Unit 2: From Colonies - Young Republic
New Light Ministers
James Davenport - (burned books, etc.) Theodorus Frelinghuysen - (Reformed church in NJ) Jonathan Edwards - (Sinners in the Hands of An Angry God) George Whitefield - (itinerant, traveled countryside with speeches)
George Whitefield
(1714 - 1770) Appealed to female members of the audience (young & angelic), Empassioned and emotional speeches, New Light minister
Seven Years War
-"First World War", French & Indian War - Mercantilism was the key economic theory (regulate economy to increase national power, balance of trade) - France was Brit's greatest rival - Fighting began when George Washington tried to eject French from the forts they were building (Abandoned Fort Necessity, followed by Fort Duquense) - Took control of part of Nova Scotia, but Brits were not very successful - 1759: Brit captured Fort Duquense, Ticonderoga, Louisbourg - British were victorious in NA, ended with Treaty of Paris
Sugar Act
1764 - lowered duties on British molasses by half, from six pence per gallon to three; designed to address the problem of rampant colonial smuggling with French sugar islands in West Indies; attempted to make it easier for colonial traders, especially New England Mariners who routinely engaged in illegal trade -Intensified enforcement provisions -Required violators to be tried in vice-admiralty courts (operated without juries) - Colonists argued that the trial by jury had been long honored as a basic right - Sugar Act meant they were secondary, mere adjuncts to the Empire
Deism
Belief in a God who created the world but had no continuing involvement in the world and the events within it
Ohio Company of VA
Established by Virginian planters in 1748, granted them half a million acres, French also claimed the lands of the Ohio Company; to protect the region they established Fort Duequnse in 1754, founded by George Washington, Native Americans thought they had rights to the land
Pontiac's Rebellion
Loose coalition of native tribes brough together by Neolin to go against the British army and colonists. The war triggered horrific violence on both sides and consequently incited a deep racial hatred among colonists against all Indians
Charles Chauncey
Old Light minister in Boston, wealthy elite, believed in traditional way of practicing
Great Awakening
Outburst of Protestant Revivalism, congregationalists, Anglicans, Presbyterians, rejected formal modes of worship in favor of vigorous emotional religiosity, individuals accept Christ and are saved
Treaty of Paris 1763
Signaled a dramatic reversal of fortune for France; British Empire gained New France, and acquired French sugar islands in the West Indies,
Fort Louisbourg
Taken by the British in 1745 during King George's War, but after three years, British relinquished control of the fortress to the French
The Enlightenment
The age of reason, an intellectual and cultural movement in the 18th century that emphasized reason over blind faith, used power of the press (John Locke, Isaac Newton, Voltaire) - advocated openness, investigation, and religious tolerance Significance: the Enlightenment was the way in which science/math changed the way we saw the world (explanations of the world and answers to moral questions were less vague). It didn't do this in a way that discredited religion, but rather in a way that brought more light and reasoning to it
Regulators
Who: Several groups of insurgents in North and South Carolina When: 1764-1767 What: They wanted to protect the rights of their community. The NC Regulators threatened to rebel and not pay taxes. The SC, in 1767, opposed corrupt gov't and cleared their homeland of outlaw bands of terrorists.
