa showed the accepted place of women in society
Abigail Adams unsuccessfully lobbied for increased rights for women
Republican women had a prominent role in promoting virtue
Women's education became necessary
They had to become better wives and mothers
Divorce became more available in cases of abuse
Women became more active if political/social volunteerism
Unity was most important
Many important issues were raised in this discussion
All states insisted on written constitutions
All assumed a contractual relationship
Insistence on written constitutions was a major break in tradition
All state constitutions assumed certain natural rights
Many included specific written declarations of rights
Most reduced the power of the state governor
PA and GA had unicameral legislatures
Many considered bicameral legislatures to be aristocratic relics
Massachusetts established a constitutional convention
J Adams played a major role in this convention
Used the phrase We the people of Massachusetts
Also created a popularly elected governor with veto powers
Some Americans feared anarchy would accompany representative gov't
States could not deal adequately with national matters. A national constitution
was needed.
A response to John Dickinson's Letters from a Federal Farmer
Dickinson heeded the commission to create the to create the plan
Dickinson's plan was deemed unacceptable
Created equal state representation in Congress
Required federal taxation based on actual state population
Created tension between large and small states
Was unpopular with large slaveholding states
Congress adopts the Articles of Confederation (1777) instead
Single legislature, equal selected representation
Each state had one vote
No independent executive, no veto power
National government could request contributions, not tax
Amendments had to be unanimous
Congress could not control W lands
People were apathetic to govt weaknesses until states had emergencies
Land issues had to be solved before all would agree to the Articles
VA, GA, CT, NY, PA, NC announced plans to seize W lands
MD, NJ and DE objected
Land speculation companies clouded the issue
Companies lobbied Congress, esp MD reps
VA was the only Confederation holdout
VA cedes claims after a British army neared their border
Articles accepted on March 1, 1781
VA land cessions took 3 years to complete
Departments of War, Foreign Affairs and Finance created
Robert Morris headed finance
Mixed public funds with personal accounts
Congress brought order to western settlement
Land Ordinance of 1785 laid out grids for townships
Provided for public education
Set minimum purchase at 160 acres
Required payment in specie
Surveying went slowly, few sales
Squatters began to occupy some of the land
Northwest Ordinance of 1787 provided more structure
Created territorial governments
Set procedures for attaining statehood
5,000+ settlers=elected assembly
60,000+=application for full statehood
Outlawed slavery in the territories
Had a bill or right freedom of religion, trial by jury, due process
The South was organized in a more haphazard, contested way
Easy credit from England=large consumer debt
A depression followed
Congress printed $200 million high inflation
Congress retired the currency
Many states printed equally successful paper money
Congress had NO POWER to respond to foreign creditors
Nationalists called for reforms 5% impost duty
Hamilton thought paying national debt might cement national unity
Localists rejected this argument
Nationalists appealed to the army for help
The Newburgh Conspiracy of 1783
A nationalist appeal to threaten military takeover of the government
George Washington regarded this as insubordination
Confronted officers at Newburgh NY
GW's vulnerability instantly broke the rebellion
Could not enforce the provisions of the Treaty of Paris
GB refused to remove troops from the NW Territories
States were unwilling to settle debts and land claims with GB
Spain claimed more land, closed the lower Mississippi
Harmed W, Ohio Valley farmers
Jay gave up rights to the river for 5 years
Created a N/S controversy
No permanent capital Philadelphia, NYC, Princeton, Annapolis
The Genius of James Madison
A tiny, smart dude!
Disagreed with DeMontesquieu's Spirit of the Laws
Thought a republican govt could flourish in a large republic
Thought direct elections would prevent growing tyranny
Madison was persuasive and logical
Thought the will of the people was key to governing well
Pushed by international and military concerns
Also pushed by nationalists after Shays Rebellion
Wealthy Bostonians raised troops to end his
Washington and Madison worried about the commotion
Jefferson thought it quite ordinary
Massachusetts legislature was sympathetic and changed debtors law
Hot, sweaty, stinky and secretive
55 delegate from 12 states
TJ called it a collection of demi-gods
RI skipped the convention
JA, TJ and Patrick Henry were also MIA
First decision to keep debates secret no written records
Strictly enforced
JM said this saved the convention and the community
Second decision majority votes ruled, one vote per states
VA Plan (Edmund Randolph)
Bicameral legislature determined by population, appointment
3 part federal government legislative, executive, judicial
Federal exec elected by Congress, could veto state laws
NJ Plan (William Paterson)
Unicameral legislature, one vote per state
Gave congress broader powers to tax, regulate trade
Voted down on June 19 supported by NJ, NY, DE
Mood was tense
Sherman suggestion and BF chaired a grand committee
One delegate per states
Served to iron out disputes, compromises
Compromises recommended by the committee
Unicameral legislature
Upper house equal representation
Lower house proportional representation
1 rep per 30,000 inhabitants
3/5th s Compromise
N states wanted to end the slave trade
S states threatened to abandon the convention
SC and Gouverneur Morris (PA) argued passionately about slavery
The final document never mentions any form of the word
Slave trade and commerce compromise resulted
Slave trade would not be further regulated until 1808
Trade laws would require only a simple majority vote
Most N delegates thought that creating the Constitution was more important
than ending slavery
Another month of deliberation was needed to finish
President (single executive) would be chosen by Electoral College
House would decide if no candidate had a majority
Runner up would be VP
Pres had veto powers, could nominate judges
Some delegates were concerned about the lack of a Bill of Rights
G Morris made stylistic edits, including We the People of the United States
A change from We the States now a republic of the people
Made it more likely that the document would be ratified
Signed by 39 men on September 17
A three-month process of intellect and devotion
Nine states were required for ratification, The delegates sent out copies and began to
schedule ratifying conventions
Federalists favored ratification; AFs did not
AFs were suspicious of political and federal power
Federalists argued that AFs were short-sighted and localists
AFs argued that representatives were too far removed form constituents
8 states had ratified within 8 months
VA (June 1788) and NY (July 1788) ratified after bitter, heated debate
NC and RI succumbed a year or so later
Most pushed for unity once the process was complete
The Bill of Rights is the lasting legacy of the Anti Federalists
JM opposed this idea at first, but submitted them to the House
10 amendments were passed, most protecting individual freedoms
These were approved by the states by Dec 1791
Some feared that the US had just created the same type of tyrannical systems it had fought to escape. Others, like the
aged Ben Franklin, saw a sun rising on a new and potentially great republic.
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