Unit 2: Creating the American Republic

UNIT 2: CREATING THE AMERICAN REPUBLIC

I. Events leading to American Republic (1773-1775)

C. Colonists upset:
claim “no taxation without representation”
violent protests- “Sons of Liberty” formed,
Daughters of Liberty formed- made clothe
Stamp Act Congress organized a boycott
of British goods
D. Parliament repeals Stamp Act
1766 Declaratory Act in enacted- Britain had
the right to tax the colonists

E. 1767 Townsend Acts- indirect tax on glass, paint, tea, etc.
Colonists revive their protests and boycotts
British send troops to Boston

F. 1770 Boston Massacre- British soldiers kill 5 colonists

G. British withdrew troops and dropped most of the Townsend taxes
except the one on tea

H. 1773 Tea Act- British East India Company could sell tea cheaper than even the
Smugglers
Colonists responded with the Boston Tea Party

I. 1774 Intolerable Acts (Coercive Acts)-
Boston Harbor was closed until the tea was paid for
Renewal of the Quartering Act (in Boston specifically)
Crimes by British officials committed in the colonies were tried in
Britain (not the colonies)
1774 First Continental Congress- Colonies met to renew the boycott of British goods
Colonists saw the Coercive Acts as a threat to their liberty and it united
them in protest against the Acts

J. Battles of Lexington and Concord-
General Gage and British troops searched for John Hancock, Samuel
Adams and weapons
Patriot militia (Minutemen) kill/ wound more than 200 British soldiers and
follow them back to Boston
First shots of the war
Second Continental Congress-
Colonies meet and name George Washington commander of Continental
Army

V. Strengths and Weaknesses of British and Patriots

BRITISH STRENGTHS
· Support of the loyalists
· Strong, well-trained Army and Navy
· Strong government with money
· Indian allies / PATRIOT STRENGTHS
· Superior weapons and marksmen
· Inspiring cause: Independence
· Leadership of George Washington
· Familiarity of home ground
· Experienced officers and soldiers trained in past colonial wars
BRITISH WEAKNESSES
· 3000 miles from Britain to the battle front
· Unfamiliar battlefronts
· Weak military leaders
· Inability to use loyalist effectively / PATRIOT WEAKNESSES
· Short supply of food and ammunition
· Infant navy
· No central government enforcing wartime policies
· Most soldiers untrained, undisciplined

II. Ideas behind the Revolution

IV. LOYALISTS

(10-20%)

Pg. 110

WHO WERE THEY

Artisans (craftsmen:blacksmiths,

silversmiths etc.)

Farmers

Wealthy elitists

Cultural minorities who feared oppression

Native Americans

Enslaved People

WHY WERE THEY?

Liked law and order.

Native Americans were Loyalists b/c the British kept the colonists from moving west and taking their land.

Slaves sought freedom by joining the British.

Thought the Patriots demanded more taxes than the British.

They were afraid of war and thought the colonists couldn’t defeat the British.

British allowed more free speech.

VI. Revolutionary War Battles and Leaders

GENERALS / BATTLES / OTHER
PATRIOTS
· Washington
· Marquis de Lafayette
BRITISH
· Howe
· Cornwallis
· Burgoyne / · Early fighting in Mass. (Key battle: Lexington & Concord)
· British leave N. E. in Jan. 1776
· British attack the Middle colonies (seaports of NYC & Philadelphia)
· Dec. 26, 1776 Washington crosses the Delaware River and wins the Battle of Trenton
· Patriots win the Battle of Saratoga: April 1777
· Britain invades the South and win battles in GA and SC
· Oct. 1781 Washington and the French led by Lafayette force the British and Cornwallis to surrender at Yorktown / · Saratoga is important because:
1. turning point of the war
2. France recognized American
independence and joined the
War
· Ben Franklin convinces the French to join the war and help the patriots
· Winter of 1777-1778 Washington’s army endures difficult conditions at Valley Forge
· 1779 Spain joins the war as a French ally
· Treaty of Paris 1783, ends the Revolutionary War

National/ Federal/ Central Government- all mean the same, terms are interchangeable

State/ Local Government- terms are interchangeable

Legislative- makes laws (legislature)

Executive- enforces laws

Judicial- interprets laws

ARTICLES OF CONFEDERATON / CONSTITUTION
1. Structure / 1 Branch
· Legislature that carried out the duties of legislative and executive branches / 3 Branches
· Legislative
· Judicial
· Executive
2. Court System / · No judicial branch
· Each state maintained its own court system / · Judicial branch w/ Supreme Court and other courts
3. How is representation in
the legislature is
determined? / · One vote per state, but the states could send as many representatives as they wanted / · Senate: 2 per state
· HOR: population
4. What were the powers of the
National government? / COULD NOT
· Collect taxes
· Regulate trade
· Force states to cooperate / POWERS ADDED
· Collect taxes
· Regulate trade
· Force states to cooperate
5. Procedures for
amendment / · All 13 states had to agree to make a change / · 2/3 to propose
· 3/4 to amend
6. Power to the state or
federal government? / · State
· WHY? They feared a strong central government / · Federal

II. The Constitutional Convention

WHY?

1. Weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation (notes)

2. Problems with Great Britain (pg. 139)

· Britain would not leave forts in the Great Lakes area

· Britain tried to keep the rules of mercantilism and trade the same as before the Treaty of Paris

· Britain did not take the US seriously

3. Problems with Spain (pg. 139)

· Spain closed the Port of New Orleans to US traders

· Spain was worried about westward expansion into Louisiana

4. 1786- Shay’s Rebellion (pg. 140): significance of

· Demonstrated the lack of power of the federal government under the Articles

WHERE: Philidelphia HOW LONG: 17 weeks

WHEN: May 1787 HOW MANY: 55 delegates

CHAIRED BY: George Washington

A. Virginia Plan

· 3 branches of government

· Strong President

· Bicameral Legislature: Lower House elected by voters

Upper House elected by members of the Lower House

o Membership determined by the size of the population

· This plan gave power to the large states

B. New Jersey Plan

· Unicameral Legislature

· 1 vote per state

· Power to tax and power to regulate commerce to Federal government

· Federal government stronger than state government

· This plan gave power to the small states

C. Great/ Connecticut Compromise

· Bicameral legislature

· House of Representatives: based on population, 1 Rep. for every 40,000 people (power to large states)

· Senate: 2 senators per state (power to small states)

D. 3/5 Compromise

· For purposes of the House of Representatives slave will count as 3/5 of a person

E. Slave Trade Compromise

· Congress can regulate trade BUT cannot interfere with the slave trade for 20 years (1808)

· A duty tax of $10 per slave (benefit to North)

*Areas of conflict at the Constitutional Convention

Who / What was the issue / How was it resolved
Large states v. Small states / Representation in Congress / Great Compromise
North v. South / Slave representation / 3/5 Compromise
North v. South / Slave trade / Slave Trade Compromise

III. Constitution

Article I
Legislative Branch
Congress
HOR & Senate
· Powers to Congress
Tax, trade, courts, necessary
Actions (Elastic Clause) / Article II
Executive Branch
President
Vice President
Executive Agencies / Article III
Judicial Branch
Supreme Court
Other Courts
Article IV
Relations among the states / Article V
How to amend the Constitution
2/3 propose
3/4 approve / Article VI
Federal law is the supreme law of the land / Article VII
Procedures for Ratification (approval)
9/13 states needed
Federalist arguments / Anti-federalist arguments
1. have a representative government / 1. state power will be decreased
2. based on system of checks and balances and separation of powers / 2. president will be like a king
3. strong central government that has the power to tax and regulate trade / 3. no bill of rights
4. strong central government that can manage the nation’s problems / 4. rich man’s government

IV. The Bill of Rights (1st 10 amendments)

Were added to the Constitution so that some anti-federalists would support the Const.

1st amendment / No establishment of religion
Free exercise of religion
Freedom of speech
Freedom of press
Freedom of assembly and petition
2nd amendment / The right to bear arms
3rd amendment / No quartering of troops
4th amendment / No unreasonable search and seizure
5th amendment / Right to remain silent
6th amendment / Right to a lawyer, etc.
Right to a speedy trial
Right to a trial by jury
7th amendment / Trial by jury in Civil Cases over $20
8th amendment / No cruel or unusual punishment
9th amendment / People have rights that are not listed
in the Constitution
10th amendment / Any power not mentioned in the Constitution belongs to the States

The Constitution says nothing about slavery being right or wrong. The only place slavery is mentioned in the Constitution is in the 3/5 and Slave-Trade Compromise.

Hamilton / Jefferson
Favored balanced economy with government support of trade, finance, and manufacturing / Disliked the world of commerce, sympathized with farmers
Trusted only rich, educated and socially established people to govern / Had a lot of faith in the common person
Favored a strong central government / Favored a weak central government and strong state government
Looked for support from wealthy in the cities / Looked for support in rural areas. Believed cities corrupted people
Followers were known as the Federalist Party / Followers were known as Jeffersonian Republicans
Favors the British / Favors the French