Benjamin Franklin
When: 18th Century Who: published PA Gazette and started annual publication: Poor Richard's Almanac (personal morality was a moral compass), subscribed to Deism (belief in a God who created, but had no continuing involvement in the world and the events within it) -prominent Freemason (Frat society that advocated Enlightenment principles of injury and tolerance) -1743: Established the American Philosophical Society to encourage the spirit of inquiry -Devoted himself to politics and scientific experiments: famous work on electricity exemplified enlightenment principles - Used knowledge to advocate the use of lightning rods -Wrote "rags to riches" Memoir in the 1770s-80s, laid foundation for the American Dream of upward social mobility
Whiskey Rebellion
Who: When: 1794 What: Whiskey rebels used violence and intimidation to protest policies that they saw unfair -some citizens of PA saw the new tax as further proof that the new national gov't favored the commercial classes on the eastern seaboard at the expense of farmers in the west -Planned to form an independent Western commonwealth, and they even began negotiations with British and Spanish reps -Contacted SC and KY to circulate idea of secession -Aligned themselves with DR Party - Thought the tax was an attempt to turn the US into a monarchy and destroy their Republican liberty
Second Continental Congress
Who: When: May 1775 What: members approved the creation of a professional Continental Army with George Washington as commander in chief Significance: thousands of members enlisted but it took several years for the army to become professional; militias still composed a bulk of the Patriots' forces
Hartford Convention
Who: 26 Federalists in Connecticut When: 1814 What: Some attendees issued for calls to secede from the United States Significance: Demonstrated how the Federalists deeply resented the power of the slaveholding Virginians (Democractic Republicans) -Arguments for disunion during wartime, combined with the convention's condemnation of the gov't, showed the Federalists as unpatriotic -Led to the downfall of the Federalist party
Tecumseh
Who: A Shawnee war chief who rejuvenated the Western Confederacy When: 1809 What: William Henry Harrison, the governor of Indiana territory, attempted to eliminate the native presence by attacking Prophetstown, a Shawnee settlement in honor of Tecumseh's brother, -Battle of Tippecanoe: Harrison destroyed the settlement -Also found evidence that the British has supplied the native americans with weapons, despite the situations of earlier treaties
Slavery and the Revolution
Who: African Americans When: 18th Century Where: America What: Slaves were an important asset to the British and colonists during the war. However, the distinction of race was even more emphasized afterwards. Significance: The revolution set free many slaves and allowed many to escape.
Phillis Wheatley
Who: African slave woman When: 18th century What: Achieved full literacy and went on to become one of the best known poets of the time, although many doubted her authorship of her poems because of her race Significance: It was uncommon for African American slaves to know how to read or write
First Report on Public Credit
Who: Alexander Hamilton When: 1790s What: Addressed the pressing need of the new republic to become creditworthy -Recommended that the federal gov't honor all of its debts, including all paper money issued by the Confederation and the states during the war, at face value - Proposed that the gov't sell bonds (federal interest bearing notes) to the public -Creditors could exchange their old notes for the new gov't bonds -Federal notes would begin to yield interest payments in 1792 Historical Significance: "to promote the increasing respectability of the American name; to answer the calls for justice; to restore landed property to its due value; to furnish new resources both to agriculture and commerce; to cement more closely the union of the states; to add to their security against foreign attack; to establish public order on the basis of upright and liberal policy." -James Madison opposed this, States with less debt opposed this, Hamilton arranged for a new capital (DC) -Worked well to restore European confidence in the US Economy -Generated controversy about the scope of gov't
The Report on the National Bank
Who: Alexander Hamilton When: 1791 What: Made for hopes in stabilizing the national economy -By proposing that the nat'l bank buy up large volumes of state bank notes and demand their conversion to gold, Hamilton wanted to discipline the banks that issued paper money irresponsibly -Proposed a Bank of US (modeled Bank of England), it would issue loans to American merchants and bills of credit (Federal bank notes that would circulate money) while serving as a repository of gov't revenue from the sale of land -Stockholders would own the bank along with the federal gov't Historical Significance: Generated opposition - Jefferson argued that the Constitution did not permit the creation of a national bank - Hamilton invoked implied powers as a response - His initiatives marked the beginning of an American capitalism, making the republic creditworthy, promoting commerce, and setting for the nation a solid financial foundation. His policies also facilitated the growth of the stock market, as U.S. citizens bought and sold the federal government's interest-bearing certificates.
