The Summer of 1787: Getting a Constitution
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Load more
Recommended publications
-
1 the Story of the Faulkner Murals by Lester S. Gorelic, Ph.D. the Story Of
The Story of the Faulkner Murals By Lester S. Gorelic, Ph.D. The story of the Faulkner murals in the Rotunda begins on October 23, 1933. On this date, the chief architect of the National Archives, John Russell Pope, recommended the approval of a two- year competing United States Government contract to hire a noted American muralist, Barry Faulkner, to paint a mural for the Exhibit Hall in the planned National Archives Building.1 The recommendation initiated a three-year project that produced two murals, now viewed and admired by more than a million people annually who make the pilgrimage to the National Archives in Washington, DC, to view two of the Charters of Freedom documents they commemorate: the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States of America. The two-year contract provided $36,000 in costs plus $6,000 for incidental expenses.* The contract ended one year before the projected date for completion of the Archives Building’s construction, providing Faulkner with an additional year to complete the project. The contract’s only guidance of an artistic nature specified that “The work shall be in character with and appropriate to the particular design of this building.” Pope served as the contract supervisor. Louis Simon, the supervising architect for the Treasury Department, was brought in as the government representative. All work on the murals needed approval by both architects. Also, The United States Commission of Fine Arts served in an advisory capacity to the project and provided input critical to the final composition. The contract team had expertise in art, architecture, painting, and sculpture. -
Federalist Politics and William Marbury's Appointment As Justice of the Peace
Catholic University Law Review Volume 45 Issue 2 Winter 1996 Article 2 1996 Marbury's Travail: Federalist Politics and William Marbury's Appointment as Justice of the Peace. David F. Forte Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarship.law.edu/lawreview Recommended Citation David F. Forte, Marbury's Travail: Federalist Politics and William Marbury's Appointment as Justice of the Peace., 45 Cath. U. L. Rev. 349 (1996). Available at: https://scholarship.law.edu/lawreview/vol45/iss2/2 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by CUA Law Scholarship Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Catholic University Law Review by an authorized editor of CUA Law Scholarship Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. ARTICLES MARBURY'S TRAVAIL: FEDERALIST POLITICS AND WILLIAM MARBURY'S APPOINTMENT AS JUSTICE OF THE PEACE* David F. Forte** * The author certifies that, to the best of his ability and belief, each citation to unpublished manuscript sources accurately reflects the information or proposition asserted in the text. ** Professor of Law, Cleveland State University. A.B., Harvard University; M.A., Manchester University; Ph.D., University of Toronto; J.D., Columbia University. After four years of research in research libraries throughout the northeast and middle Atlantic states, it is difficult for me to thank the dozens of people who personally took an interest in this work and gave so much of their expertise to its completion. I apologize for the inevita- ble omissions that follow. My thanks to those who reviewed the text and gave me the benefits of their comments and advice: the late George Haskins, Forrest McDonald, Victor Rosenblum, William van Alstyne, Richard Aynes, Ronald Rotunda, James O'Fallon, Deborah Klein, Patricia Mc- Coy, and Steven Gottlieb. -
A Great Compromise
A Great Compromise: The Sherman Plan Saves the Constitutional Convention of 1787 Lucy Phelan Junior Division Historical Paper Paper Length: 2,495 Words 2 INTRODUCTION In May 1787, delegates from twelve of the thirteen United States met in a federal Convention 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.”1 Simply stated, there was an urgent need to fix the political system under the existing Articles of Confederation. However, differences over the structure of the legislative branch quickly led to conflict. Some, particularly delegates from larger-population states, envisioned a strong National legislature with representatives elected by the people (“proportional representation”). Others from smaller states disagreed, fearing a power grab by the larger states, and supported equal representation for each state. This conflict threatened to destroy the Convention. After large-state efforts to force proportional representation in both legislative houses, small-state delegates stopped cooperating altogether. The two sides became deadlocked. Roger Sherman’s Great Compromise of proportional representation in the lower house and equal representation in the upper broke the stalemate. The delegates resumed the Convention and finished writing a new Constitution to replace the Articles of Confederation and corresponding system of government. Ratified two years later, this Constitution has successfully weathered another 230 years of tension, conflict and even turmoil in American history and politics. The Constitution of 1787 continues to serve as the basis of the United States Government today.2 1 Pauline Maier, Ratification: The People Debate the Constitution, 1787 – 1788 (New York: Simon & Schuster, 2011), 3. -
