Brinkley Chapter 6 Notes 1

Brinkley Chapter 6 Notes Framing a New Government Brinkley, Chapter 6 After Shays Rebellion, some of America's wealthiest and most powerful groups called for a stronger national government. The Constitution and the New Republic Leading the way was Alexander Hamilton. Hamilton found allies in James Madison and George Washington who called for a Constitutional Convention. 55 delegates met in Philadelphia. All states The "Founding Fathers" were young were represented except Rhode Island. (44), well educated, wealthy property owners, and feared concentrated power. The convention unanimously George Washington to preside over its sessions. Was closed to the public and to the press. The Philadelphia Convention Issue of Representation William Paterson James Madison Not in attendance were John Adams (England) and Thomas Jefferson (France). Sam Adams was not welcomed as he was deemed too fiery. Patrick Henry refused to attend Rejected state because he "smelt a rat." sovereignty in V. favor of the All delegates agreed: "supremacy of the national Convention government" . The US needed a stronger central government rejected the New Jersey Each state received one vote in the Plan, but supporters of Convention and a simple majority was the Virginia needed to pass a resolution. Plan realized they needed to Independence Hall compromise. Issue of Slavery "Upper" Southern Issue of the Presidency states such as VA and MD hoped to abolish the slave trade. V. V. "Lower" Southern states such as SC and GA refused to partake in any union that abolished the slave trade. To placate southern states, the delegates agreed that the federal government could not ban the slave trade for 20 years. Article 1 Section 2 1 Brinkley Chapter 6 Notes Issue of Trade Unresolved Issues No definition of citizenship V. Status of Indian Tribes Absence of a list of individual rights, restraining the powers of the federal government (A.K.A Bill of Rights) No mention of slavery Undoubtedly, Charlie Brown is awesome, but try to stay away from this version of the Constitutional Convention! The Constitution of 1787 The Question of Sovereignty James Madison "The Father of the Constitution" How could a national government exercise sovereignty concurrently with state governments? Where did ultimate sovereignty lie? Madison's 2 most important achievements: All power, at all levels of government flowed ultimately from the people. 1. The question of sovereignty Thus neither the federal government nor the state governments were truly 2. The question of limiting power sovereign. The resolution of the problem of sovereignty made possible one of the distinctive features of the Constitution - Federalism , or the division of powers between the national and state governments. Discontinued in 1969 The Question of Limiting Power Adoption and Adaptation Baron de Montesquieu Separation of Power & Checks and Balances 9 of 13 states were needed to adopt the Constitution. States assembled delegates to begin their own conventions to vote on ratification A national debate ensued though over individual rights and the protections of individual rights from the government The nation was divided between Federalists and Anti-Federalists Federalists - a term that opponents of centralization once used to describe themselves - thus implying that they were less committed to a "nationalist" government than in fact they were. 2 Brinkley Chapter 6 Notes Supporters: Supporters: Ratification Washington Patrick Henry In the winter of 1787-1788, Delaware Franklin Sam Adams ratified the Constitution first. Madison Jefferson 11 9 6 Hamilton New Jersey & Georgia soon followed. 5 13 Believed they Jay 3 were the true 2 7 1 defenders of the New Hampshire was the 9th state to ratify. Revolution. 10 Government will North Carolina waited to see if in fact a 12 increase taxes, weaken the Bill of Rights would be added. 8 states, favor the 4 rich over the Rhode Island did not even consider commoners, and Wrote the Federalist Papers bolish individual ratification. to support their position liberty The First Congress The Federal Courts The first Congress served in many The Constitution only states: "The judicial power of the United States shall ways as a continuation of the be vested in one Supreme Court, and in such inferior courts as the Congress Constitutional Convention. may from time to time ordain and establish." Most important task was drafting the Bill of Rights. By early 1789, even James Madison saw the importance of a Bill of Rights. 