The Confederation and the Constitution

1. The Confederation and the Constitution

2. American revolution more of an evolution • Many people went on with their daily lives • Some striking changes came about that affected every aspect of society • 80,000 loyalists left • Weakens aristocratic upper crust • Allowed Patriot elites to emerge

3. The Pursuit of Equality

4. Equality the watchword • States lowered voting requirements • Mr. And Mrs. Used • Ridiculed the lordly Continental Army officers (Society of the Cincinnati) • Trade organization grew and stimulate democracy • Ended primogeniture

5. Anglican Church humbled • Associated with Church of England • Becomes the Protestant Episcopal Church and disestablished in the South • Congregational Church still established in New England • Separation of Church and State won a victory with Jefferson’s Virginia Statue for Religious Freedom

6. The Anglican Church

7. Slavery challenged by egalitarian movement • Quakers founded first anti-slavery society • Call for complete abolition of slave trade • Some northern states either abolished or gradually abolished slavery • Some even in South free their slaves

8. Slave children

9. Anti Slavery movement weak • No southern states freed slaves • Discrimination in north and south • Interracial marriage prohibited

10. Why did abolition not go further in an egalitarian movement? • Fight over slavery would have broken weak unity between states • would be left to later generations to fight it out

11. Equality for women lacking • Women served in military • New Jersey allowed women to vote for a while • Abigail Adams the leading spokeswomen of her age on women’s rights • Most women still doing traditional women’s work

12. Women were affected by the Revolution • Republican ideology counted on civic virtue • Women could cultivate this in their young • Entrusted with moral education of young • “Republican motherhood”- • Elevates women to a new prestigious level in society • Educational opportunities for women expand to better cultivate good citizens • Responsible for survival of nation

13. Constitution Making in the States

14. Continental Congress calls on states to redo their constitutions in republican fashion • Power rests with people • Became new sovereign states • Make significant contributions

15. Massachusetts • Calls special convention and submits draft to people for ratification • Imitated in drafting of US Constitution

16. Many features in common among states • 1. Written contracts with that defined government’s powers but got their power from the people • 2. Represents fundamental law superior to arbitrary law • 3. Most include bills of rights • 4. Annual election of legislatures • 5. Weak executive and judicial • 6. Legislatures given the most power • Thomas Jefferson says that 173 can be as oppressive as 1

17. Western, poor districts represented in new constitutions • Several state capitals moved to west • These also show a political shift • New Hampshire, North Carolina, New York, Virginia, South Carolina

18. Economic Crosscurrents

19. Changes noteworthy but not overwhelming • States seize former crown’s lands • Confiscated loyalists land • Excesses of French Revolution avoided • Because cheap land was available • Economic democracy preceded political democracy

20. Stimulus to manufacturing • Goods from Britain were cut off during war • Americans forced to make their own • Some manufacturing was growing but very slowly

21. Economic independence has its drawbacks • Trade with Britain restricted • Fisheries disrupted • Bounties for ships’ store gone

22. Compensated with new commercial outlets • America could now trade freely • Empress of China in 1784 made its way to Far East • Ginseng • Economic problems existed • Speculation • Profiteering • Prices high • Inflation • Average citizens worse off after Revolution

23. Atmosphere unhealthy • New rich profiteer class become noisily conspicuous • Distaste for law in general and taxes

24. How to create a new nation? • New government hard and new type of government even harder • American’s suspicious of aristocracy and authority

25. Disruptive forces • Tory groups leave and those left promote experimentation • Common cause gone after war is won

26. Hard times hit America after the war • Britain dumps its surpluses on American shores • Under cut American business

27. Hopeful signs • 13 Colonies basically alike in government • Rich political heritage • Blessed with great political leaders (Washington, Jefferson, Madison, Adams)

28. Creating a Confederation

29. 2nd Continental Congress did not have much political power • Foreign affairs and military • States pretty much sovereign • Did all their own governing

30. Articles of Confederation • Drawn up shortly after 1776 • Adopted in 1777 • To convince France we had a legitimate government • Adopted by states in 1781

31. Biggest concern and fight over western lands • 6 States had no holdings beyond Allegheny • Some states had tremendous holdings • Landless states said they fought for this land too • Argue that they could sell land and pay off debts easily • Turn land over to central government

32. States finally surrender western land claims in 1781 • Dispose these areas for “common benefit” • Proposed to form new states from these areas • Shows move away from colonial feelings

33. Moving western lands to central government provides a bonding experience • Had to remain to get share of benefits • Frontiersman looked to federal capital rather than states for land and protection • Made a national uniform land policy

34. The Articles of Confederation: America’s First Constitution

35. Loose friendship of states • 13 independent states joined together to tackle common problems • Headed by Congress • No executive branch • Judicial left to states

36. Congress hobbled • Each state had only 1 vote • All bills need 9 states to approve • Amendments require all 13 states • Almost impossible to amend

37. Purposely designed to be weak • States did not want to yield hard fought liberties to a central government

38. Other handicaps that crippled Congress • 1. Could not regulate commerce • States had conflicting laws regarding tariffs and navigation • 2. Congress could not enforce tax laws • Had tax quota for each state • Share was voluntary

39. Relations with states • Could only advise or appeal • Could not demand • Could not act directly upon individual of state • Congress threatened by Pennsylvania soldiers for back pay and had to leave Philadelphia

40. Proved to be a landmark in government • Model for confederations • Praised by Jefferson • Times demanded a strong government • States had to give up their power

41. Great stepping stone to the present Constitution • Outlined general powers exercised by a central government • Kept alive idea of union despite weak government • Intermediary jump

42. Landmark in Land Laws

43. Passed farsighted legislation regarding land • Old Northwest • Northwest of Ohio River, east of Miss River and south of Great Lakes

44. Land Ordinance of 1785 • Acreage of NW Territory sold money to pay national debt • Surveyed before being sold • Divided into townships • 6 square miles • Each split into 36 sections • 16 section for public schools • Provided for orderly settlement • Not like the South

45. Northwest Ordinance of 1787 • How the nation should deal with its colonies • Temporary tutelage, and permanent equality • 1. Territorial stage • 2. 60,000 people and could apply for statehood • On equal basis with rest • No slavery

46. System worked well • Could have been a problem if they forced the area into submission • Carried over to all the frontier

47. The World’s Ugly Duckling

48. Relations with Britain troubled • Britain refused to send minister to America for 8 years • Send 1 it would have to send 13

49. No treaties nor did it repeal its Navigation Laws • Figured they would win back American trade anyhow • Cut off American trade with West Indies • Smuggling got around this

50. British agents on American frontier • Sought to annex Vermont into British Canada • Held chain of forts along northern border on US soil • Americans did not honor their commitments to loyalists after war • Maintained fur trade with Indians • Really want to keep an ally against the Americans