Virginia plan Set the Agenda for the convention

2. Virginia plan • Set the Agenda for the convention • Will earn Madison the title of “Father of the constitution” • Madison had a year before the convention began a year long study in the history of confederacies

3. Jefferson sent trunks of books from Paris • Jefferson one of two notable absences from convention • Ambassador to Paris • Other John Adams • Ambassador to Great Britain

4. In plan both houses elected by population • Knew it would upset the small states, thought it would be pushed through • This quickly became a major problem • John Dickinson suggested differing decision until after powers that National government should have • Madison representation first • Didn’t want to end up with small states having power beyond size

5. Mid June • New Jersey plan put forward as counter • Fewer powers to a unicameral government • One state one government • June 18 • Hamilton introduced his own plan • Praised the structure of the house of lords and Monarchy • Virginian plan • “pork still, with a little change of the sauce”

6. Next day Madison stood and with a brilliant analysis ot the “vices of the political system of the U. States” • Explained why the New Jersey plan was inadequate for the needs of the country • Next day convention voted down New Jersey Plan • Hamilton’s plan made Virginia plan seem moderate • But representation still a major issue

7. This problem dragged on in debate for four weeks • The Great Compromise • Put forward by Connecticut representatives • Population representation for house • State representation for Senate • Just made it • In part due to 3/5ths clause • Although morally repulsed • Could not argue against contribution made to national economy

8. Next issue executive • What shape would it take • Who would elect it/him • Initially planned for election by congress/senate • Late July 10 day recess • Committee of detail to convert resolutions so far into working draft • Came back on August 6th

9. Back to work • Congress given specific set of enumerated powers • With clause enabling Congress to • “make all laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into execution the foregoing powers” • Created supremacy of national law • Above state law

10. Late August early September • Senate weakened executive expanded and solidified • Power to make treaties • Appoint judges • Ambassadors • Other major officials • Previously held by Senate now given to President • Acting with advice and consent of the Senate • Also finally worked out the electoral college idea for election of executive

11. After nearly four months together in secrecy there work was done • All the discussion and compromise had formed an almost unanimous bond of commitment to support constitution • Only three delegates refused to sign the document • George Mason and Edmund Randolph of Virginia • Elbridge Gerry of Massachusetts

12. Ratification of the constitution would take place in each state • But, importantly it would by popular vote • Authority of the people not the states • In one critical sense however this power was limited • It could only be approved or rejected as a whole • To avoid endless discussion and revision

13. The Constitution was complete now all that was left was ratification • A gentle debate between people • Federalist Vs Anti Federalists

14. Yorktown • “Remember the ladies” • Daniel Shays • The Crisis #1 • Sommerset case • Privateers • Paoli Massacre • Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais • Pop Quiz Time • get into 5 groups • each Group select one of the terms from the list • Discuss and come up with brief answer/description of the term one member to present answer

15. Ratification • Although the final comment from the state had to be • Aye or nay • This of course did not apply to the popular debate that would proceed state conventions for ratification • Anti-federalists at initial dis-advantage • Press tended to favor Constitution • Had to overcome prestige of convention • A vote against was a vote against Washington • Criticism of constitution = support of articles

16. Despite some comments coming out of paranoia style politics • anti-federalists gradually began to make ground • Making solid political points against ratification • Central point ratification would lead to • Consolidation of all effective power in the national government • Hadn’t original meaning of Federalism meant state power

17. A series of 85 essays widely published in newspapers • Under the name Publius

18. Alexander Hamilton • James Madison • John Jay

19. Hamilton was organizer and leading contributor • Hamilton 51 essays • Madison 29 Essays • John Jay 5 Essays • However the name most often associated with the papers is that of Madison

20. Due mainly to • Federalist 10 and 51 • Fed 10 • Exposition of the theory of powers • Fed 51 • Summation of separation of powers

21. Stage now set for ratification by state

22. ratification

23. Had a popular vote been taken on the Constitution in the fall of 1787 • probably have been rejected. • three most populous states • Virginia, Massachusetts, and New York • substantial majorities opposed a powerful new national government. • North Carolina and Rhode Island refused to call ratifying conventions. • 7 of 8 remaining states easy victories for the Constitution • securing the approval of the ninth proved difficult.

24. To gain momentum Federalists targeted states most likely to ratify • Delaware unanimous ratification by early December • before the Anti-federalists had even begun to campaign. • Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Georgia • followed within a month • Georgia sought the protection of stronger national government against hostile Indians • “If a weak State with the Indians on its back and the Spaniards on its flank does not see the necessity of a General Government there must I think be wickedness or insanity in the way” • George Washington.

