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Congress Adopts the stars and stripes as the national flag
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Robert Morris: Appointed superintendent of Finance in 1781. Total economic collapse was averted thanks to his immense wealth amassed as a merchant during the war His privately financed Bank of North America is chartered by Congress in 1781.
He hoped it would eventually become a national bank but the bank’s notes fell below specie value and it didn't
enough capital.
The government severed connection with the bank in 1784 Morris wanted the national government to take care of the national debt so that it could tax states and raise money. But states preferred to handle this independently Morris wanted to amend the Articles so as to give
Congress authority to levy a 5% duty on imports but states voted against -
Financial standing: National debt $41 million: the foreign debt – to Holland, France and Spain – comprised nearly $8 million, domestic debt- $33 million. They also had to pay interest on that debt (2.4 million per year)
Government couldn't pay soldiers who had fought
Winter of 1782–83 army officers meet in New York, and pressed hard for back pay and half-pay pensions. Coup defused only by George Washington’s use of his considerable authority. In June 1783 soldiers surrounded the Pennsylvania State House, and forced Congress to abandon Philadelphia -
1785 Land ordinance
A surveying system for the sale of North-west land
Government surveyors would first divide land into six-square-mile townships Each township was then divided into sections of one square mile (640 acres) Four sections in every township were to be set aside as bounty land for ex-soldiers and one for the maintenance of schools The rest of the land was to be sold at auction in 640-acre lots at not less than one dollar an acre -
Virginia Maryland Dispute over navigation of the Potomac river
1784 James Madison proposed that commissioners from the two states meet to negotiate
a solution. Meeting at Washington’s Mount Vernon estate in March 1785, the delegates reached an agreement on the navigational issues and they then went beyond their brief and suggested that their
states should co-operate on financial and customs policy In Light of this cooperation between states Madison proposed a resolution to the Virginia assembly
for a national convention to discuss commercial regulations. -
Handling of Foreign Affairs of the Confederation: No commercial treaty with Britain as states hadn't followed terms of Paris treaty and loyalist property hadn't been returned even after warning from Congress.
So when John Adams is sent to Britain to negotiated (1785) he is dismissed as he is told Congress has no real power. When Spanish took over Mississippi river and restricted American trade Foreign Secretary John Jay initiated a treaty with Spain (1786) whereby in return for access to Spanish markets, the USA agreed to give up the river for 25 years. 5 States opposed and without the required 9 it wasn't ratified These all show the weakness of the Confederation in dealing with foreign affairs -
Annapolis meeting
12 men, representing 5 states(NY, NJ, PA,
DE, VA) met in Annapolis to discuss commercial
problems
The meeting proposed that a convention of all the states should be held in Philly in 1787 ‘to devise such further provisions as shall appear to them necessary to render the constitution of the federal government adequate to the exigencies
of the Union’ Although in the meeting they couldn't decide anything they all agreed amending articles of confederation wasn't a solution (13/13 in favor to pass) -
1787 North-West Ordinance
Set of procedures for a territory to achieve statehood: During initial phase of settlement a territory would not be self-governing but would have a governor and judges appointed by Congress When the territory had 5000 adult male inhabitants, it could elect a legislature with limited powers. Finally, when its population reached 60,000, it could form a constitutional convention and apply to Congress for admission as a state -
Shays' Rebellion
Massachussets state legislature rejected the use of paper money to pay for taxes. Farmers, unable to pay in the scarce specie were imprisoned and lost their land. These furious farmers found in Daniel Shays their leader. In January 1787 Shays led an armed band of several hundred men toward the federal arsenal at Springfield. The rebels were easily dispersed by 1000 militiamen and by February the insurgency had been put down. Emphasises the need for a strong national government -
Financial Situation in 1787
Morris resigns in 1784 By 1786 Congress had levied over $15 million in requisitions from states but only $2.5 million had been paid. States couldn't be forced to pay these Only $760,000 from sale of western lands before 1788
Congress was able to cover administration costs (100,000) but couldn't afford to pay interest on debt let alone the debt itself -
Slavery Representation
South wanted slaves to not count for taxing purposes but to count for representation in House of Commons
North wanted the opposite since slaves weren't people but they were property so they should be taxed Compromise: a slave was considered 3/5 of a person for both cases -
Madison's 'The Vices of the Political System of the United States’ memorandum
He outlined the Confederation current weaknesses and outline potential remedies- a stronger national government. -
Virginia Plan
- a national legislature of two houses, in each of which representation was to be proportionate to the population
- The first house of the legislature would be directly elected by the voters in the states
- The members of the second house would be elected from among those of the first
- The legislature was to elect both the executive and the judiciary
- Central government was to have the power to veto acts of state legislatures and to interfere directly in cases where the states were incompetent
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New Jersey Plan (drafted by William Patterson)
The Virginia Plan clearly benefitted larger states so the NJ Plan proposed a single legislative chamber, in which each state would have one vote
The NJ Plan envisaged merely the amending of the Articles. Though Congress was to be given enlarged powers, including authority to tax and to regulate commerce, state sovereignty would be largely preserved
Proposal was knocked down but Grand Committee (with one representative from each state) formed on 2nd of July to discuss a compromise. -
