Chapter 7: The Articles of Confederation and the Constitution, 1780-1787

What six principles would almost every man in the founding generation accept?

1. God exists and he created the world 2. Men will give an account to God after they die. They will answer to God's justice. 3. All men are impaired. They are not all that they can be. 4. Absolute moral truth exists. These truths are established by God and are recorded in the Bible. These truths can and ought to be acknowledged by men. 5. Jesus's words must be heeded. Jesus's behavior must be emulated. 6. Religion is good. Praying is good. I'll be in the 10 Commandments is good. Reading the Bible is good.

What five reasons explain why the US was the most religious western state on the planet throughout the 1800s and 1900s, and why it is still more faith friendly than other Western states?

1. The US displays more separation of church and state. This is insulated American churches from being tarnished by the compromises that are in evitable and political life. 2. The separation of church and state has mental churches do not receive financial support from the state. Instead, they must offer some good that the public is willing to buy. 3. The US is a nation of immigrants. Losing many aspects of their culture, immigrants used to religion to preserve their ethnic heritage. 4. A highly mobile and rootless American people use religion as a way to create community. 5. Some believe America is a kind of chosen nation.

What did the constitution create?

A federal system of government. Americans would have two different Sources of political authority: a state government and national government. This was a daring move. The war with Britain had been fought in part because of the assumption that ultimately only one sovereign political authority could exist in a country.

What did the founders think about virtue?

A republican government required a virtuous citizenry. In particular, a successful republic requires that citizens subordinate their own self interest to the common good. This is part of the reason why the founders were ardent promoters of universities: they were places where students were instructed in moral virtue.

What was the debate surrounding factions?

According to political thinkers of the day, factions killed Republican government. Factions pursued their own welfare and were not subordinate to the welfare of the common good. Anti-federalists made this argument in opposition to the new national government. Madisons federalist #10 turned this argument on its head: factions are inevitable, but political regimes can control their effects. Larger republics are more likely to promote the common good because various factions would cancel each other out, and what was left would be the voice of the common good. Small republics were dangerous precisely because they had so few factions.

How did historian Gordon Wood characterize the actions of 1787?

As a political revolution as great as the revolution of a decade earlier.

How did the founding fathers define virtue?

As moral excellence achieved through self governance. After using one's reason to properly assess truth claims, moral issues, and consequences, the virtuous man freely and voluntarily does what is true and right. Moral instruction is a precondition for virtue.

How did Americans view the excellent statesman?

As one who did what was virtuous. He was a visionary. He looked ahead. He secured the common good. Thus, despite these statesmen exceeding their explicit mandate, many believed that this was his real task: to solve a profound governance problem.

What couldn't the AOC government do regarding security?

Create a national army or navy. Military issues were left up to the individual states. This proved awkward when the Americans faced Indian unrest in the west or north east territory: no particular state controlled the area, so who would provide military support? It also prevented the building of the Navy, which was vital important in the late 1700s.

What did the founders think about anti-elitism?

Democracy and equality were important parts of a republican worldview, which became an anti-elitist worldview. Americas' disdain for British political authorities extended to a distain for all kind of authorities.

What is interesting about Thomas Jefferson?

Each night biblical truths such as the deed of Jesus Christ, the resurrection, and the doctor at the Trinity. At the same time, he also evidenced a quasi-Christian worldview. He said that God gave man liberty. He also extended an act of Congress which promoted Christianity.

Whom did the absence of a stable currency especially hurt?

Farmers. It not only depressed or crop prices but it made it more difficult for them to repay debts. Creditors demanded British currency, gold, or silver, not increasingly worthless American money. The inability of the AOC government to regulate foreign commerce also hurt urban craftsman and artisans. Their infant industries could not compete with more mature British manufacturers, which is why they demanded protective tariffs. The AOC government did not have the authority to create a coherent protective tariff system however. British merchants were able to circumvent patchwork tariffs imposed by competing state governments.

