Chapter 9: The Confederation and the Constitution(1776-1790)

I.The Pursuit of Equality

A.Declaration of Independence states all men are created equal
a.ordinary men & women: Mr. and Mrs.
B.instead of Master: Boss
B.Violated democracy in 1784 with indentured servants leads to: 1800s removal of
servitude
C.Society of the Cincinnati: Continental army officers who were ridiculed because of
their hereditary order and lordly views which had vanished long time.
D.Separation of state and church
a.Congregational church remained legal in some states
b.The Anglican Church was reformed into the Protestant Episcopal Church plus it
was disestablished.
c.Religion and government separation was very challenging in Virginia
1.Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom: the way thomas jefferson
won
E.Anti-slavery ideals
a.1774 Continental Congress tries to abolish it
b.Abolishment was not enforced in Southern Colonies only north from
Pennsylvania.
1.Laws of intermarriage rise
2.African Americans were forbidden to have properties, jobs, or
education.
c.This ideals then vanished because it was disrupting colonial unity.
F.Equality to women was also incomplete
a.Abigail Adams
b.Civic Virtue:Stated that democracy depended on the people to make better
choices in their society.
1.women started to get more rights in society.
2.republican motherhood
II.Constitution Making in the States
A.Continental Congress in 1776: Demand of new constitutions, republicanism:
sovereignty would rest on the authority of people
B.Massachusetts constitution, longest lived constitution needed a convention to switch it
C.American constitutions different to British constitutions:
a.British: many laws, precedents, and customs and were not written down
b.American: written document including contracts that determined the power of
the governments, and fundamental law, bills of rights, annual election of
legislators
III.Economic Crosscurrents
A.Economic democracy leads to political democracy
B.British goods were no longer imported: hence they made their own
C.Americans were not allowed to trade with British and British West Indies harbors.
a.Navigation Laws were worse after independence
b.Economy worsened post American Revolution
D.Debt and Inflation
E.Impossible to make a new government
IV.A Shaky Start Toward Union
A.NO unity and difficulty to create a new government, America was just a name not a
nation
 B.Unity was not so far away, the 13 colonies had similar governmental structures and
constitutions, and great political leaders.
V.Creating a Confederation
A.Second continental congress: had no constitutional authority
B.Articles Of Confederation: written constitution for the new nation, adopted in 1777
C.This article gave 7 states especially New York and Virginia more land but soon NY
and Virginia gave in for the better good of the people
D.Map 9.1: Western Land Cessions to the United States, 1782-180- shows land claims
and seceded lands
E.National land policy was made possible
VI.The Articles of Confederation: Americas First Constitution
A.Articles of Confusion
a.Judicial arm for all states
b.Chief of government: Congress
c.NO executive branch
B.Weak Congress: no power for control over commerce and states free to establish laws
C.New Congress less effective than Old one
a.Articles were a shift in government
b.Articles=Loose Confederation model
c.Comparison to European governments= heaven and hell
D. Significant step towards constitution
a.Ideal of Union kept alive
b.Association boycott was shifted to the Constitution
VII.Landmarks in Land Laws
A.Old Northwest: land northwest of Ohio River, East of Mississippi river, and south of
the Great Lakes both by the federal gov.
B.Land Ordinance of 1785, law that said national debt should be payed by the money
gained from selling the Old Northwest land; Map 9.2: Surveying old northwest under
land Ordinance
C.Northwest Ordinance of 1787, Showed how Congress was going to deal with its
colonies; forbid slavery
VIII.The Worlds Ugly Duckling
A.British resentment towards America
a.Would not repeal the navigation laws or trade with them
b.Lord Sheffield: said British would win back Americas trade
B.European powers still impacting America
a.Spain closed American commerce, and prevented Americans from controlling
half of their territory while conflicting with british
b.Map 9.3: Main centers of Spanish and British Influence; shows how
independence was just a name, because British and Spanish powers were still
influencing
c.French close their west Indies ports and ask for their money loaned for the
revolution
IX.The Horrid Specter of Anarchy
A.States: raising money BREAKDOWN, debt increasing, refused to pay
B.Land Boundary conflict within states
C.Shayss Rebellion:Daniel Shay led an uprising of farmers in Massachusetts, most of
them veterans that were losing their properties due to taxes and mortgage
a.Massachussetts response: Violent
b.Debtor relief laws to address Shays concerns
C.reveals the urgency of a central government
 D.Conservatists want strong central govt. to keep their economical and social status
E.Poor people; fear: central government will obligate them to pay debts
F.Finally all agree they need a central government to stop inter state conflicts and by
1789 they started progressing again
X.A Convention of Demigods
A.1786 Virginia called for a meeting to talk about the control of commerce and trade
a.9 states appointed, only 5 were present
b.Alexander Hamilton issued a call for reconstruction the Articles of
Confederation in Philadelphia on May 25,1787 and NY Congress agreed
B.Second Meeting in 1787
a.All states representatives meet, except rhode island
b.members reference demigods
c.Notable members assisting:George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, James
Madison, and Alexander Hamilton. Many notable people in the revolution did not
assist
XI.Patriots in Philadelphia
A.Delegates were: young, experienced, owned slaves, preserve Republic
B.Members desired central government that controlled certain aspects, such as
commerce with foreign nations
C. Preservation of the Union, against uprisings
XII.Hammering Out a Bundle of Compromises
A.Some delegates wanted to revise the Articles of Confederation, while others wanted to
re-do them
B.Table 9.1; shows the evolution of a federal union. Articles of Confederations= 13
states
C.Virginia Plan: proposal that gave larger states an advantage the large-state plan
D.New Jersey Plan: equal representation among all states no matter the size or
population the small state plan
E.Great Compromise: The House of Representatives would be represented by
population from the largest states, and smaller states would have the same
representation in the senate; broke the logjam
F.Constituion deviated from common law tradition, undetailed;
G.Constitution compromises:
a.President could appoint people to office
b.President could reject legislation
c.President could wage war, but congress declared war
d.Electoral College System: to elect presidents
1.Number of representatives in house and state determine the number of
electors a state has
2.If no majority, House of representatives elect
H.Three Fifths Compromise: slaves counted as 3/5 of a person
XIII.Safeguards for Conservatism
A.Constitutional Convention members: believe in three branch governments
B.Federal judges for forever
C.Presidents elected by Electoral college, Senators elected by legislature, citizens chose
House of Reps
D.Republicanism ideals included: government had limited power, and govt. chosen by
people
E. Only 42 of 55 members signed the final constitution
XIV.The Clash of Federalists and Antifederalists
A.Rule was created so that Rhode Island would not reject the constitution
 B.Antifederalists: opposed federal government federalists: favored federal
government
C.Samuel Adams, Patrick Henry, and Richard Henry Lee led the antifederalists, who
were poor Americans and people that had large debts. Federalists were people of higher
classes and had powerful figures on their side, like George Washington and Benjamin
Franklin
D.Map 9.4, shows how coastal areas supported federalists which were richer because of
good commerce, and antifederalists as frontiersmen
XV.The Great Debate in the States
A.Constitution decision in Massachusetts
B.The constitution is applied officially June 21,1788.
C.Virginia, New York, North Carolina, and Rhode Island are antifederalists.
XVI.The Four Laggard States
A.Antifederalist New York and Virginia, unhappy
B.Virginia eventually gives in to constitution by important leaders influence
C.New York gives in after Alexander Hamilton and others influence
D.The Federalist- compilation of essays that show the federalist side of the
constitution propaganda
XVII.A Conservative Triumph
A.Many would still oppose the constitution, although it had triumphed and was
established
B.Conservatists: Central government would make the United States Prosper