Chapter 7 Outline - Forging a National Republic,

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1 Chapter 7 Outline - Frging a Natinal Republic, I. Intrductin Americans sught t establish a republic based n the cncepts f a representative gvernment and a virtuus citizenry. Prblems existed, hwever, because peple understd the fragility f republics and they realized many prblems needed reslutin t ensure the survival f the natin. II. Creating a Virtuus Republic A. Varieties f Republicanism Three definitins f republicanism emerged in the United States: ne based n classical plitical thinking, ne that emphasized individuals pursuit f ratinal self-interest, and ne that called fr brad ppular plitical participatin. B. Virtue and the Arts Americans expected the republic t replace the crruptin f Eurpe with the virtues assciated with republicanism. They believed that the painting, literature, drama, and architecture shuld cnvey messages f natinalism and virtue t the public. Hwever, t many the fine arts themselves were a crrupting influence. As artists attempted t embdy mral values in their wrks, sme Americans began t detect signs f luxury and crruptin by the mid-1780s. Sme were especially cncerned abut the establishment f the Sciety f the Cincinnati in C. Educatinal Refrm Educatin served t inculcate virtue. In the Nrth, public schls emerged, and, thrughut the natin, educatinal pprtunities fr girls imprved. 1

2 D. Judith Sargent Murray Judith Sargent Murray argued that wmen and men had the same intellectual capabilities. Her cntentins reflected a pstrevlutinary rethinking f traditinal gender rles. E. Wmen and the Republic Abigail Adams advcated legal refrm t prtect the rights f married wmen. Others wanted female suffrage. In the yung republic, wmen assumed great respnsibility fr the welfare f the cmmunity. This rle allwed men t pursue mre individualistic gals. Therefre, the ideal republican man was seen as an individualist seeking advancement fr himself and his family. The ideal republican wman always put the welfare f thers ahead f her wn. III. The First Emancipatin and the Grwth f Racism A. Emancipatin and Manumissin In the Nrth, states utlawed slavery, but representatives favred gradual emancipatin. In the Suth, legislatrs apprved sme refrms in the legal status f slaves, but slavery remained entrenched. B. Grwth f Free Black Ppulatin Befre the Revlutin, there had been few free blacks, but by 1800, nearly 108,000 lived in the United States. Several factrs led t an increase in manumissins in the Chesapeake. C. Freed Peple s Lives In the 1780s, freed blacks frm rural areas ften mved t prt cities in the Nrth. Prbably as a result f discriminatin, they began t ccupy distinct neighbrhds. 2

3 Laws discriminated against free African Americans and whites seldm accepted them as equals. Because they faced pervasive discriminatin, free blacks created their wn ecnmic, religius, and scial institutins. D. Develpment f Racist Thery T defend slavery in light f the Revlutinary idea that all men were equal, sutherners develped theries n the inherent inferirity f Africans and African Americans. African Americans such as Benjamin Banneker challenged develping racist ntins. E. A White Men s Republic Sme schlars believe that racism emerged in the new republic because discriminatin against blacks enhanced the sense f equality fr whites. IV. Designing Republican Gvernments A. State Cnstitutins Reflecting their clnial experience, writers f state cnstitutins were primarily cncerned with the distributin f and limitatins n gvernment pwer. Mst state cnstitutins limited the pwer f the gvernr and expanded the pwer f the legislature. In additin, mst state cnstitutins bradened the base f American gvernment by lwering prperty qualificatins fr vting. B. Limiting State Gvernments Framers f state cnstitutins put deliberate and clear limits n the pwers f gvernment, with sme having frmal bills f rights. Mre 3

4 emphasis was placed n preventing tyranny than n making state gvernments effective wielders f plitical authrity. C. Revising State Cnstitutins In the mid-1780s, sme plitical leaders began t embdy the thery f checks and balances as the primary means f cntrlling gvernment pwer. D. Articles f Cnfederatin The Articles f Cnfederatin established a weak, unwieldy, smetimes inefficient natinal gvernment. V. Trials f the Cnfederatin A. Financial Affairs Finances prvided great difficulty fr gvernments. Paper mney retained its value until 1776, but suffered severe devaluatin by the end f the war. B. Freign Affairs The Cnfederatin Cngress was denied the pwer t establish a natinal cmmercial plicy. As a result, members f Cngress watched helplessly as ther natins restricted American trade with their clnies and as British manufactured gds flded the United States. When Spain clsed the Mississippi t American navigatin, U.S. leaders failed t agree n a natinal reactin. C. Peace Treaty Prvisins Cngress culd nt enfrce ttal cmpliance by Great Britain with the Treaty f Paris. 4

