Slide 1

A New GovernmentConstitution was ratifiedNew government could beginUnanimously elected as 1st executiveGeorge Washington1st business of new governmentThe most superlativley ridiculous thing I ever heard ofJeffersonWhat to call him

After a month of discussion settled onMr. PresidentImportant Created a sense of weight around positionAttendant balls, touring etc created sense of strength and power in the national governmentAttack the localism that had nearly destroyed the republic in 1780sNext, promises made promises honored

Madison NationalistAlso federalistSome powers must remain at state levelMadison proposed 19 Ammendments to constitutionTen survivedKnow to anti- central power people as Bill of Rights

Amendment I

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.----------------------------------------------------Amendment IIA well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

Amendment IIINo Soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the Owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law.

freedom of speech, press and religion2. and 3. Reflect fear of revolutionary distrust of standing Army Amendment IVThe right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.Amendment VNo person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.Amendment VIIn all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defence.Amendment VIIIn Suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury, shall be otherwise re-examined in any Court of the United States, than according to the rules of the common law.Amendment VIIIExcessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.

Fourth to eighthDefined and protected citizens' rights in court and when under arrest

Amendment IX

The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.-------------------------------------------Amendment X

The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.

9. Enumeration of 1st eight rights did not deny other rights10. Powers not given to national government by constitution remained with statesThe omission of the word expressly in the 10th has left lot of room for interpretationAmendment to extend 1st amendment prohibitions to state legislatureAgreed to by house voted down by SenateHave to wait until civil war and 14th AmendmentNext the political two stepConstitution made no mention of Presidents cabinetArguing it was necessary congress voted one to be createdGuaranteed that president responsible for appointmentsWar, State, Treasury, Att. General

Treasury and debt

1790 Report on Public CreditReport on National Bank1791 Report on ManufacturersApprox.$75 million $42 to own citizensRest internationalPeople wanting to ensure weakness of National GovernmentForget debt!Debt taken up under eitherContinental congress or Confederation congressIf you bought securities and lost money oh well patriotic lossNot Hamiltons view1st stepPay international debt in full and promptlyAssure creditworthiness of new countryNot too much persuasion neededProblems on internal debtOver time speculators had bought up securitiesAt fraction of face valueWhen heard rumor that government would pay all debtEven more frantic purchasingApprox 4/5th in hands of northeasternersDebt of individual States also an issueHamilton wanted to assume these debts tooConcentrate Interests of public creditorsNeed for taxationExpanded civil serviceAt the national levelAlso apart from South Carolina all southern states already paid of debtsCitizens in these states paying twiceMore money heading northHamilton wanted to assume not pay off these debtsPermanent tax supported fixtureGovernment issue securities to creditors pay an annual rate of interest of 4%Together announced to the world the government of new country would be financially responsibleBut this was not allRemember Hamilton was a strong nationalistWanted a strong national government and weak state governments

If all the public creditors receive their dues from one source, their interests will be the same. And having the same interests, they will be supported in the fiscal arrangements of the governmentAlexander Hamiltoni.e. everyone with money will need to support the national governmentAt the center of his plan for powerful national state

Second part of first reportReport on National BankGovernment would keep its money in bank and oversee operationBut run by directors representing private investors4/5th money from private sectorBankIssue national currencyPrincipal supplier of loansAnd therefore decision maker on who got loansAnd what forLinks to final plan1791 Report on ManufacturersHamilton believed that the only way America could become truly independentBuild factories and manufacture finished goodsBreak out of the colonial economy model90% of imports still came from BritainAlthough his final step was a little ahead of its timeHamilton had scripted the future of American economyWhere would money come from

TaxesMost from duties on importsBut most in government agreed that aDirect internal tax was necessary(wait a minute didnt you start a war against this idea?)Initial suggestionTax on saltCould be spread equally throughout countryHamilton called for federal excise tax onWinesCoffeeTeaSpiritsLast would hit frontier farmers (Whiskey)Establish government and power to collect tax everywhere

End 1791 plan was in placeConsolidation of debtNational bankFederal excise taxWould solve problems of government financeAlso carbon copy of:Bank of England and British finances

Hamilton didnt want to recreate EnglandBut he did admire the systemThis of course would lead to problemsAdd this to the desire of many for weak national governmentAnd desire of manyLed by JeffersonFor independent yeoman farmers, rather than factories, as base of country

