Standard 5 Presentation

1. The New Nation and its
Government
Chapter 3

2. Creating a Confederation
• States chose a confederation as first govt
• Articles of Confederation was the US’s first
constitution.
• All 13 states had to ratify it
• Problem arose when dealing with land

3. America’s first Constitution
• A unicameral Congress (9 out of 13 votes to
pass a law)
• All 13 to amend
• Could not tax or raise armies
• No executive or judicial branch
• Each state had own money and regulated
commerce

4. Positives of Articles
• States won the war with them in place
• Outlined land ordinances
• Outlawed slavery north of Ohio River (PA and
above)

5. Shay’s Rebellion (1786)
• Daniel Shay- angry over difficulty to get farm
mortgages
• He and friends try to take land in Western
Mass, eventually put down

6. Cont’d

7. Constitutional Convention
• May, 1787- 12 of 13 states (no RI)
• Goal was to revise Articles
• Young wealthy guys attending
• Problem was states had too much freedom
– Only way to fix was to strengthen fed govt
• Eventually toss out Articles and decide to
write whole new constitution

8. Compromises
• How will representation be decided?
– Virginia Plan
• Based on population
– New Jersey Plan
• Equal votes in congress
• Great Compromise (Connecticut Compromise)
– Roger Sherman

10. Other notable agreements
• How to elect President?
– Electoral College
• How will slaves be counted toward
population?
– 3/5s compromise
• Halted slave importation after 1807
• Uniform currency, private property, 3 branch
govt with checks and balances

11. Beginning of two political parties
Anti-Federalists
• Thought new Constitution
gave govt too much power
• Did not want to ratify
• More common, less
educated
• S Adams, Patrick Henry
Federalists
• Want strong nat’l govt
• Wanted new Constitution
ratified (Federalist Papers)
• Wealthy land owners
• Washington, J Adams, A
Hamilton

12. New Constitution
• The new Constitution establishes a federal
system.
– 3 branches (separation of powers, Montesquieu)
– A Chief Executive (President) that can:
• Appoint judges
• Propose legislation
• Commander in chief of military
- Checks and balances

13. Washington as President
• Becomes first
Constitutional President
• Sworn in on 4.30.1789,
NYC
• Cabinet:
– Sec. of State- Thomas
Jefferson
– Sec of Treasury-
Alexander Hamilton
– Sec of War- Henry Knox

14. Early Problems
• Americans have strong
distrust in government
• Main problem in nation
is financial situation
• Perception that
Americans were
rough/crude people

15. Problems with Constitution
• No Bill of Rights- states
would not ratify
Constitution w/o them
• James Madison wrote
them and pushed them
thru 2/3 Congress, and
then ¾ of states
• Judiciary Act of 1789- set
up Supreme Court and
federal court system
• John Jay- 1st Chief Justice

16. Alexander Hamilton’s Plan
• #1 problem in USA is
money (or lack of)
• 4 part plan to get in
good financial standing
– Pay off debts in full
– Tariffs
– Tax on whiskey
– National Bank

18. Tax on Whiskey
• Put an excise tax on whiskey to make more $$
• Moonshiners (TN, and KY) crying “taxation
without representation”
• 1794- violence broke out Whiskey Rebellion
• Revolt crushed by Washington (sent troops)
• Lesson- new government was very strong

19. Whiskey Rebellion (1794)

20. Impact of French Revolution
• US Revolution inspired
French Rev
• 1792- French Rev
becomes more of a
world war
• How would America
respond? Who would
they support?

21. Neutrality
• Jefferson (Dem-Reps)- side with France
• Hamilton (Federalists)- side with England
• 1793- Washington issues Neutrality
Proclamation
• France angry- but actually helped them

22. Frontier Problems
• 1794-Battle of Fallen Timbers- Indians using
British guns
• 1795-Treaty of Grenville- Indians surrender
most Ohio River Valley
• Impressment by British navy
• Jay’s Treaty led to Pinckney Treaty (Spain)

24. Washington’s Farewell
• Two terms enough
• Should avoid political parties and permanent
alliances
• John Adams becomes President
– VP- Thomas Jefferson (different political party)

25. Problems with France
• France still upset- start seizing US ships
• XYZ Affair
– Main goal to avoid war
– US rejects deal and comes home
– Unofficial War in Caribbean
• Convention of 1800
– Costs Adams re-election

26. Alien and Sedition Acts
• Federalists used anti-
French movt to pass
laws
• Alien Acts- residency
requirement from 5-14
years to become citizen,
could deport criminal
immigrants
• Sedition Acts- could be
fined or jailed for
criticizing government

27. Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions
• By Madison (VA) and Jefferson (KY)
• Fed govt overstepped boundaries with A&S
Acts
• Compact (Contract) theory- states had to
approve fed laws
• States’ rights theory or nullification
• Federalists countered with people, not states
argument

28. Two Parties
Federalists
• Led by Hamilton
• Wealthy class
• Pro British (good for trade)
• Strong fed govt
Democratic-Republicans
• Jefferson- leader
• Supports poor and common
folk
• Even uneducated could
make common sense
decisions
• Pro French