Saratoga
Who: American Victory When: October 1777 What: Clinton's troops failed to provide much needed support for Burgoyne's ultimately causing him to surrender 5,000 soldiers to the Continental Army; major turning point in the war Significance: -Convinced French to recognize American independence and form a military alliance with the new nation -French supplied US with gunpowder and money, as well as soldiers and naval force that proved decisive in the defeat of Great Brit. -French contributed military leaders like Marquis de Lafayette
Republicanism
Who: American revolutionaries When: 18th century What: the idea in which the citizens would select the leaders who would represent them; requires people to cultivate virtuous behavior and education; -Leaders agreed that the ownership of property measured an individual's virtue, non-property holders should have very little to do with gov't -limits political rights to property holders Significance: Patriots favored this idea as they began to stray away more and more from the monarchy, believed the king had become a tyrant
Battle of New Orleans
Who: Andrew Jackson When: 1814 What: Jackson led his TN troops to New Orleans to defend the strategic port from the British -January 1815, British veterans from the Napoleonic Wars attempted to take the port -Jackson's forces devastated the British Significance: Ensured the future of the American settlement and commerce -Immediately catapulted Jackson to national prominence as a war hero, and in the 1820s he emerged as the new leader of the new Democratic Party
Bill of Rights
Who: Anti-Federalists (Created by Federalists), James Madison When: 1789 What: 10 Amendments - Outlined personal rights state constitutions already guaranteed Historical Significance: Softened the Anti-Federalists' opposition to the Constitution and gave the new federal gov't greater legitimacy among those who otherwise distrusted the new centralized power created by men of property during the secret 1787 Philly Constitutional Convention
Treaty of Paris
Who: Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, John Jay When: April 1782 What: beginning of informal peace negotiations with British; officially signed in 1783 between British and Americans Significance: Recognized the independence of the US; placed western, easter, northern, and southern boundaries of the nation at the Mississippi River, the Atlantic Ocean, Canada, and FL -gave New Englanders fishing rights in the waters off Newfoundland -Individuals were encouraged to refrain from persecuting Loyalists and to return their confiscated property -Granted large amounts of previously owned British regions that were also land of the Indians to the Americans
The Stamp Act
Who: British Parliament When: 1765 What: direct tax on the colonists, imposed an internal tax on almost every type of printed paper colonists used, including newspapers, legal docs, and playing cards Historical Significance: Architects saw it as a way to defray the costs of the British Empire, gave rise to the first major colonial protest against Brit imperial control ("no taxation without representation"), reinforced the sense among some colonists that Parliament was not treating them as equals of their peers across the Atlantic
Coercive (Intolerable) Acts
Who: British Parliament, the King When: 1774 What: four different measures designed to punish Massachusetts 1) Massachusetts Gov't Act - placed colonial gov't under direct control of crown officials and made traditional town meetings subject to the governor's approval 2) Administration of Justice Act - allowed royal governor to unilaterally move any trial of a crown officer out of Massachusetts, a change designed to prevent hostile juries from deciding cases 3) Quartering Act - encompassed all of the colonies and allowed British troops to be housed in occupied buildings 4) Quebec Act - expanded the boundaries of Quebec westward and extended religious tolerance to Roman Catholics in the province; forced tolerance of Catholicism was the most objectionable; raised troubling questions for many colonists who eyed the West, hoping to expand the boundaries of their provinces Significance: Inspired more colonial/Parliamentarian dissent, called the acts "Intolerable", it was like a slap in the face to colonists
Townshend Acts
Who: British Parliament; Charles Townshend (primary job was to manage the Empire's finances/raising revenue from the colonies) When: 1767 What: A tax on consumer goods in British North America, colonists believed their liberty as loyal British subjects had come under assault for a second time Restraining Act of 1767 - disbanded the NY Assembly until it agreed to pay for the garrison's supplies (eventually agreed to do) Indemnity Act of 1767 - exempted tea produced by the British East India Company from taxation when it was imported into Great Britain (when tea was re-exported, colonists still had to pay taxes bc of Revenue Act) Writs of Assistance - search warrants to customs commissioners who suspected the presence of contraband goods Commissioners of Customs Act - created an American Board of Customs to enforce trade laws Vice-Admiralty Court Act - established three more vice-admiralty courts in Boston to try violators of customs regulations without a jury Significance: Revenue Act severed the relationship between governors and assemblies, drawing royal officials closer to the British gov't and further away from colonial legislatures, resulted in higher taxes and stronger British power to enforce them, the fact that revenue would pay royal governors only made the situation worse because it took control away from colonial legislatures that otherwise held the power to set and withhold a governor's salary; generated protests like "Letters from a PA Farmer" by John Dickinson (internal taxes - stamps on goods, external taxes - customs duties on imports// Parliament could not impose this)
