The Republican Experiment 1776-1788

Defining a republican culture

• After the 13 colonies came together to fight the British and won their independence there was an uncertain political structure.

• The Major question: What type of government will the American people have?

• Some wanted a republic which emphasized liberty and equality.

• Others wanted order and feared that liberty will lead to no “self-control”

• These conflicts led to serious political debates

Social and political reforms

• Republicans worked to reach equality by:

-Destroying any traces of aristocratic privilege

-Encouraging states to lower voting requirements (resulted in people moving west)

-Moving toward the separation of state and church

• Some republicans began to realize their contradiction between their ideas of equality and slavery.

African Americans in the New Republic

• Abolitionist sentiment spread and African Americans began to demand equality and freedom.

• They proved that they were the same as others by the works of Phillis Wheatley (poet), Benjamin Banneker (astronomer), and Richard Allen (Founded Church for negro Methodists)

• In some north states slavery was prohibited. (Vermont constitution of 1777) but they still refused to accept them as equals.

• In the south some freed their slaves but slavery proved to be too powerful for economic survival.

Benjamin BannekerAstronomer&

Mathematician

Phillis Wheatley

First African American

whose work was

published

Richard AllenFounded

Church for Negro

Methodists

Challenge of women's rights

• Women began to demand more of their husbands and society.

• Abigail Adams wrote a plea to limit the power of husbands.

• They made some gains in law and education but they were still defined as wives, homemakers, and mothers.

State constitutions

• By 1777, Americans wrote their own constitutions which brought out their social and regional differences.

• Each constitution had a list of basic rights and freedoms such as religion, speech, & press.

• Granted power to legislatures and little to governors.

• They were all on written documents because Americans did NOT trust power.

• Document drafted by John Dickinson which was planned to protect the powers of individual states.

• Consisted of a congress and a one house legislature

• Congress could wage war, make treaties, and borrow money.

• Congress was NOT allowed to regulate commerce or collect taxes.

• As a result most war debts were unpaid and Europeans nations had no respect for the new nation.

Articles of Confederation

Western Land: Key to the First constitution

• The main argument for the new government was:

Who will own the western lands?

• Older states claimed them & other states felt they should be shared by all Americans.

• National government took the lands and said they will be settled systematically and will have FULL rights. (Northwest Ordinance)

• Also freed the states of Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois,

Nationalist Movement

• Movement led by Hamilton, Madison, and Morris which called for constitutional reforms.

• Was caused by the Articles of confederation being too weak and due to the economic crisis.

• Republicans realized that change needed to occur if the nation was to survive.

• James Madison proposed a plan and argued that for a republic to prosper there had to be compromise.

Constitutional reforms

• Annapolis convention-> five states sent delegates to discuss ways to improve commercial relations.

• They agreed they were going to have another meeting in Philadelphia to amend the articles.

• Soon after that, Daniel Shays led a rebellion to overthrow the government due to heavy taxing known as Shay’s Rebellion.

Philadelphia Convention

• In 1787, 55 delegates met up to change up the Articles.

• They ended up drafting a new document known as the “Constitution”

• Madison proposed a plan called the VA plan which favored the LARGE states and consisted of 2 houses.

• Paterson proposed a plan called the NJ plan which favored SMALL states and had a unicameral legislature.

• Together they became the “Connecticut compromise” which provided a two house congress.

Compromising on Slavery

• How were slaves to be counted in the population of the states?

• Each slave was counted as three-fifths to determine the states level of taxation known as the Three-fifths compromise.

• The constitution STILL allowed slaves to be imported for 20 years longer (until 1801)

The Last details • Delegates established that

the president will be selected by an electoral college.

• For the constitution to be ratified 9 out of 13 states had to be approved.

• Some wanted to add a Bill of Rights, and others believed the constitution protected individual rights.

• In the end the constitution was fiercely debated for a year between Federalists and Anti-Federalists.

Federalists and Anti-Federalists

• Federalists

- Supported ratification and federal power.

- They were mostly people who lived in large cities

- Believed the constitution protected individual rights

• Anti-Federalists

-Opposed the constitution

- Most people who were small farmers

- Wanted to add a bill of rights

Adding a bill of rights

• One of the most important Anti-Federalists arguments was adding a Bill of Rights.

• They believed the constitution did NOT protect peoples individual rights.

• After debates, the Federalists agreed to adding a Bill of Rights in form of ten amendments, which was drafted by James Madison.

Conclusion: Success depends on the people

• By 1789, the republican experiment was over.

• People realized that popular power could cause problems.

• They were hoping that the new stronger government they created would work.

Sources

• Divine, R. A., Breen, T. H., Fredrickson, G. M., Williams, R. H., Gross, A. J., & Brands, H. W. (2011). America Past and Present (AP edition ed., pp. 135-159). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.

• Vitale, D. (n.d.). In The Northwest Ordinance. Retrieved December 18, 2011, from http://www.earlyamerica.com/earlyamerica/milestones/ordinance/

• Walenta, C. (2010). In U.S Constitution Online. Retrieved December 18, 2011, from http://www.usconstitution.net/constam.html