5 Refusal by state and lcal gvernment t cmply with Articles Fur and Five f the Treaty f Paris gave Great Britain an excuse t maintain military psts n the Great Lakes. VI. Order and Disrder in the West A. Indian Relatins The United States signed a series f treaties with the Indians in rder t validate gvernment claims t tribal lands. Many tribes accepted these agreements nly in the face f America s verwhelming pwer. B. Ordinance f 1785 The Nrthwest Ordinances f 1784, 1785, and 1787 utlined the prcess thrugh which land in the Nrthwest Territry culd be sld and frmal gvernments rganized. The Nrthwest Ordinance f 1785 specified the specific way in which land was t be surveyed and sld. Prceeds frm the sale f western lands prvided revenue fr the natinal gvernment. C. Nrthwest Ordinance The Nrthwest Ordinance f 1787 was the mst imprtant f the three land plicies passed by the Cnfederatin Cngress. It cntained a bill f rights, nminally prhibited slavery, and specified the prcess by which residents culd rganize state gvernments and seek admissin t the Unin. VII. Frm Crisis t the Cnstitutin A. Taxatin and the Ecnmy The inability f Cngress t deal with ecnmic cncerns led Virginia and Maryland t call a cnventin t discuss trade plicy. This successful meeting resulted in an invitatin t ther states t meet in Annaplis, MD in Delegates frm nly five states attended, 5

6 hwever, frcing a call fr a new cnventin t be held in Philadelphia the fllwing year. B. Shays s Rebellin This armed rebellin in Massachusetts in 1787 cnvinced dubters that refrm was necessary. C. Cnstitutinal Cnventin Delegates t the Cnstitutinal Cnventin, held in Philadelphia, were generally refrm-minded prperty wners wh wanted a mre pwerful central gvernment. D. Madisn and the Cnstitutin James Madisn gained recgnitin as the Father f the Cnstitutin. Well-prepared when he arrived in Philadelphia, he set frth the principle f checks and balances. E. Virginia and New Jersey Plans Virginians wanted a pwerful central gvernment. The New Jersey delegatin advcated limited natinal authrity. The cnventin spent much f its time recnciling these psitins. F. Debates Over Cngress The issue f representatin and electin cmplicated debate ver a bicameral legislature. G. Slavery and the Cnstitutin Delegates accepted a three-fifths clause t define the place f slaves in regards t taxatin and representatin. This cmprmise, and ther prvisins, implicitly recgnized the 6

7 institutin f slavery. H. Cngressinal and Presidential Pwers The framers agreed that Cngress shuld have the pwer t tax and t regulate cmmerce. Cngress was granted all authrity necessary and prper t carry ut its enumerated pwers. Freign affairs, the military, and federal appintments became the dmain f a chief executive, the President. T ensure the independence f the president frm the natinal legislature, the chief executive was t be elected by the electral cllege. The key t the Cnstitutin was the distributin f plitical authrity by a separatin f pwers amng three c-equal branches f gvernment and a divisin f pwers between states and the natin. VIII. Oppsitin and Ratificatin A. Federalists and Antifederalists Ratificatin required the apprval f special cnventins in at least nine states. Thse wh favred the Cnstitutin called themselves Federalists the ppsitin became Antifederalists. Oppnents f the Cnstitutin feared the threat it psed t the states and t the peple. B. Bill f Rights Oppnents f the Cnstitutin believed the dcument needed guarantees f certain rights and advcated a bill f rights t prtect individual liberties. C. Ratificatin The arguments presented in The Federalist and the prmise f a bill f rights led t ratificatin f the Cnstitutin with New Yrk's apprval 7

8 n July 26, D. Celebrating Ratificatin Parades in many cities t celebrate ratificatin f the Cnstitutin als served as plitical lessns fr bth literate and illiterate Americans. 8