XYZ Affair
Who: Charles Talleyrand When: 1797 What: - Talleyrand tried to extract a bribe for the US - If US accepted bribe, they would allow for negotiations - Outraged American public and turned public opinion against the France - Federalists appeared to have been correct in their interpretation of France, whereas DR had been misled
Sedition Act
Who: Congress When: 1798 What: Result of of the French menace, aimed to increase national security - Imposed harsh penalties: 5 years of imprisonment and a massive fine on those convicted of speaking or writing in "scandalous or malicious" manner against the gov't of the United States - 25 DR men were indicted under the act, ten were convicted Significance: Raised constitutional questions about the freedom of the press provided under the First Amendment - DR argued that the acts were evidence of the Federalist's intent to squash individual liberties and states' rights -Jefferson and Madison created the VA and KY Resolutions that said the acts were illegal and unconstitutional
Strict construction
Who: Democratic Republicans When: 18th century Where: What: Believed that the powers of the government and the people should be enumerated in the Constitution - Believed in following the strict construction of the Constitution Significance: This desire for Strict construction created the Bill of Rights which stated individual liberties and rights
First Continental Congress
Who: Elected representatives of 12 of the 13 American colonies When: 1774 What: Result of the Intolerable Acts, direct challenge to Lord North and British authority, convening how to respond to the acts themselves; Joseph Galloway argued for a conciliatory approach (elected Grand Council), Suffolk Resolves (Paul Revere) became the basis of the Declaration of Resolves (Colonists demanded the repeal of all repressive acts passed since 1773 and agreed to a non-importation, non-exportation, and non-consumption pact against all British goods until the acts were repealed) Significance: Created a Continental Association to ensure that the full boycott was enforced across all colonies, established a governing network in opposition to royal authority, was becoming an elected gov't
cotton gin
Who: Eli Whitney When: 1794 What: - Knew that a device to help speed up the production of cotton was desperately needed so cotton farmers could meet the growing demand for their crop -Hoped the cotton gin would render slavery obsolete Significance: Ended up increasing the need for slavery and the production/need for cotton
"Sentiments of an American Woman"
Who: Esther Deberdt Reed When: 1780 What: A letter written to other elite women saying that "the time has arrived to display the sentiments which animated us at the beginning of the Revolution" Significance: Raised $300,000 in Continental money for the war - sets out historical examples of aggressive female patriotism as inspiration and justification for a call to political action. - women could support revolution in another way other than fighting
"implied powers"
Who: Federalists What: Article 8, Section 1 of the Constitution - Gave the green light to Hamilton's program powers that the government deems upon themselves drawn from loose interpretations of the constitution; elastic clause Significance: Alexander Hamilton used these to create the national bank and public credit
Virginia Plan
Who: James Madison Where: Virginia When: 18th century What: Called for a strong national gov't, that could overturn state laws - The plan featured a bicameral legislature - People would elect representatives - Proportional representation Significance: -Proportional representation alarmed the smaller states as VA would have more power - William Patterson introduced NJ Plan to counter this
Democratic-Republicans
Who: James Madison & Thomas Jefferson When: 1790s What: -Jefferson believed that self-sufficient, property-owning republican citizens or yeoman farmers held the key to the success and longevity of the American republic -Believed that Hamilton's programs encouraged economic inequalities and widened the wealthy and poor gap -Used freedom of the press to attack Hamilton's program (Freneau) -Composed of men who felt that the domestic policies of Washington and Hamilton were designed to enrich the few while ignoring everyone else, championed limited gov't -Fear of centralized power, believed Federalists promoted aristocracy and a monarchial gov't -Goals to promote to public good and battle against private self interest
Federalists