Introduction 8
INTRODUCTION 8 The Society of the Cincinnati and the Confederation Period What is to be done with the Cincinnati: is that order of Chivalry, that Inroad upon our first Principle, Equality, to be connived at? It is the deepest Piece of Cun- ning yet attempted. John Adams1 WHEN IN THE SPRING of 1783 Henry Knox, Frederick William Steuben, and other officers of the Continental Army organized the Society of the Cincin- nati—the first veterans’ organization in US history—they did not anticipate the storm of outrage it would produce. Knox and his comrades in arms, who soon received the blessing and support of George Washington, wanted to preserve the memory of their common struggle in the Revolutionary War and to pursue their interest in outstanding pay and pensions. To honor fallen comrades and to perpetuate their association, the founders of the Cincinnati decided to make membership hereditary. Much to the officers’ surprise, this rule of heredity provoked public outrage. Within months, the Society stood at the center of one of the most heated controversies in postrevolutionary America. Critics of the Society—among them men as prominent as John Adams, Samuel Adams, and Elbridge Gerry—accused the Cincinnati of an aristocratic conspiracy against the nascent American republic. According to these allega- tions, the Society planned to establish itself as a hereditary nobility, thus creating a homemade tyranny that would soon extinguish the flame of liberty. With the end of their common struggle for freedom almost in sight and after seven years of fighting England to create a new nation, one part of the Founding Fathers effectively accused another of betraying the ideals of the American Revolution. -
The Framers, Faith, and Tyranny
Roger Williams University Law Review Volume 26 Issue 2 Vol. 26: No. 2 (Spring 2021) Article 7 Symposium: Is This a Christian Nation? Spring 2021 The Framers, Faith, and Tyranny Marci A. Hamilton University of Pennsylvania Follow this and additional works at: https://docs.rwu.edu/rwu_LR Part of the First Amendment Commons, and the Religion Law Commons Recommended Citation Hamilton, Marci A. (2021) "The Framers, Faith, and Tyranny," Roger Williams University Law Review: Vol. 26 : Iss. 2 , Article 7. Available at: https://docs.rwu.edu/rwu_LR/vol26/iss2/7 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the School of Law at DOCS@RWU. It has been accepted for inclusion in Roger Williams University Law Review by an authorized editor of DOCS@RWU. For more information, please contact [email protected]. The Framers, Faith, and Tyranny Marci A. Hamilton* “Cousin America has run off with a Presbyterian parson, and that was the end of it.” —Horace Walpole1 INTRODUCTION There was a preponderance of Calvinists at the Constitutional Convention, nearly one fifth of whom were graduates of the preeminent Presbyterian college of the day, the College of New Jersey, which is now Princeton University.2 Over one third had direct connections to Calvinist beliefs. These leaders of the time reflected on their collective knowledge and experiences for usable theories to craft a governing structure in the face of the crumbling Articles of Confederation. They were in an emergency and felt no compunction to distinguish between governing ideas that were secular or theological in origin. Accounts of the Constitution’s framing rarely credit its Calvinist inspiration. -
Down but Not Out: How American Slavery Survived the Constitutional Era
Georgia State University ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University History Theses Department of History 12-16-2015 Down But Not Out: How American Slavery Survived the Constitutional Era Jason Butler Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.gsu.edu/history_theses Recommended Citation Butler, Jason, "Down But Not Out: How American Slavery Survived the Constitutional Era." Thesis, Georgia State University, 2015. https://scholarworks.gsu.edu/history_theses/99 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Department of History at ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University. It has been accepted for inclusion in History Theses by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. DOWN BUT NOT OUT: HOW AMERICAN SLAVERY SURVIVED THE CONSTITUTIONAL ERA by JASON E. BUTLER Under the Direction of H. Robert Baker, Ph.D. ABSTRACT Whether through legal assault, private manumissions or slave revolt, the institution of slavery weathered sustained and substantial blows throughout the era spanning the American Revolution and Constitutional Era. The tumult of the rebellion against the British, the inspiration of Enlightenment ideals and the evolution of the American economy combined to weaken slavery as the delegates converged on Philadelphia for the Constitutional Convention of 1787. Even in the South, it was not hard to find prominent individuals working, speaking or writing against slavery. During the Convention, however, Northern delegates capitulated to staunch Southern advocates of slavery not because of philosophical misgivings but because of economic considerations. Delegates from North and South looked with anticipation toward the nation’s expansion into the Southwest, confident it would occasion a slavery-based economic boom. -
“Miracle at Philadelphia”— the Constitutional Convention