What can we learn from Addams, Franklin, and Jefferson?

First, we can find seemingly pro Christian quotations in even the most skeptical or an Orthodox founding fathers. Second, even the skeptics and unorthodox worked from a generic Christian worldview.

What did the articles of confederation allow new states to experience?

Firsthand the need for some kind of centralized national government. Young John Quincy Adams and later a host of scholars called the 1776 to 1787 years the critical period.

What is interesting about John Adams?

He had seemingly contradictory religious statements. He said religion and morality alone establish the principles upon which freedom can stand, but also noted that some Christian beliefs are absurd. He thought with a Christian worldview but seems not to have been a Christian.

What did Thomas Jefferson think about the separation between church and state?

He penned the famous phrase "wall of separation between church and state." He refused to renew Thanksgiving's status as a national holiday. He defended that in a short letter to a group of churches. Yet Jefferson also wrote that it was the national government that was restricted and it's encouragement of public religion, not the state government.

Why did the founding fathers create a republic, not a democracy?

In the beginning of the revolution, some of the founding fathers have been more optimistic regarding the common man's ability to produce with a team to be virtuous leadership. The AOC years, however, prompted repentance, the common man seemed unfit for political leadership.

What couldn't the AOC government do?

It had no power to levy tariffs on imports which was the primary means where by government raise revenue.

What was the genius of the constitution?

It's mixture of structure and flexibility. It pushed the new nation into Republican channels, but it allowed enough ambiguity for men to modify those channels according to exigencies.

What did the Vermont state constitution say?

It's stipulated that all elected representatives in the state legislator had to swear compliance to a religious test.

What does the first amendment tell us about the founding fathers?

No one wanted the federal government to establish a state church like the church of England; no one wanted the federal government to interfere with the practice of religion. This was an anti-state church provision. However, the next day, the same men who ratified the first amendment also promoted religion by calling for a Day of prayer and Thanksgiving.

Did the articles of confederation government make any big mistakes?

No, which was a significant accomplishment. A political crisis when the US was still in its infancy might well have proved fatal. The government avoided many potential catastrophic pitfalls.

Did many American patriots fight the legality of the new constitution?

No. Many American patriots were opposed to the new constitution government and fought to prevent its ratification. However, they debated the merits and demerits of the proposed Constitution, not the legality of the proposal.

What is interesting about Benjamin Franklin?

On the one hand, he praised Christianity, and advised educators to teach it. On the other hand, he was an open and unapologetic womanizer. Further, instead of salvation by grace in the free gift of forgiveness through Lord Jesus Christ's atoning death, Franklin believed in what is commonly called works at salvation.

What was the articles of confederation government's first and most critical task?

Oversaw victory in the war against the worlds most formidable military super power. It's survived and Boujee your British invasion and forced Britain to surrender

What debt relief measures did farmer-elected policymakers enact?

Paper money was printed to create inflation, which devalue debts and took money from lenders. Land taxes were slashed so wealthy investors were not paid. That collection was halted so that lenders did not get their loans repaid. Private contracts and land titles were altered so creditors could not collect from debtors. Judges' rulings that enabled lenders to collect their money were modified or suspended.

What did historian Gordon Wood say about virtue in a republic?

Republicanism thus stressed a morality of social cohesion and devotion to the common welfare

What was the timeline of the new constitution?

Shays' rebellion was in 1786. The AOC Congress endorsed a convention for the purpose of revising the articles of confederation in 1787. 29 delegates began work in Philadelphia in late May 1787. Four months later, 39 men signed the new constitution. They were only tasked with revising the AOC, but instead they scrapped it entirely.

What are several mistakes people make when they consider the founding fathers?

Some think that all the founding fathers were conservative, evangelical, Christ honoring Christians. Others think that United States was a kind of new Israel. Some think the founding fathers were deists, Unitarians, and secular enlightenment liberals who opposed Christianity, demand the separation of church and state, and attempted to push religion out of public life.