Who: John Adams, George Washington When: 1790s What: Saw unchecked democracy as a dire threat to the Republic, pointed to the excesses of the French Revolution as proof of what awaited -Only well-born and well educated should oversee the Republic -Supported of the 1787 federal constitution; british notion of social hierarchy -Political participation linked to property rights; clear distinctions in rank and intelligence -US was not created to be a democracy Historical Significance: Demonstrated the differences on perspectives on Republicanism, one of the first parties
Liberalism
Who: John Locke When: 18th century What: protect citizens' natural rights, liberty, equality, (life liberty property) Significance: led to the foundation of the nation who founded itself on the principle of sustaining inalienable rights
Dunmore's Proclamation
Who: Lord Dunmore & the Loyalists When: November 1775 What: a decree that promised freedom to slaves and indentured servants of rebels who remained loyal to the king and who pledged to fight with the Loyalists against the insurgents Significance: caused serious problems for both the Patriot cause and for the British. For the British to put down the rebellion, they needed support of VA landowners that owned slaves, but many patriots were slaveholders in VA. But the British thought they could use that against them since they owned slaves -Rebel POV: looked like British wanted to deprive them of their slave property and incite a race war -Slaveholders feared a slave uprising and increased their commitment to the cause against Great Britain, calling for independence
New Lights
Who: Lower class, less educated, newer arrivals (Scotts-Irish & Germans); debtors; Jonathan Edwards & George Whitefield Where: West/rural areas When: 1740s What: Those who followed the evangelical message of the first great awakening; emotional appeals to religion; spiritual direct relationship with God Significance: -Challenged the Church of England -Slave conversions -Principles made colonists realize that they were capable of challenging the status quo and the elites, demonstrating the beginnings of the revolution
Lexington & Concord
Who: Massachusetts militia and British troops When: April 19, 1775 What: "shot heard round the world", militia and troops fired on each other as british troops marched onto Lexington and Concord; General Gage knew of a powder magazine stored in Concord and ordered troops to seize the munition Significance: Began the American Revolution
Paxton Boys
Who: Mob of frontiersment that attacked a nearby group of Conestoga natives; viewed natives as savages and brutally murdered 6 of them; Benjamin Franklin called them "barbarous men who committed an atrocious act" When: 1763 Where: Pennsylvania Significance: Illustrates the deadly situation on the frontier
Sons & Daughters of Liberty
Who: Other colonists apart from the wealthy elite ("British patriots defending their liberty"); John Adams supported them When: 1765 What: Colonists that boycotted British goods and protested in the streets against the Stamp Act, took aim at Andrew Oliver (stoned and looted his house, hung an effigy in protest), Later on targeted Thomas Hutchinson by barricading his home and burning his house Significance: Violent protests with the goal of securing the resignation of all appointed stamp collectors, first uprisings from colonists against British Parliament Non-Importation Movement (Daughters) - gave women a new and active role in the political dissent of the time; women were responsible for purchasing goods for the home, therefore exercising power of the purse, wielding more power than they had in the past
Pennsylvania Constitution of 1776
Who: PA When: 1776 What: Provided an example of democratic tendencies -Require to own property vote eliminated -if a man was 21 years or older, had paid taxes, and had lived in the same location for one year, he could vote -Eliminated executive (no governor) -Became a unicameral legislature Significance: Opened voting to most free white male citizens of PA -John Adams disagreed with this: said it put too much power into the hands of men who had no business exercising the right to vote -Changes are considered the basis for the first amendment of the Bill of Rights
Articles of Confederation
Who: Revolutionaries against British Reform When: 1770s - 1780s What: The first national constitution due to the fear of a strong national gov't -Reaching agreement was difficult as members argued over western land claims -Debated what type of representation would be best and tried to figure out ow to pay the expenses of the new government -Unicameral legislature -People could not directly vote, state legislatures decided who would represent the state -National Congress composed of state delegations -No executive or judiciary -States had option to enforce or not enforce, Articles required unanimous consent -No power to tax -No national bank -No balance of trade Significance: Created a "league of friendship" among the states, started in 1777, official in 1781 - delay of 4 years illustrates how hard it was to get the states to agree -Citizens saw their respective states as sovereign republics and guarded their prerogatives against other states
Massachusetts Circular