In 1786, a meeting was held in Annapolis, following year. Its purpose would be to Maryland, to discuss trade between the revise the Articles of Confederation. All states. Five states sent representatives. Te thirteen states were invited to send members called for a meeting to representatives. be held in Philadelphia the The Maryland State House, where the Annapolis meeting took place. “Miracle at Philadelphia”— © FTE • Unlawful to photocopy without permission The Constitutional Convention Fify-fve delegates gathered at the state house in half of them had trained as lawyers. One third of Philadelphia in May 1787. It was the same building these men had fought in the Revolution. where eight of them had signed the Declaration of Te delegates immediately elected George Wash- Independence 11 years earlier. ington to preside over their proceedings. Just as quickly, they voted to keep their discussions secret Back in 1776, the colonists had cut their ties to Brit- from the public, in order to encourage a freer ain in the name of liberty. Te challenge now was to exchange of ideas. construct a central authority strong enough to defend the nation and promote its well-being, yet not so Next, the delegates took a surprising step. Tey strong that it would threaten individual liberties. decided to replace the Articles of Confederation rather than just to revise them. Te delegates set Every state except Rhode Island sent representatives about writing a new constitution—a plan of basic to Philadelphia to revise the Articles. All of the del- rules for government. Teir assembly became egates were men who owned property. -
MIDNIGHT JUDGES KATHRYN Turnu I
[Vol.109 THE MIDNIGHT JUDGES KATHRYN TuRNu I "The Federalists have retired into the judiciary as a strong- hold . and from that battery all the works of republicanism are to be beaten down and erased." ' This bitter lament of Thomas Jefferson after he had succeeded to the Presidency referred to the final legacy bequeathed him by the Federalist party. Passed during the closing weeks of the Adams administration, the Judiciary Act of 1801 2 pro- vided the Chief Executive with an opportunity to fill new judicial offices carrying tenure for life before his authority ended on March 4, 1801. Because of the last-minute rush in accomplishing this purpose, those men then appointed have since been known by the familiar generic designation, "the midnight judges." This flight of Federalists into the sanctuary of an expanded federal judiciary was, of course, viewed by the Republicans as the last of many partisan outrages, and was to furnish the focus for Republican retaliation once the Jeffersonian Congress convened in the fall of 1801. That the Judiciary Act of 1801 was repealed and the new judges deprived of their new offices in the first of the party battles of the Jeffersonian period is well known. However, the circumstances surrounding the appointment of "the midnight judges" have never been recounted, and even the names of those appointed have vanished from studies of the period. It is the purpose of this Article to provide some further information about the final event of the Federalist decade. A cardinal feature of the Judiciary Act of 1801 was a reform long advocated-the reorganization of the circuit courts.' Under the Judiciary Act of 1789, the judicial districts of the United States had been grouped into three circuits-Eastern, Middle, and Southern-in which circuit court was held by two justices of the Supreme Court (after 1793, by one justice) ' and the district judge of the district in which the court was sitting.5 The Act of 1801 grouped the districts t Assistant Professor of History, Wellesley College. -
Restoring Civil Discourse: Lessons from the Constitutional Convention Susan M
Restoring Civil Discourse: Lessons from the Constitutional Convention Susan M. Leeson homas Mann, Director of Governmental Studies at the Brookings Institution, observed several years ago that, “Democracy is a means of living together despite our differences. TDemocratic deliberation is an alternative to physical violence. It is predicated on the assumption that it’s possible to disagree agreeably....”1 Political commentators increasingly note the disintegration of agreeable disagreement in our democracy. In our public debates, in panel discussions on radio or television, in town hall meetings and community forums, in legislative chambers, on internet blogs, and even on college campuses, where free and candid exchanges of views are thought to be the norm, negativity and personal attacks abound. Issues are cast as deadly battles between opposing ideologies. All of us probably have experienced the challenge of remaining civil when we are discussing policy matters about which we are passionate. Acknowledging that incivility does not advance the cause of democracy is one thing. Finding constructive examples of civil debate over contentious issues is another. ______________ Constitution Day Lecture, September 12, 2005 Leeson 2006 13 One remarkable example of civil discourse is the Constitutional Convention of 1787. Many Americans view the United States Constitution with reverence. However, most are unaware that the four-month-long process of drafting the Constitution was arduous and anything but serene. The delegates to the convention were so deeply divided (morally, politically, and economically) on so many issues that the convention almost collapsed several times. With but a few exceptions, the delegates persevered. The story of the convention is filled with complex characters, motives, intrigues, and a plot that continues to affect our daily lives. -