What grieved the founding fathers about state governments?

State governments have descended into what we today call interest group politics or special interest politics. The feared this development would convert the republic into a mob driven democracy. At the center of this fire storm was Shays rebellion.

What gave the national government real and functional power?

Strong taxing powers

What did the articles of confederation government prove?

That a central government need not be tyrannical. It allayed many Americans' fears regarding a central government

What did the Northwest ordinance mean?

That man from New York could settle in Indiana without fear that they would forfeit forever their rights and privileges as US citizens. The US invented the concept of transportable citizenship.

What did the South Carolina state constitution say?

That no person shall be eligible to sit in the House of Representatives less he be of the protestant religion. That all persons and religious societies who acknowledge that there is one God, and a future state of rewards and punishments, and that God is publicly to be worshiped shall be freely tolerated. The Christian protestant religion shall be deemed, and is here by constituted and declared to be, the established religion of the state. That all denominations of Christian protestants... Shall enjoy equal religious and civil privileges.

How did Shays rebellion and the AOC government interact?

The AOC government couldn't raise money from the states to pay for the soldiers wages. These farmers often fell into debt and faced the loss of their farms. Several counties erupted in spontaneous revolt until certain legislation was enacted. armed farmers intimidated elected officials and closed courts. The rebellion spread to New Hampshire. When Daniel Shays marched on the federal arsenal in Springfield, the AOC government tried to put together a military force but couldn't. The Massachusetts legislator hurriedly enacted legislation to placate the western farmers. Across the US, shays- style violent uprisings in 1787 were avoided because poor farmers elected scores of sympathetic men to the legislators.

What did the articles of Confederation government author?

The Northwest ordinance. This act guaranteed that the largely unsettled northwest territory would be admitted into the United States as soon as the population grows to a fairly low number. Inhabitants would then become US citizens with full citizenship rights.

Why was the Connecticut compromise needed, and what did it do?

The Virginia plan proposed a bicameral national legislator where in all states would be represented in both bodies in proportion to their population. The New Jersey plan called for a unicameral national legislator with each state having one vote. The Connecticut compromise did some of both. It created a bicameral Congress with the house of representatives based upon population and senate based upon equal representation.

How did the anti-federalists and the federalists frame the debate?

The anti-federalists framed the constitution debate in terms of states' rights versus a national government; the federalist framed the Constitution debate in terms of states' rights versus the supreme rights of the people. The federalist said that the people are supreme not the states. Northern unionists like Daniel Webster and others said that the phrase "we the people "undercut the essence of the states' rights case.

What were the Federalist Papers?

The closest thing we have to a statement of the founding fathers' political philosophy: a collection of newspaper essays. Written primarily by Alexander Hamilton and James Madison with assistance from John Jay, they explain the rationale and political principles that informed the new constitution. They were aimed especially at citizens of New York in hopes of persuading this large and influential state to ratify the constitution.

What is the difference between the philosophical tone of the declaration of independence and that of the constitution?

The declaration of independence is more revolutionary and the constitution more conservative. The declaration of independence speaks more abstract principles; the constitution emphasizes practical things like checks and balances. The declaration of independence celebrates natural rights; the Constitution establishes veto power.

What was the chief critical period crisis?

The financial problem. The national AOC government can either raise money nor back it's currency. When the AFC Congress passed 5% tax on imports in 1781, Rhode Island reach out to measure. New York killed a similar revenue measure in 1783. The nations that more than doubled.

How and why did the new republic include many democratic institutions?

The founders wanted to give a property owning white males the right to vote. They also wanted to Republic where voters elected qualified statesman. To this end, they created several Republican buffers in the new national government. These provisions meant that of the four sources of political authority in the new government, only representatives in the house would be elected directly by the people.

What was the impact of Shays rebellion?

The founding fathers realized that the conditions in America were ripe for more uprisings. The underlying issues had to be addressed. One remedy was a stronger national government, one with taxing authority and the ability to create a national army. More than any other single event, it was Shays rebellion that led many of the founders to consider replacing the AOC government with a more centralized one.

