APUSH Study Session #3

1. APUSH Study Session #3 Articles of Confederation, First Three Presidents, the Constitution, and the War of 1812 (1776-1817) Chapters 9-11

2. Treatment of Different Groups after the Revolution • Relations with Native Americans deteriorated • Number of free blacks increased during and after the war • Increased racist publications and legislation • Led to ghettoization of blacks

3. The Articles of Confederation • States created their own constitutions after the Declaration of Independence • Continental Congress sent the Articles of Confederation to the states for ratification in 1777 • First national constitution • Had several important weaknesses: • Gave the states the most power and created a weak federal government • Central government couldn’t tax or regulate trade • Amendments required unanimous approval by all states

4. Did achieve one notable success with the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 • Governed sale of government land to settlers and contained a bill of rights • Abolished slavery in the NW territories • Set conditions for statehood • Shay’s Rebellion (1776-1787) helped illustrate the need for a stronger federal government • MA farmers protested unfair economic and political policies • Revealed resentment backcountry farmers harbored against the coastal elite

5. A New Constitution • A four-month convention was convened in Philadelphia in 1787 to revise the Articles of Confederation • Later called the Constitutional Convention • Included 55 delegates from all states except Rhode Island • Delegates decided that an entirely new constitution would need to be created

6. Different plans reflected the ideological differences of the delegates • New Jersey Plan called for minor changes and equal representation for all states • Virginia Plan called for a new government and for representation based on population • Great Compromise addressed these differences and created a bicameral legislature with one body representing equal representation and the other representing population

7. New constitution included other important characteristics • President and Vice-President would be elected by the Electoral College • 3/5 Compromise counted slaves as 3/5 of a person • Established three branches of government—executive, legislative, and judicial • Created a system of checks and balances among the three branches • The Constitution was sent to the state legislatures for ratification

8. Anti-Federalists attacked the Constitution for giving the federal government too much power • Most upset by the lack of a bill of rights • Federalist arguments in The Federalist Papers helped sway undecided states like New York to ratify the Constitution • Included James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay • States agreed to ratify the Constitution if a Bill of Rights was added • Constitution went into effect in 1789 • Bill of Rights (first ten amendments) was added in 1791

9. Washington’s Administrations (1789-1797) • Electoral College selected George Washington as the first President of the United States • Created a cabinet that would help advise the president • Thomas Jefferson became Secretary of State • Alexander Hamilton became Secretary of the Treasury • These two men had opposing views on many things and laid the basis for the first two-party system in the United States • Hamilton proposed a National Bank to regulate and strengthen the economy • Congress approved the plan, but Washington considered vetoing it • Two sides debated the constitutionality of its creation • Strict and loose constructionists argued about enumerated and implied powers

10. US Two-Party System Emerged

11. Hamilton also handled the national debt issue by assuming states’ debts • Gave the federal government power over those states • Would repay those debts by giving debt holders land on the western frontier • Favored Northern banks and the wealthy • South agreed to support this only after the government agreed to move the capital to Washington DC in 1800 • Hamilton’s programs caused the Whiskey Rebellion • PA farmers resisted an excise tax on whiskey • Washington dispatched the militia to disperse the rebels • Demonstrated the strength and fairness of the new federal government

12. French Revolution caused the US to take a stand on foreign policy • Neutrality Proclamation declared that the US would not get involved in foreign conflicts • Jay’s Treaty dealt with the evacuation of the British from the Northwest Territory • Discussed British violations of free trade • Prevented war with Britain, but critics suggested it gave too much to the British

13. Pinckney’s Treaty (1796) dealt with navigation on the Mississippi, duty-free access to world markets, and removal of Spanish forts in America • Washington wouldn’t run for a third term • In his farewell address, he warned future presidents to avoid alliances and maintain neutrality • Established American foreign policy from 1800 to the late 1890s

14. Republican Motherhood • 1790s—Woman’s role became important • They were the teachers and producers of virtuous male citizens • Should receive education, but only to help teach young males • Had very little political authority

15. Adams Administration (1797-1801) • John Adams was a federalist • Under the current rules, the second-place candidate became VP • This was Jefferson, who was a Democratic-Republican • Allowed Hamilton to take the lead • The tension between Hamilton and Jefferson set an ugly tone for this administration • Greatest achievement was avoiding war with France • France began seizing American ships on the open sea after the US signed the Jay Treaty with Britain • French demanded a large bribe from American diplomats before negotiations began in the XYZ Affair • Diplomats returned home and the people turned against France • Adams avoided war and negotiated a settlement with France

