A New Government

1. A New Government

2. Constitution was ratified • New government could begin • Unanimously elected as 1st executive • George Washington • 1st business of new government • The most superlativley ridiculous thing I ever heard of • Jefferson • What to call him

3. After a month of discussion settled on • Mr. President • Important • Created a sense of weight around position • Attendant balls, touring etc created sense of strength and power in the national government • Attack the localism that had nearly destroyed the republic in 1780s • Next, promises made – promises honored

4. Madison • Nationalist • Also federalist • Some powers must remain at state level • Madison proposed 19 Ammendments to constitution • Ten survived • Know to anti- central power people as • Bill of Rights

5. Amendment I • Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. • ---------------------------------------------------- • Amendment II • A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed. • Amendment III • No Soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the Owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law. freedom of speech, press and religion 2. and 3. Reflect fear of revolutionary distrust of standing Army

6. Amendment IV • The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized. • Amendment V • No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation. • Amendment VI • In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defence. • Amendment VII • In Suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury, shall be otherwise re-examined in any Court of the United States, than according to the rules of the common law. • Amendment VIII • Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted. Fourth to eighth Defined and protected citizens' rights in court and when under arrest

7. Amendment IX • The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people. • ------------------------------------------- • Amendment X • The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people. 9. Enumeration of 1st eight rights did not deny other rights 10. Powers not given to national government by constitution remained with states

8. The omission of the word “expressly” in the 10th has left lot of room for interpretation • Amendment to extend 1st amendment prohibitions to state legislature • Agreed to by house voted down by Senate • Have to wait until civil war and 14th Amendment • Next the political two step • Constitution made no mention of Presidents cabinet • Arguing it was necessary congress voted one to be created • Guaranteed that president responsible for appointments

9. War, State, Treasury, Att. General

10. Treasury and debt • 1790 Report on Public Credit • Report on National Bank • 1791 Report on Manufacturers • Approx.$75 million • $42 to own citizens • Rest international

11. People wanting to ensure weakness of National Government • Forget debt! • Debt taken up under either • Continental congress or Confederation congress • If you bought securities and lost money – oh well – patriotic loss • Not Hamilton’s view

12. 1st step • Pay international debt in full and promptly • Assure creditworthiness of new country • Not too much persuasion needed • Problems on internal debt • Over time speculators had bought up securities • At fraction of face value • When heard rumor that government would pay all debt • Even more frantic purchasing • Approx 4/5th in hands of northeasterners

13. Debt of individual States also an issue • Hamilton wanted to assume these debts too • Concentrate • Interests of public creditors • Need for taxation • Expanded civil service • At the national level • Also apart from South Carolina all southern states already paid of debts • Citizens in these states paying twice • More money heading north

14. Hamilton wanted to assume – not pay off these debts • Permanent tax supported fixture • Government issue securities to creditors pay an annual rate of interest of 4% • Together announced to the world the government of new country would be financially responsible • But this was not all • Remember Hamilton was a strong nationalist • Wanted a strong national government and weak state governments

15. If all the public creditors receive their dues from one source, their interests will be the same. And having the same interests, they will be supported in the fiscal arrangements of the government • Alexander Hamilton • i.e. everyone with money will need to support the national government • At the center of his plan for powerful national state

16. Second part of first report • Report on National Bank • Government would keep its money in bank and oversee operation • But run by directors representing private investors • 4/5th money from private sector • Bank • Issue national currency • Principal supplier of loans • And therefore decision maker on who got loans • And what for • Links to final plan

17. 1791 Report on Manufacturers • Hamilton believed that the only way America could become truly independent • Build factories and manufacture finished goods • Break out of the colonial economy model • 90% of imports still came from Britain • Although his final step was a little ahead of its time • Hamilton had scripted the future of American economy

18. Where would money come from • Taxes • Most from duties on imports • But most in government agreed that a • Direct internal tax was necessary • (wait a minute didn’t you start a war against this idea?)

19. Initial suggestion • Tax on salt • Could be spread equally throughout country • Hamilton called for federal excise tax on • Wines • Coffee • Tea • Spirits • Last would hit frontier farmers (Whiskey) • Establish government and power to collect tax everywhere

20. End 1791 plan was in place • Consolidation of debt • National bank • Federal excise tax • Would solve problems of government finance • Also carbon copy of: • Bank of England and British finances

21. Hamilton didn’t want to recreate England • But he did admire the system • This of course would lead to problems • Add this to the desire of many for weak national government • And desire of many • Led by Jefferson • For independent yeoman farmers, rather than factories, as base of country