Why did the constitution create an elaborate system of checks and balances?

The purpose was to frustrate the national government and make it difficult for the national government to take decisive action. The result is a national government that can rarely react quickly and can rarely produce bold, radical legislation. This is the very thing that the founding fathers desired.

What was the founders' one oversight?

Their imprecision and ambiguity with regard to the federal judiciary and especially judicial review. The founders did not explicitly grant to the judicial system sweeping powers of review. The constitution left the door open for judges to augment the review powers, which they eventually did.Chief justice Marshall claimed this authority in 1803 and Marbury v Madison.

In what ways were the founding fathers anti-slavery?

They attacked slavery more than any political leaders of their era. They outlawed the transatlantic slave trade in 1808. The Northwest ordinance banned slavery in the soon to be settled lands west of Pennsylvania and Virginia. Still, the Northwest ordinance also stipulated that fugitive slaves who were apprehended in the region would be returned to their owners. Their inconsistencies show that worldviews do not change overnight.

Why did the founders seek small government?

They based this confidence in small government and a corresponding confidence in man's ability to be virtuous

How can the articles of confederation be understood?

They functioned from about 1779 until 1787. It was more of a committee that served the various states in a true government. All taxing authority remained with the state governments. The Article's government printed currency, but so did several of the states. United States was not one political entity but rather a loose cooperative arrangement among autonomous and largely independent states.

What did the founding fathers think of those policymakers actions?

They thought they were an attack on property rights because lenders and landowners were prevented from collecting the money stipulated in their contracts

In what ways were the founding fathers pro slavery?

They were clearly not abolitionists. They had the opportunity to abolish slavery or at least make it an out loud institution, but instead they agreed-upon the 3/5 compromise. This has declared that 3/5 of all slaves would be counted toward the states population figures for purposes of congressional representation. This tacitly excepted slavery as legal. The Supreme Court's notorious Dred Scott decision nearly made explicit the implications of the founding fathers' statements in the constitution. They also included in the constitution a mandate to assist in the capture of runaway slaves, meaning that the constitution did not reject slavery as illegitimate or unconstitutional.

Why did the anti-federalist demand the bill of rights?

To further protect individuals from the national government. The 10th amendment limited the federal power by reserving to the states all powers not clearly granted to the national government. Madison was not persuaded that a supplemental bill of rights was necessary. He, however, I have no objection. He wrote them and told Congress that the greatest danger is to liberty came from the majority operating against the minority.

How closely was the constitution ratified?

Very closely. The smaller and more vulnerable states tend to ratify quickly. They prefer the stronger constitution. In New York, however, the Constitution was ratified by a narrow 30-27 count. In Virginia, the Constitution was ratified by an 89-79 Margin, in Massachusetts by a 187 -168 tally, and in New Hampshire a 57-47 vote.

How did the process of scrapping the existing national government start?

Virginia sent it's ambassadors to meet with Maryland diplomats in 1785. The summit meeting was enormously successful at promoting economic cooperation. At James Madison's prompting, Virginia and Maryland invited all 13 states to a general discussion of commercial problems. Delegates from only five states attended, but Alexander Hamilton suggested a follow up convention in Philadelphia that would consider reforms necessary to render the constitution of the federal government adequate to the exigencies of the union.

What is the most important thing to remember about the founding fathers' worldview?

Virtually all the founding fathers were friendly towards Christianity and that with a theistic or a God centered worldview. All the founding fathers thought with what we today we call a Christian oriented and Bible informed mind.

How did some influential Americans begin to reassess slavery?

between 1777 and 1804, the states we call northern states outlawed slavery within their borders. State constitutions banned slavery out right in Vermont, Massachusetts, New Hampshire. Mechanisms for gradual emancipation were enacted in Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey. Various gradual emancipation formulas often freed slave children after a specified period of time.