Unit 4: Constitutional Period

• The Articles of Confederation had a weak central government where states retained considerable power, with only one branch of government. The central government could not tax, regulate commerce, or support war efforts, leading to debt after the war and states taxing each other at seaports. There was also no common currency.
• Shays' Rebellion


  Loans being recalled and taxes to be raised, with taxes required to be paid in specie (hard currency) rather than paper money. Former Continental Army captain Daniel Shays led a rebellion in western Massachusetts where citizens drove off tax collectors and protested with petitions and public meetings. The state government eventually gathered an army and quieted the rebellion.
• The country realized the need to solve the issue of the weak central government after Shays' Rebellion.
• Inflation


  The value of the US dollar dropped dramatically compared to the Spanish dollar, from 3:1 in 1777 to 146:1 by 1784. Prices also fell, and creditors were owed over $50 million by national and state governments.
• The Annapolis Convention in 1786 was called by Virginia to revise the Articles of Confederation, but only 5 of the 9 states with appointed delegates were actually represented. Alexander Hamilton drafted a report calling for a convention to meet in Philadelphia the following year.
• The Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia from May to September 1787 had 55 delegates sent collectively by the states, with Rhode Island being the only state not to send delegates due to concerns about the Constitution giving too much power to the central government and prohibiting its practice of printing paper money.
• Constitutional Convention Simulation


  1. State meetings to respond to presented questions

  2. Introductions of delegates

  3. Issue of representation in the legislative branch

  4. Virginia Plan

  5. New Jersey Plan

  6. Great Compromise (Connecticut Plan)
• Issues at the Constitutional Convention

  • Whether to have a president, concerns about the president becoming power-hungry, who decides the president, who will make the laws, whether slaves should be counted towards a state's population
• Three-Fifths Compromise


  Three-fifths of each state's slave population would be counted when determining representation, to prevent southern states from being weak in the House
• Historians argue that the precepts of American democracy and the U.S. Constitution are indebted to the Iroquois (Haudenosaunee) Confederation model of government, including a federation of states, bicameral legislature, and balance of powers.
• Ratification of the Constitution

  Needed 9 of 13 states to ratify (approve) the Constitution by special conventions in each state, leading to disagreements between Federalists and Anti-Federalists
• Federalists


  Favored the Constitution and wanted a strong national government, including many Nationalists like George Washington, James Madison, and Alexander Hamilton. They feared the people more than the government and wrote a series of 85 essays called the Federalist Papers defending the Constitution.
• Anti-Federalists


  Opposed the Constitution, seeing it as a threat to state governments and individual rights. They included some Nationalists who wanted a national government but were unhappy with the Constitution as written, like Samuel Adams, Patrick Henry, and George Mason. They feared the government more than the people and objected to the federal court system.
• The Federalists won the ratification debate due to the flaws in the Articles of Confederation shown by economic problems and Shays' Rebellion, their united support for the specific plan of the Constitution, and the support of George Washington.
• The Bill of Rights, the first ten amendments to the Constitution, was written by James Madison to protect individual rights, as most people believed a constitution should include a clear declaration of rights.
• Arguments for and against the Bill of Rights

  Federalists saw no need for it, as the government was of, for, and by the people. Anti-Federalists warned that without enumerating rights, the government would have unenumerated powers to restrict them.
• The Bill of Rights

  • Amendment I: Freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition
  • Amendment II: Right to bear arms
  • Amendment III: No quartering of soldiers
  • Amendment IV: Right to be secure from unreasonable searches and seizures
• Arguments against the Bill of Rights

  • Federalists saw no need to protect rights from themselves
  • Unnecessary since building a government of, for, and by the people
• Arguments for the Bill of Rights

  • Anti-Federalists warned rights would be considered unenumerated powers of the government
  • Needed bill of rights to restrain the government
• The Articles of Confederation had a weak central government where states retained considerable power
• Issues with the Articles of Confederation

  • Weak central government
  • One branch of government
  • Central government could not tax, regulate commerce, support war effort
  • Debt after war
  • States could tax neighboring states at seaports
  • No common currency
• Shays' Rebellion


  • Loans being recalled and taxes to be raised
  • Farmers took up arms in states from NH to SC, but rebellion was most serious in MA
  • Daniel Shays (former captain in Continental Army) led rebellion in western Massachusetts (August 1786) in which citizens drove off tax collectors and protested with petitions and public meetings
  • State courts rejected petitions so rebels forced courts to close
  • Shays and small army marched to arsenal in Springfield
  • Congress unable to intervene since did not have enough money to raise army
  • State government gathered army and quieted rebellion (January 1787)
  • Outcome: Shays fled; 15 leaders sentenced to death, 2 hanged and remainder pardoned; 4,000 farmers temporarily lost right to vote, sit on juries, hold office
• Country realizes need to solve issue of weak central government
• Economic Problems