22. International debt and personal debt funded • Assumption of states debts more troublesome • Several weeks later Jefferson met Hamilton in the street • Sombre, haggard, & dejected beyond despair, even his dress uncouth & neglected • Hamilton begged Jefferson to serve as intermediary to get assumption passed • Deal struck • Jefferson would help get assumption passed • But Capitol had to move

23. Important • Remember balls and official visits with President • Jefferson and others feared a court culture where money and political power mixed • Capitol in New York or Philadelphia • By moving it south became important for government only • Remove possibility for excessive influence of money

24. As for the bank • Jefferson stated correctly that • Constitution did not give government right to create corporations • Hamilton made first argument for expanded federal power quoting clause • “to make all laws which shall be necessary and proper” • Washington and congress sided with Hamilton

25. Until end 1792 • Debate remained in government circles • But then international affairs begin to intrude • But the French will have to wait for a while

26. Creating an American Culture

27. Americans must believe and act from the belief that it is dishonorable to waste life in mimicking the follies of other nations and basking in the sunshine of foreign glory • Noah Webster 1788 • But how? • Where would the unity come from? • East to west – 1500 miles • 13 colonies/states – 1 nation

28. 150+ years of difference • New England Vs. Southern Colonies • Multiple and varied systems of • Politics • Religion • Society • Throughout 13 colonies • North south rare • Elite sent children ‘home’

29. Revolution • Individual declarations • Multiple motivations and expectations • Initial enthusiasm for continental army • Gradually wanes • To Washington • Americans unwilling to give up self interest for national needs • Shifts in social structure and family

30. Post revolution • Central or dispersed power • Federalist vs. anti federalist • Shays’ Rebellion • Partisan political strife suggested to the elite that without a “national culture” the “United States” may fall apart before their eyes

31. American Literature and Language • Sept 25th 1771 • Commencement poem at College of New Jersey (Princeton) • “On the Rising Glory of America” • Published the following year • Claimed that an American culture would rise to eclipse past Euro glories

32. Based on translatioimperii • Westward movement of the imperial centre of civilization • Near East to Britain and now to America • Dismissed the role of Spain • Claimed a special place for British America • This is just one case of graduates focusing on American glory

33. Students schooled in classics expected to see • ‘highest form’ of poetry “the epic” • to show the route to American glory • 1785, Timothy White • Minister and future president of Yale • The Conquest of Canäan; A Poem, in Eleven Books • Tells the biblical story in traditional Epic form • Invocation • Oration and reply • Detailed description of battles and victories • Single heroes lovingly described • Vision of the future • But dedicated to George Washington • translatioimperii

34. 1787 • Joel Barlow writes • The Vision of Columbus • Epic quickly shift its attention to the north • ‘Stretch’d o’er Virginian hills, in long array, • The beauteous Alleganies met the day’ • Columbus’ goal, according to Barlow, was North American independence • George Washington et al become the individual heroes and the revolution becomes the war to detail • And the future is an American cultural and political superiority

35. Friend of Barlow and Yale classmate • man that most think of when considering an American language • Noah Webster • White and Barlow gave literary imprimatur to America’s future based in a scholarly past • Webster created a literary present to change the future

36. Webster created a speller in 1783 • Renamed The American Spelling Book in 1788 • 1st and most widely used textbook of the era • 24 million copies in first 50 years of publication • Compendious Dictionary 1806 • Unabridged dictionary in 1828

37. Everybody new that you could “look it up in Webster's” • few knew it was testament to American superiority • part of an attempt to create an American language • Independence not complete until Americans spoke a new language

38. 1783 Webster wrote • “It is the business of Americans to select the wisdom of all nations, as the basis of her constitutions, - to avoid their errours, - to prevent the introduction of foreign vices and corruptions and check the career of her own – to promote virtue and patriotism, to embellish and improve the sciences, to diffuse an uniformity and purity of language, - to add superiour dignity to this infant Empire and human nature” • But this claim was still in English

39. 1786 Webster began to correspond with Benjamin Franklin • Franklin had long wanted to simplify and regularize English spelling • Between 86 and his death in 90 Franklin encouraged Webster • “A national Language is a national tie, and what country wants it more than America”

40. Webster knew that English was the language • But needed a claim to America as the home of the pure • His answer • The political corruption of England, which led to revolution • Was mirrored in the language • The English in England was not pure! • “I am constrained to declare that the people of America, in particular the English decedents, speak the most pure English now known in the world”

41. An example of reforms he proposed appeared most strikingly in 1790 in • A Collection of Essays and Fugitiv Writings • Now I need a volunteer • As the volunteer reads out a page from this collection the rest of you can read along

42. As you can tell this is not how the language changed • Webster was ridiculed • But his dictionary remains • And spelling differences and pronunciation trouble English-American conversations still • Dockers Khaki Pants