Who: Samuel Adams When: 1768 What: Sent by Massachusetts HoR, laid out the unconstitutionality of taxation without representation and encouraged the other colonies to again protest the taxes by boycotting British goods, Secretary of state for colonies demanded that they retract the letter and threatened to dissolve any colonies that endorsed it (pushed colonies to Massachusetts side), Hillsborough sent four thousand British troops to deal with unrest, Significance: Humble and submissive tone shows the assembly's continued deference to parliamentary authority, a clear expression of allegiance and the hope for a restoration of "natural and constitutional rights"; Many Bostonians mounted a campaign of harassment against the troops, smuggling was crucial for boycotting
Committees of Correspondence
Who: Samuel Adams, Joseph Warren, James Otis When: 1772 What: functioned as a form of shadow gov't to address the fear of British overreach, identified enemies of the movement and communicated the news of the day, sometimes provided a version of events that differed from royal interpretations Significance: later formed the backbone of communication among the colonies in the rebellion against the Tea Act, and eventually in the revolt against the British crown
Stamp Act Congress
Who: Sent letters from Massachusetts Assembly, Reps from 9 colonial legislatures, landowning, educated white men who represented political elite of the colonists When: 1765 What: Members had a vested interest in repealing the tax, drafter a rebuttal to the Stamp Act called "Declaration of Rights and Grievances" Significance: Weakened businesses and colonial economy, threatened liberty under the British Constitution, outlined the unconstitutionality of taxation without representation and trials without juries
Proclamation Line of 1763
Who: The British Where: Appalachian Mtns When: 1763 What: Established in the Proclamation of 1763, runs along the spine of the Appalachian Mtns; It aimed to forestall further conflict on the frontier, the clear flashpoint of tension in British North America; Significance: Line ultimately became a setback for westward expanision
Notes on the State of Virginia
Who: Thomas Jefferson When: 1780s What: urged the end of slavery in Virginia; Envisioned an "empire of liberty" for white farmers, relied on the argument of sending blacks out of the US, even if doing so would completely destroy the slaveholders' wealth in their human property Significance: Many southern planters were opposed to Jefferson and his ideology
Jefferson's Agrarian ideals
Who: Thomas Jefferson When: 1800-1808 Where: Farmers in Louisiana territory What: agricultural society based on free labor, war in Europe benefited American farmers. Political liberty through social and economic equality. YEOMAN FARMERS! shipped goods down Ms to New Orleans Significance: Led to LA Purchase, increased trade
Northwest Ordinances
Who: Thomas Jefferson When: What: -1784: directed that new states would be formed from a huge area of land below the Great Lakes, and these new states would have equal standing with the original states -1785: called for division of this land into rectangular plots in order to prepare for the gov't sale of land; land divided and subdivided and sold under an auction -1787: officially turned land into an incorporated territory called the NW Territory and prohibited slavery north of the Ohio River Significance: map of 1787 shows how the public domain was to be divded by the nat'l gov't for sale
Louisiana Purchase
Who: Thomas Jefferson When: 1803 What: The purchase of $15 million of land from the French that caused the US to double in size Significance: greatly enhanced the Jeffersonian vision of the US as an agrarian republic in which yeomen farmers worked the land -Helped Jefferson win the 1804 election -Northerners feared the addition of new slave states and a lack of representation -Good for slaveholders, bad for slaves
"empire of liberty"
Who: Thomas Jefferson When: 1804 What: Jefferson distrusted cities and instead envisioned a rural republic of land-owning white men, or yeoman republican farmers. -Wanted the US to be the breadbasket of the world, exporting its agricultural commodities without suffering the ills of urbanization and industrialization Significance: -Limited gov't intervention -Ended internal taxes (whiskey and rum) -Slashed size of the military -Led to a period of one-party rule -
Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions
Who: Thomas Jefferson and James Madison When: Late 18th century Where: VA and KY What: -Argued that Alien and Sedition acts were illegal and unconstitutional -Introduced the idea of nullification , the rights of states to nullify acts of Congress , advanced the argument of states' rights Significance: - Failed to rally support in other states - Most states rejected them, citing the necessity of a strong national government
Embargo of 1807
Who: Thomas Jefferson and the British When: 1807 What: In response to British impressment and the capture of four sailors (Chesapeake), Jefferson did a "sweeping ban of trade" - The law prohibited American ships from leaving their ports until Britain and France stopped seizing them on high seas Significance: As a result, American commerce came to a near-total halt -Jefferson thought that this embargo would hurt Britain and France more, but instead it hurt the American commerce, specifically American farmers who could no longer sell their goods overseas -Seaport cities experienced a huge increase in unemployment and an uptick in bankruptcies -Overall, American business activity declined -Smuggling became more common -Non Intecourse Act of 1808 eventually lifted the embargo from every foreign country except France & Britain