16. Low point was the Alien and Sedition Acts • Allowed the government to forcibly expel foreigners and jail newspaper editors • Sought to destroy the Democratic-Republicans • Jefferson and Madison drafted the Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions in response • Said that the states had the right to judge the constitutionality of federal laws • Used nullification to declare the Alien and Sedition Acts void

17. The “Revolution of 1800” • Federalist party split by 1800, which gave the Democratic-Republicans an advantage in the election • Thomas Jefferson and Aaron Burr received an equal number of votes in the Electoral College • House of Representatives had to choose a victor—Jefferson • President now had a VP that he didn’t want (again!) • 12th Amendment allowed electors to vote for a president and vice-president on the same ticket (1804) • This represented America’s first transition of power from one party to another, which occurred smoothly

18. On the eve of Jefferson’s inauguration, Adams appointed the “midnight judges” • Filled as many government positions with Federalists as he could

19. Jefferson’s Administrations (1801-1808) • Jefferson’s first term was noteworthy for many reasons (1800-1804) • Refused to recognize the “midnight judges” and appointed Democratic-Republicans in their place • Pardoned those convicted under the Alien and Sedition Acts and convinced Congress to repeal them • Secretary of the Treasury, Albert Gallatin, set out to reduce the national debt • Government had borrowed money to finance national growth under Hamilton’s leadership • He believed that national debt was good • Jefferson reduced borrowing, trimmed the federal budged, and cut taxes

20. Marbury v. Madison (1803) created the precedent of judicial review • Declared the Judiciary Act of 1789 unconstitutional • John Marshall’s decision stated that the Supreme Court could review the constitutionality of Congressional acts • Increased the power of the Supreme Court • Louisiana Purchase (1803) doubled the territory of the US in the greatest achievement of Jefferson’s first term • Purchased from France for $15 million • Jefferson violated his allegiance to a strict interpretation of the Constitution • Claimed the power to negotiate treaties with foreign nations, without Congressional approval • Jefferson sent Lewis and Clark to explore the new territory and the West

21. Jefferson won the Election of 1804 in a landslide • In the aftermath of the election, Burr killed Hamilton in a duel and fled to the SW • He was later captured and tried for treason for attempting to secede from the United States

22. Jefferson’s second term was rough (1804-1808) • US became caught in another British-French dispute that culminated in the War of 1812 • Blockades by both sides hurt American trade • British ships began impressing sailors from American ships and attacked an American frigate • Embargo Act of 1807 responded to British and French harassment on the open seas • Shut down America’s imports and exports with disastrous economic results • New England’s economy collapsed and smuggling became widespread • Non-Intercourse Act of 1809 reestablished trade with most nations, but not with Britain or France

23. Madison’s Administrations (1808-1817) • James Madison was a Democratic-Republican who defeated the weakening Federalists • Macon’s Bill No. 2 reopened trade with both England and France • Monroe said if either side would choose to stop interfering with American trade, that he would cut off trade with the other • Napoleon made the promise first but then violated it • British also stepped up their attacks on American ships because of the exclusive American embargo against their goods • War Hawks, led by Henry Clay and John C. Calhoun, began clamoring for war with the British • In 1812, Madison finally gave in and asked Congress to declare war

24. War of 1812 was fought between the British and the US • Native Americans fought for the British • Tecumseh and the Prophet wanted to stop American expansion into Indiana and Illinois and created a coalition • Americans weren’t prepared • Washington DC was captured and burned by the British • America was able to fight to a stalemate in most battles • Americans opposed to the war met in the Hartford Convention • Caused the death of the Federalists • British negotiated peace with the US in the Treaty of Ghent after their hostilities with France ended • Andrew Jackson defeated the British at the Battle of New Orleans after the armistice in the only clear American victory of the war

25. The one positive effect was the growth of American manufacturing • States had to become self-sufficient when they couldn’t trade with Europe • New England became the manufacturing center • US was now less dependent on imports • Madison continued promoting national growth while extending federal power cautiously in the American System which enacted: • Protective tariffs on imports • Improvements to interstate roads • Rechartering of the National Bank • This program is sometimes attributed to Henry Clay