Catherine Drinker Bowen Papers [Finding Aid]. Library of Congress
Catherine Drinker Bowen Papers A Finding Aid to the Collection in the Library of Congress Manuscript Division, Library of Congress Washington, D.C. 2011 Contact information: http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.mss/mss.contact Additional search options available at: http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.mss/eadmss.ms011156 LC Online Catalog record: http://lccn.loc.gov/mm77013383 Prepared by Michael McElderry and David Mathisen Collection Summary Title: Catherine Drinker Bowen Papers Span Dates: 1793-1980 Bulk Dates: (bulk 1934-1972) ID No.: MSS13383 Creator: Bowen, Catherine Drinker, 1897-1973 Extent: 39,000 items ; 84 containers plus 1 oversize ; 34 linear feet Language: Collection material in English Location: Manuscript Division, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. Summary: Author and biographer. Family and general correspondence; research notes; drafts of writings, speeches, and articles; publication production materials; clippings; scrapbooks; and printed matter relating primarily to Bowen's writings, especially her biographies of John Adams, Francis Bacon, Sir Edward Coke, Benjamin Franklin, and Oliver Wendell Holmes, and her study of the Constitutional Convention of 1787. Selected Search Terms The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the Library's online catalog. They are grouped by name of person or organization, by subject or location, and by occupation and listed alphabetically therein. People Adams, John, 1735-1826. Bacon, Francis, 1561-1626. Bowen, Catherine Drinker, 1897-1973. Boyd, Julian P. (Julian Parks), 1903-1980--Correspondence. Ciardi, John, 1916-1986--Correspondence. Coke, Edward, Sir, 1552-1634. Commager, Henry Steele, 1902-1998--Correspondence. Cousins, Norman--Correspondence. De Voto, Bernard Augustine, 1897-1955--Correspondence. -
Antifederalism & Revolutionary Ideals
ififedeira1im & Revolutionary Ideals DeL]MeKk n 1787, delegates from twelve states met in Philadelphia to change the government of the United States under the Articles of Confederation. After much debate and compromise, they produced the Constitution, a document that represented a major change in public administration. The Constitution created a new republican government, with a strong central administration linking the different states together. Some people opposed the new Constitution; collectively this group is known as the Anti-Federalists. While historians have spent much time and energy studying their counterparts, the Federalists, the Anti-Federalists are less well known. Luther Martin believed that the Constitution endangered Americans because of its emphasis on national government. “When our liberties were at stake [during the Revolution], we warmly felt for the common rights of men, The danger being thought to be past -e are daily grow ing more insensible to those rights.” For ‘1artin, the Constitution refuted the Revolutionary ideals.2 Edmund Randolph was also concerned about the possibility of intrusion into civil liberties. While he recognized the failure of the Articles of Confederation, mainly due to the necessity of a unanimous vote to amend them, he also worried about “unreasonable subjection of the will of the majority to that of the minority.”3 George Clinton, Governor of New York, spoke of rights in this way: ‘s each individual has one vote in civil society.. .so each state sought... to have one vote in federal society As the preservation of the rights of individuals is the object of civil society, so the preservation of the rights of states (not individuals) ought to be the object of federal society”4 2$ The Anti-federalists preferred to place more power in the hands of local government, rather than a strong central government. -
Books Organized by Author's First Name
ID # Title Author Year Published Shelf Accession # 2097 Masterpieces of the Centennial VOL 1 1876 E2 496 2896 Masterpieces of the Centennial VOL 2 1876 E2 496 3694 Masterpieces of the Centennial VOL 3 1876 E2 496 331 Address of Anthony M. Hance Anthony M. Hance 1911 P4 1902 Godey's Ladies Book-Vol.XXVIII Sarah J. Hale 1844 G1 1805 2713 Harper's Magazine-Vol.IIDec1850-May1851 2 Copies G2 2261 3511 Harper's Magazine-Vol.IIDec1850-May1851 2 Copies G2 2261 Montgomery County Town and Country Living 22001-2002 2001, 2002 S7 2510 Island of Life A Clergyman 1862 SR2 2635 The child's bible a Lady of Cincinati 1835 SR3 1542 The Church of Christ A Layman 1907 F5 2462 288 The Philadelphia Bank 1803-1903 A Stockholder 1903 P4 2719 2254 history of allegheny county a warner and co 1889 F2 2895 3980 Atlas A. H. Mueller 1909 ws1 2053 Old Glasas European and American A. Hudson Moore 1924 G5 2574 4162 National Fifth Reader A. S. Barnes and Company 1875 SR2 2696 Monument ot the Memory of Henry Clay A.H. Carrier 1859 H1 2564 950 Pennsylvania's Best A.H. Carstens 1960 C1 1836 3979 North Penn Atlas 1916 A.H. Mueller 1916 ws1 1552 Zinzendorf: The Ecumenical Pioneer A.J. Lewis 1962 F5 2761 678 The Life and Times of Cotton Mather A.P. Marvin 1892 H6 559 2439 Davie's Elementary algaebr A.S. Barnes and Burr 1859 SR 1 4086 barnes new national fourth reader a.s. barnes and co 1884 SR1 2506 New National Fifth Reader A.S.