9 of the first 10 Amendments placed limits on the federal government. The Judiciary Act of 1789 provided for a Supreme Court with 6 justices and a system of lower courts and appeals courts Executive Departments Federalists and Republicans The Congress created three departments of the executive branch: Though the Constitution was ratified, there remained many philosophical differences. Federalists Democratic - Republicans Secretary of State Secretary of Treasury Secretary of War Washington & Hamilton Jefferson & Madison Powerful group who Group whose members envisioned a Henry Knox envisioned America as a more modest national government. Rather than aspire to be a highly Established the Postmaster General and Attorney General genuine nation-state, with centralized authority and a commercial or urban nation, it complex commercial should remain predominantly rural economy. and agrarian. Samuel Osgood Edmund Randolph 3 Brinkley Chapter 6 Notes Hamilton's Financial Plan Hamilton and the Federalists The new government needed the support of the wealthy and powerful. Government For 12 years, the Federalists controlled the needed to give elites a stake in success. government partly because Washington believed in a strong central government. Hamilton outlined his vision in 3 plans proposed to Congress. 1. "Report on the Public Credit" (Jan. 1790) But, he tried to avoid deliberations and 2. "Report on a National Bank" (Dec. 1790) controversies in Congress. 3. "Report on Manufactures (Jan. 1791). Alexander Hamilton rose as the face of the Federalist Party. 1. Hamilton asked Congress to redeem at face value the $55 million in Confederation securities held by foreign and domestic investors. Hamilton was one of the most aristocratic in political philosophy. Believed in As an underdeveloped nation, the US needed good credit to secure loans from an elite ruling class. As Treasury Secretary he devised bold policies to Dutch and British financiers. However, his plan gave enormous profits to speculators, enhance national authority and to assist financiers and merchants. who bought depreciated securities. Hamilton's Financial Plan Hamilton's Financial Plan Equally controversial was Hamilton's proposal to pay note holders with new interest- 2. Hamilton's bank plan would be jointly owned by private stockholders and the bearing securities, thereby creating a permanent national debt. national government. Hamilton then proposed that the national government further enhance public Hamilton argued the bank would provide stability to the specie-starved American credit by assuming the war debts of the states. This assumption plan, costing $22 economy by making loans to merchants, handling government funds, and issuing bills million benefitted the wealthy as they also purchased depreciated bonds. of credit. These potential benefits persuaded Congress to grant Hamilton's bank a 20 year charter and send the legislation to the president for his approval. Few members of Congress rejected Hamilton's Jefferson and Madison opposed Hamilton's plan. Jefferson believed the bank was plan for funding the national debt, but many unconstitutional. Jefferson's argument rested on a strict interpretation of the opposed his proposal to exchange new bonds for Constitution. Jefferson told Washington that it was not a power expressly "delegated to old certificates of indebtedness on a dollar-for- the United States by the Constitution." dollar basis. Many original bond holders were forced to Hamilton preferred a loose interpretation. He told Washington that Article 1 Section 8 sell them to speculators in the 1780s at a At the insistence of Hamilton, empowered Congress to make "All Laws which shall be necessary and proper" to carry fraction of their face value. Congress passed the bill to out the provisions of the Constitution. Washington agreed with Hamilton and signed the exchange the bonds. national bank legislation. Enacting Hamilton's Program Hamilton's Financial Plan Hamilton's assumption of debt proposal faced greater opposition. 3. Hamilton sought revenue to pay the annual interest on the national debt. The funding and assumption of debts would require new sources of revenue. 2 new Opponents argued that if the federal government took over the state debts, taxes: the states with small debts would have to pay taxes to service the states with large ones. 1. Excise tax on alcoholic beverages, a 2. Tariff on imports, not only to raise tax that would burden whiskey revenue, but to protect domestic Massachusetts, for example, owed Hamilton had to compromise distillers and small farmers who manufacturers from foreign much more money than Virginia. with the Virginians. converted part of their corn and rye competition into whiskey. In exchange for northern support for placing the nation's capital in the He urged the expansion of American manufacturing but did not want a protective South close to Virginia, the south would vote for assumption of the states' tariff but a revenue tariff. As American trade increased, customs revenue rose debt. The land was to be

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