International debt and personal debt fundedAssumption of states debts more troublesomeSeveral weeks later Jefferson met Hamilton in the streetSombre, haggard, & dejected beyond despair, even his dress uncouth & neglectedHamilton begged Jefferson to serve as intermediary to get assumption passedDeal struckJefferson would help get assumption passedBut Capitol had to move

ImportantRemember balls and official visits with PresidentJefferson and others feared a court culture where money and political power mixedCapitol in New York or PhiladelphiaBy moving it south became important for government onlyRemove possibility for excessive influence of money

As for the bankJefferson stated correctly thatConstitution did not give government right to create corporationsHamilton made first argument for expanded federal power quoting clauseto make all laws which shall be necessary and properWashington and congress sided with Hamilton

Until end 1792Debate remained in government circlesBut then international affairs begin to intrudeBut the French will have to wait for a while

Creating an American CultureAmericans must believe and act from the belief that it is dishonorable to waste life in mimicking the follies of other nations and basking in the sunshine of foreign gloryNoah Webster 1788But how?Where would the unity come from?East to west 1500 miles 13 colonies/states 1 nation150+ years of differenceNew England Vs. Southern ColoniesMultiple and varied systems ofPoliticsReligionSocietyThroughout 13 coloniesNorth south rareElite sent children home

RevolutionIndividual declarationsMultiple motivations and expectationsInitial enthusiasm for continental armyGradually wanes To Washington Americans unwilling to give up self interest for national needsShifts in social structure and familyPost revolutionCentral or dispersed powerFederalist vs. anti federalistShays RebellionPartisan political strife suggested to the elite that without a national culture the United States may fall apart before their eyesAmerican Literature and LanguageSept 25th 1771Commencement poem at College of New Jersey (Princeton)On the Rising Glory of AmericaPublished the following yearClaimed that an American culture would rise to eclipse past Euro gloriesBased on translatio imperiiWestward movement of the imperial centre of civilizationNear East to Britain and now to AmericaDismissed the role of Spain Claimed a special place for British AmericaThis is just one case of graduates focusing on American gloryStudents schooled in classics expected to see highest form of poetry the epic to show the route to American glory1785, Timothy WhiteMinister and future president of YaleThe Conquest of Canan; A Poem, in Eleven BooksTells the biblical story in traditional Epic formInvocationOration and replyDetailed description of battles and victoriesSingle heroes lovingly describedVision of the futureBut dedicated to George Washingtontranslatio imperii1787Joel Barlow writesThe Vision of ColumbusEpic quickly shift its attention to the northStretchd oer Virginian hills, in long array,The beauteous Alleganies met the dayColumbus goal, according to Barlow, was North American independenceGeorge Washington et al become the individual heroes and the revolution becomes the war to detailAnd the future is an American cultural and political superiorityFriend of Barlow and Yale classmate man that most think of when considering an American languageNoah WebsterWhite and Barlow gave literary imprimatur to Americas future based in a scholarly pastWebster created a literary present to change the future

Webster created a speller in 1783Renamed The American Spelling Book in 17881st and most widely used textbook of the era24 million copies in first 50 years of publicationCompendious Dictionary 1806Unabridged dictionary in 1828Everybody new that you could look it up in Webster'sfew knew it was testament to American superiority part of an attempt to create an American languageIndependence not complete until Americans spoke a new language1783 Webster wroteIt is the business of Americans to select the wisdom of all nations, as the basis of her constitutions, - to avoid their errours, - to prevent the introduction of foreign vices and corruptions and check the career of her own to promote virtue and patriotism, to embellish and improve the sciences, to diffuse an uniformity and purity of language, - to add superiour dignity to this infant Empire and human natureBut this claim was still in English1786 Webster began to correspond with Benjamin FranklinFranklin had long wanted to simplify and regularize English spellingBetween 86 and his death in 90 Franklin encouraged WebsterA national Language is a national tie, and what country wants it more than America

Webster knew that English was the language But needed a claim to America as the home of the pureHis answerThe political corruption of England, which led to revolutionWas mirrored in the languageThe English in England was not pure!I am constrained to declare that the people of America, in particular the English decedents, speak the most pure English now known in the worldAn example of reforms he proposed appeared most strikingly in 1790 in A Collection of Essays and Fugitiv WritingsNow I need a volunteerAs the volunteer reads out a page from this collection the rest of you can read along

As you can tell this is not how the language changedWebster was ridiculedBut his dictionary remainsAnd spelling differences and pronunciation trouble English-American conversations stillDockers Khaki Pants