25. Another three easy victories • Connecticut, Maryland, and South Carolina • As in Pennsylvania • merchants, lawyers, and urban artisans, large landowners and slaveholders • The elite • in general favored the new Constitution

26. Massachusetts only early state give Federalists difficulty • vote to select the ratification delegates favored the Antifederalists • whose strength lay in the western areas of the state

27. “These lawyers and men of learning and money men that talk so finely, and gloss over matters so smoothly, to make us poor illiterate people swallow down the pill, expect to get into Congress themselves; they expect to be the managers of the Constitution and get all the power and all the money into their own hands, and then they will swallow up all us little folks.” • Delegate from western county • Antifederalist lead slowly eroded by a vigorous newspaper campaign • Federalists won by very slim margin • only with promises that amendments to the Constitution would be taken up in the first Congress.

28. By May 1788, eight states had ratified • only one more needed • North Carolina and Rhode Island hopeless for the Federalist cause • New Hampshire seemed nearly as bleak • More worrisome failure to win over largest and most important states • Virginia and New York.

29. New Hampshire • Federalists succeeded in getting convention postponed from February to June • Federalist publicity machine rolled in • provided the decisive ninth vote for ratification • June 21, 1788.

30. The Big Holdouts: Virginia and New York • Although Virginia home to Madison and Washington • influential Antifederalist group led by Patrick Henry and George Mason made the outcome uncertain. • Federalists barely won ratification • Had to propose • twenty specific amendments that the new government would promise to consider.

31. At New York's ratifying convention, Antifederalists predominated • impassioned debate and lobbying • Plus news of Virginia's ratification • finally tipped the balance to the Federalists • Antifederalists' approval of the document was delivered with • list of twenty-four individual rights they hoped would be protected • thirty-three structural changes they hoped to see in the Constitution • New York's ratification ensured the solidity and legitimacy of the new government.

32. It took another year and a half for Antifederalists in North Carolina to come around. • Fiercely independent Rhode Island held out until May 1790 • even then it ratified by only a two-vote margin.

33. In less than twelve months, the U.S. Constitution was both written and ratified. • remarkable for the late eighteenth century • horse-powered transportation and hand-printed communications • Federalists had faced a formidable task • by building momentum and assuring consideration of a Bill of Rights • They carried the day.

34. NO CLASS Next Thursday • Also • only 2 documents per chapter for last section of portfolio

35. Myths of the revolution

36. already discussed role that Paul Revere had in Revolution • Role more limited than most school texts tell • His role • the solo dashing rider spreading the word that the British were coming • not a true part of history

37. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was the man most influential in creating the image • In 1860 as the civil war loomed America needed a new hero • Washington although the father of America could not be put up as a hero

38. Hearing the story of the riders Longfellow picked upon Revere and penned the words • “Listen, my children and you shall hear • Of the midnight ride of Paul Revere” • And a hero and myth were born • In a similar way many other myths were also created

39. Molly Pitcher

40. The story • On Monmouth battle field • A woman brings out water to the hot and tired soldiers reviving them for battle • Her husband falls down dead • She leaps to his place and continues to fire the weapon • Inspiring other to fight on • After the battle Washington gives her a medal

41. In reality what is the story of Molly Pitcher? • It is really a story of two women or maybe more • The first one is Margaret Corbin • Corbin did take the place of her fallen husband • But not at Monmouth the site of Molly Pitcher’s adventures but at Fort Washington • And this person was known as Captain Molly

42. This maybe where some of confusion lies • In the early to mid 1800s • George Washington Parke Custis • Martha Washington’s grandson • Wrote reminiscences of the war in which he had the Molly Pitcher story • But with Captain Molly in the lead

43. 1848, 70 years after the battle • Nathaniel Currier painted • Molly Pitcher, the Heroine of Monmouth

44. A new name and a new legend • Gone was the pail • In came the pitcher • During 1860s several more texts ran the story with the name Molly Pitcher • Only one problem • This was a legend without a body • American ingenuity plays through

45. Just before the centennial celebrations began in Carlisle Pennsylvania • Wesley Miles • 44 years earlier he had been at the funeral of Molly McCauley • the real person behind Molly Pitcher! • Town elders overjoyed • now they had a reason to celebrate • raised $100 and put a stone on the unmarked grave

46. Other residents suddenly came forward • More and more stories came out • Organizations began to support the cause • A new stone • Cannons by the grave • All of this based on the desire for a heroine and the word of one old man

47. Patrick Henry

48. March 23, 1775 • “…is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! – I know not what other course men may take; but as for me, give me liberty, or give me death”

49. Where does this come from? • The speech of March 23rd was reported as being very inspiring • Henry was a great orator • No record of the speech was made • In 1805 William Wirt began to write a biography of Henry

50. 1817 the biography was finished • Included the liberty or death speech • Wirt had corresponded with men who were there • one man provided a word for word description • St. George Tucker • Could he really have remembered a speech of 1,217 words exactly? • 40 years after the date?