Building the Republic
History M25 - Krister Swanson - Moorpark College

Articles of Confederation

• Key ?s: who votes? how are people represented? who is sovereign without king? Western lands? Taxation?
• loose confederation of states, not strong federal government
• changes required unanimous decision
• Big clash over western lands - shows self interest of states

Weaknesses of Articles

• No power to tax or coin money
• No power to regulate commerce
• No executive authority – forced to invent one by committee action
• No official home base

State Sovereignty

• Citizens of states – not nation
• States decided all the key questions (taxation, slavery, etc.)
• All states built gov’t on republican ideals (consent of governed)
• States define citizenship (property requirements for voting & office holding - ½ to ¼ excluded from voting)

Slavery

• Unpropertied people still enjoy basic rights, slaves did not
• Language of revolution stirred much debate on slavery, institution quickly erodes in north
• Most states pass gradual emancipation laws
• Economic vs ideological debate over ending slavery

Critical Period (AC to Cons)

• big war debts
• Currency problems and inflation
• Morris tries to impose taxes but port states reject them
• Morris proposes Bank of N. America (hold hard money, issue bank notes, make loans to government)
• Economic struggles continue - all power on economic issues reserved to the states

The Western Lands

• Jefferson wants nation of free-holders
• His plan set up new state boundaries, townships, abolished slavery, gave away land for free
• Congress nixed abolition & land give away (eventually auctioned)
• Speculators buy land & don’t worry about Indians

NW Ordinance

• 1787: NW Ordinance sets up guidelines for statehood (three phases – each with set # of citizens, 60k=statehood) also tries to protect Indians to no avail
• Banned slavery in new states – establishes north as area free from slaves (growth of sectionalism)
• Eventually leads to creation of Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin & Illinois

Shay’s Rebellion (1786)

• Confederation pressures state for income – payment in hard money
• pressures farmers in western territories – they rebel
• Governor raises private army to squash rebellion (no strong national executive)
• dissidents caught, jailed, forced to take loyalty oaths, have rights revoked
• rebellion raises worries

Constitutional Convention

• Hamilton & small group push new constitution
• Virginia Plan: 3 branch government, powerful executive & judiciary, representation based on population (gov’t by people not states) federal power over state authority
• New Jersey Plan: powerful single house leg with equal rep keeps confed principle

Great Compromise

• 2 house leg (Senate: 2 per state, House: rep by pop)
• 3/5 Compromise: 5 slaves = 3 people for the purposes of counting pop
• Constitution acknowledges legality of slavery

Democrats & Republicans

• many see pure democracy as evil (Shay’s, etc.) – new government limits direct voice of people
• senators chosen by state legislatures
• electoral college moves election of President away from the people
• strong emphasis on checks & balances after failure of A of C

Basic Powers

• President: initiate & veto legislation, command army, direct foreign policy, appoint judiciary
• Congress: economic powers (coin money, set budget, etc.), write all laws “necessary and proper”, approve appointments
• Nine states necessary for ratification (ratifying conventions)

Ratification

• Federalists want quick ratification
• Anti-Federalists suspicions based on lack of specific rights, disconnection from constituents (elite rule – feds think this is good)
• Anti-Feds also feared national currency & centralized economy
• Feds promise to consider amendments on rights to swing VA, and in NY Hamilton, Madison & Jay start writing Federalist Papers
• NY finally follows VA - NC & RI finally come into the fold by 1790
• Bill of Rights added in 1791
• Constitution is more republican than democratic in nature
• Split between Feds & Anti-Feds will set stage for political differences in United States for rest of history