1 / 11

Ratifying the Constitution Part I: The Federalist Appeal, 1787- May 1788

Ratifying the Constitution Part I: The Federalist Appeal, 1787- May 1788. Dr. Greg O’Brien Department of History University of Southern Mississippi. “A republic – if you can keep it!” -   Franklin’s warning to the throng outside the Pennsylvania State House in Philadelphia at the end of

rory
Download Presentation

Ratifying the Constitution Part I: The Federalist Appeal, 1787- May 1788

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Ratifying the Constitution Part I: The Federalist Appeal, 1787- May 1788 Dr. Greg O’Brien Department of History University of Southern Mississippi

  2. “A republic – if you can keep it!” -   Franklin’s warning to the throng outside the Pennsylvania State House in Philadelphia at the end of the Constitutional Convention, September 1787.  

  3. How was the Constitution to be adopted? • Members of the Philadelphia Constitutional Convention signed a document on September 17, 1787 that had no force of law until adopted • Adoption not a given • Steps (Article 7): • Special convention in each state (not state legislatures) • 9 of 13 must approve • Goal: peaceful transition to a new government • Legal? - Articles required unanimous state approval for revision

  4. What was Different about the Constitution? • A Federal System • Stronger national government with centralized powers • To regulate commerce • To tax • To decide judicial disputes • An executive branch • Diluting the power of the legislature

  5. Why support the new Constitution? • Some states economically stagnant (CT, NJ, DE) or dealing with foreign threats (GA) • Less dependence upon state generosity, lack of decision making • Many former congressmen and military officers supported new Constitution for its greater efficiency • Protections of property & commerce • Men of wealth • Ghosts of Shay’s Rebellion A Continental dollar, 1775, “not worth a Continental”

  6. Initial Federalist Success • Federalists well organized • make appeals in the newspapers • 5 states ratify by January 9, 1788 with little opposition • Partial exception: Pennsylvania – significant opposition • Samuel Bryan vs. James Wilson • Lack of Bill of Rights for individuals • Demand for a 2nd Constitutional Convention • Violence • Foreshadowing future disputes

  7. The Federalist Papers • 85 essays, October 1787 – May 1788, signed by Publius • Authored by Alexander Hamilton (52), James Madison (28), and John Jay (5) • Response to anti-Constitution letters in NY newspapers by Cato • Defended Constitution nearly clause by clause

  8. Federalist #10 • Written by Madison, pub. Nov. 23, 1787 • Countering a key complaint of the anti-federalists that only small republics had ever succeeded in world history • Arguing against conventional wisdom, insisted that a large territory could be governed as a republic with representative government • Majority factions would be avoided, oppression of any one faction would be counter-balanced Federalist #10, pub. in the New York Packet

  9. Prominent Federalists John Jay, (New York) James Madison (Virginia) Alexander Hamilton, (New York) James Wilson, (Penn.)

  10. Links to the Federalist Papers • FoundingFathers.info: http://www.foundingfathers.info/federalistpapers/ • Avalon Project at Yale University: http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/federal/fed.htm • Library of Congress: http://thomas.loc.gov/home/histdox/fedpapers.html

  11. Massachusetts Stiff opposition Passes 187-168 on Feb. 6 Role of John Hancock amendments to be considered after new government in place New Hampshire Convention adjourned in February due to imminent defeat Rhode Island Turns down the Constitution 10-1, March 24 Maryland Madison’s worries passes 63-11, April 28 South Carolina Ratified 149-73, May 23 8 states have ratified, but Anti-Federalists getting more organized in remaining states The Battle Continues, February-May, 1788 Replica of ship built in celebration of Maryland’s adoption of the Constitution

More Related