Great Compromise
- Each state has equal representation in the Senate
- Proportional representation in House of Commons
- Representation and direct taxation would be distributed according to the results of regular censuses Passed by 5-4
- National gov. veto dropped
- Single Executive -
Committee of Detail
Debate on the report of the Committee of Detail occupied five weeks from 6 August to 10 September Slavery was the main issue that arose In late August it was agreed that Congress would not have the authority to abolish the slave trade until 1808 -
Signing of the Constitution
On the 8th of September a Committee of Style was set up to tidy up the constitution and on the 17th 39/42 attending representatives signed it To avoid opposition from the state legislatures, the Convention recommended that the proposed Constitution should be submitted for ratification to popularly elected conventions in each state Any amendment to the constitution required a 2/3 majority in both Houses and 75% of states -
Federalist Papers
Published under the name Publius by Madison (29) Hamilton (51) and John Jay (5)
Total 85 articles -
Ratification of Constitution in Delaware
Unanimous -
Powers of state governments:
- Specifically prohibited from waging war engaging
in diplomacy, coining money or laying duties on imports - They were not to issue money or make
treaties - The slavery issue was left to the states
- Each state could determine its own suffrage in elections to the House of Representatives
- The states could regulate their own intrastate or internal commerce
- States continued to exercise jurisdiction in many important areas of civil, criminal and family law
- Specifically prohibited from waging war engaging
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Federal Executive
Executive's authority would be exercised by a president:
- He was to be commander-in-chief of the army and navy
- His signature require to make acts of congress law
- Power of veto but can overridden by majority of 2/3 in both houses
- Only impeachment can remove him from office
- President was prohibited from appointing members of Congress to executive posts
- He can make important appointments ie judges and diplomats (needs Senate approval) -
Ratification of Constitution in Pennsylvania
(46–23) majority -
Ratification of Constitution in New Jersey
Unanimous -
Powers of federal governments after Constitution
Federal gov. was to maintain an army and navy, coin and borrow money and make treaties with foreign powers It was given some additional powers: to levy taxes and to regulate commerce In the ‘elastic clause’ Congress was authorised to ‘make all laws which shall be necessary and proper’
for executing its powers The Constitution and all laws and treaties made under it were declared to be the supreme law of the land, superior to any state law -
Ratification of Constitution in Georgia
Unanimous -
Constitution ratified in Connecticut
(128–40) -
Constitution ratified in Massachussets
187-168
Samuel Adams and John Hancock both have Anti-Federalist leanings Pro-Constitution demonstrations by Boston artisans
persuaded Adams to support the Constitution Hancock changes sides when Federalists suggested that he might be vice president if the Constitution were ratified
Federalist proposed adding a bill of rights to content some anti-federalists -
Constitution ratified by Maryland
63-11 -
Constitution ratified in South Carolina
149-73 -
Constitution ratified in New Hampshire
57-47 The New Hampshire convention finally ratified on an afternoon when Federalists had got a number of their opponents drunk enough at lunch to miss the session Became the ninth state to ratify the constitution
Technically the Constitution could now go into force. However, without Virginia and New York it could hardly succeed -
Constitution ratified in Virginia
89-79
Patrick Henry’s eloquent attacks on the Constitution, ably seconded by Richard Henry Lee’s Letters from a Federal Farmer were just some strongest opposers to the constitution in Virginia
However, Washington’s support for the Constitution and Madison’s reasoned advocacy, along with his promise to work for a Bill of Rights, was crucial in securing its ratification -
Constitution Ratified in New York
30-27 Initially 4/7's of population in NY against constitution
Alexander Hamilton, Madison and Jay, using the joint pseudonym Publius, wrote a series of 85 articles for the New York press, urging the adoption of the Constitution (The Federalist Papers, beginning on October 27, 1787)
51 written by Alexander Hamilton
29 by Madison
5 by John Jay
At times 4 or 3 were published a week, the rapid pace meant response was difficult and they greatly influenced political ideas in america -
Election of 1789
Washington wins with 69 votes of the electoral college (100% of votes), John Adams coming in 2nd with 34 votes is made vice-president -
Congress first meeting
Met in NYC temporary seat of the federal government in the federal hall. Took a month for both chambers to gather enough quorum (only 8 senators and 13 members of the House initially) -
Washington Inaugurated President
His journey to NY from Mount Vernon turned into a procession. Washington felt like a condemned man going to his place of execution as expectations for him and the new experiment of the constitution were extremely high -
Judiciary Act
Established a hierarchical system of federal courts. At the top was the Supreme Court: consisting of a chief justice and 5 associate justices. Beneath it were to be district courts in each state and 3 circuit courts of appeal The act gave the Supreme Court power to rule on constitutionality of the state court decisions and nullify state laws that violated the Constitution Washington selected the 6 members of the Supreme court (3 from north, 3 from south) and named John Jay the Chief justice -
First Bank of the United States
Alexander Hamilton -
Bill of rights: James Madison drafts the initial 17 amendments to the Constitution. The Senate adopted 12 and the states ratified 10 of them.
This reconciled Anti-federalist with a Constitution that didn't deprive the individual of his fundamental rights: right to freedom of speech, of religion, of assembly, of press, right to petition, to bear arms, immunity against arbitrary search and arrest. As well as the prohibition of excessive bail, cruel and unusual punishments and the quartering of troops in private houses. Ratified in 1791, it secured the joining of North Carolina (1789) and Rhode Island (1790) into the Union.