  • Inflation
  • Prices fell
  • Creditors owed more than $50 million by national and state governments
• Annapolis Convention


  • Interstate squabbling was becoming more and more frequent, and so Virginia called for a convention at Annapolis, MD September 1786 to revise Articles of Confederation
  • 9 states appointed delegates but only 5 were actually represented
  • Alexander Hamilton saved the convention from total failure by drafting a report that called upon Congress to summon a convention to meet in Philadelphia the following year
• Constitutional Convention


  • States collectively sent 55 delegates to Philadelphia from May to September in 1787
  • Goal: create a new national government
• Virginia Plan


  • Edmund Randolph
  • 2-house national legislature
  • Representation based on population
  • Legislature would have powers including right to tax and regulate foreign and interstate commerce
  • National legislature could veto act of state legislature
  • Legislative, executive, and judicial branches
  • Delegates reject this plan
• New Jersey Plan


  • William Paterson
  • Unicameral national legislature
  • Representation in national legislature
  • Congress has power to tax and regulate foreign and interstate commerce
  • Aimed to keep state governments more powerful than national government
  • Legislative, executive, and judicial branches
  • Delegates reject this plan
• Great Compromise (Connecticut Plan)

  • Oliver Ellsworth
  • Bicameral legislature
  • Senate: each state would have same number of representatives
  • House of Representatives: number of seats allowed per state would be based on each state's population
• Three-Fifths Compromise


  • Three-fifths of each state's slave population would be counted when determining representation
  • Prevent southern states from being weak in House
• Federalists


  • Those who favored Constitution and wanted strong national government
  • Included many Nationalists, such as George Washington, James Madison, and Alexander Hamilton
  • Feared the people more than the government
  • Wrote a series of 85 essays, or papers, called The Federalist Papers
• Anti-Federalists


  • Those who opposed the Constitution
  • Federalists' plan posed a threat to state governments and to the rights of individuals
  • Included some Nationalists who still wanted a national government but were unhappy with the Constitution as written
  • Gained support in more isolated regions where protecting commerce was not a major concern
  • Saw Constitution as betrayal of the American Revolution: President would be nothing but a king
  • Feared the government more than the people
  • Objected to federal court system; local and state governments would be crushed by new federal government; worried about individual freedoms
• Why the Federalists Won

  • Articles of Confederation had flaws: shown in nation's economic problems and Shays' Rebellion
  • United around a specific plan: Constitution
  • Anti-Federalists only united in their opposition with no constructive plan
  • Well-organized national group in regular contact
  • Anti-Federalists local and state politicians
  • Federalists had George Washington's support
  • Most believed he would be first president
  • All states eventually ratified Constitution- narrow win in some states
• The Bill of Rights


  • First 10 amending to the Constitution
  • Protected individual rights
  • Most people believed a constitution should include a clear declaration of the rights of people
  • Written by James Madison
  • Virginia Declaration of Rights (George Mason): adopted by the Virginia Constitutional Convention; many of the rights were added to the United States Constitution
• Arguments Against the Bill of Rights

  • Most Federalists saw no need
  • Unnecessary since building a government of, for, and by the people; why protect to protect their rights from themselves
• Arguments For the Bill of Rights

  • Anti-Federalists warned that if the rights of the people were not spelled out in the Constitution, these rights would be considered unenumerated (legal rights inferred from other legal rights) powers of the government
  • Needed bill of rights to restrain the government
• The Bill of Rights Amendments

  • 1: Freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of press, freedom of assembly, freedom of petitioning
  • 2: Freedom to bear arms
  • 3: No quartering
  • 4: No unreasonable searches and seizures
  • 5: No double jeopardy, no self-incrimination
  • 6: Right to legal counsel, right to know who are the witnesses, right to impartial jury, right to speedy trial
  • 7: Right to trial by jury
  • 8: No excessive bail or fines
  • 9: You have a lot of rights
  • 10: If it's not a federal power then states have the power
• George Washington, 1789-1797


  • Domestic Affairs: Hamilton's financial plan approved by Congress, national government assume American Revolution debts acquired by the states, measures to raise money (tariff, whiskey tax), established Bank of the United States in 1791
  • Foreign Affairs: Proclaimed American Neutrality, Jay's Treaty with Britain
• America Split Over the French Revolution
• Proclaiming American Neutrality


  Issues with Britain: 1793 British began to seize neutral U.S. trading ships heading for French West Indies, Americans were frustrated by British support for Indians in the Northwest Territory who wanted to limit settlers to south of the Ohio River