Revolution of 1800
Who: Thomas Jefferson, Democratic-Republican When: 1800 What: the first transfer of power from one party to another in American history, when the presidency transferred over to the Democratic-Republican Thomas Jefferson Significance: Peaceful transition calmed contemporary fears about possible violent reactions to a new party's taking the reins of government -Passing of one political party to another without bloodshed also set an important precedent
Republicanism (thomas paine)
Who: Thomas Paine When: 1776 in Common Sense What: supporting a gov't without a king; property owning citizens possessed virtues, people hold popular sovereignty Significance: served as a social philosophy guiding the conduct of the Patriots in their struggle against the British Empire
Common Sense
Who: Thomas Paine When: January 1776 What: A pamphlet that rejected monarchy, questioned the right of an island to rule over America, written in a simple direct language aimed at ordinary people Significance: -helped channel colonial discontent toward the king himself rather than the British parliament -signaled desire to create a new political order disavowing monarchy entirely - argued for an American Republic, a state without a king, and republicanism (a political philosophy that held elected representatives, popular sovereignty, placed public good and community above narrow self-interest
Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom
Who: Virginia, Thomas Jefferson When: 1786 What: "Bills for establishing religious freedom" - Revolutionary response against the privileged status of the Church of England - Ended the Church of England's hold and allowed religious liberty -No one could be forced to attend or support a specific church or be prosecuted for his/her beliefs Significance: Established the separation between church and state
Shay's Rebellion
Who: War Veteran, Captain Daniel Shays When: 1786 What: when the state legislature again refused to address the petitioners' requests, Massachusetts citizens took up arms and closed courthouses across the state to prevent foreclosure (seizure of land in lieu of overdue loan payments) on farms in debt -farmers wanted debts forgiven -demanded that the 1780 constitution be revised to address citizens beyond the wealthy elite who could serve in the legislature -Climaxed in 1787 when rebels attempted to seize the federal armory in Springfield, Massachusetts Significance: Legislature responded (Massachusetts) with legislation designed to punish the rebels -Offered rebels clemency if they took an oath of allegiance -Otherwise local officials could use deadly force against, them, take their property, and execute them if any militiamen refused to defend the state -Shays' Rebellion convinced George Washington to come out of retirement and lead the convention called for by Alexander Hamilton to amend the Articles of Confederation in order to deal with insurgencies like the one in Massachusetts and provide greater stability in the United States.
Whigs
Who: Wealthy elite v. the common man; Led by John Adams When: 18th century What: Conservative Whigs - defined themselves in opposition to democracy, James Madison, said it equated to anarchy, majority rule can easily overpower minority rights (like the few wealthy elite); gov't by patrician class, a ruling group composed of a small number of privileged families Radical Whigs - favored broadening popular participation in political life and pushed for democracy Significance: The American Whigs were modernizers who wanted a balance in government, national unity, territorial expansion, and support for a national transportation network and domestic manufacturing
Marbury v. Madison
Who: William Marbury against James Madison When: 1803 What: Marbury wondered why he had not received his commission from the gov't yet. Justice Marshall agreed that Marbury had the right to legal remedy, est. that individuals had rights even the President of the US could not abridge Significance: Established the principal of judicial review, which strengthened the court by asserting its power to review (and possibly nullify) the actions of Congress and the president
New Jersey Plan
Who: William Patterson Where: New Jersey When: 18th century What: Made to counter Madison's VA Plan - Proposed that all states have equal votes in a unicameral national legislature -Also addressed the economic problems of the day by calling for the Congress to have the power to regulate commerce, to raise revenue though taxes on imports and through postage, and to enforce Congressional requisitions from the states Significance: It was a small state plan to counter the big state plan (VA Plan)
Republican Motherhood
Who: Women When: 18th century What: women, more than men, were responsible for raising good children, instilling in them all the virtue necessary to ensure the survival of the republic Significance: Benjamin Rush, a Whig educator and physician from Philly, strongly advocated for the education girls and young women as a part of the larger effort to ensure that republican virtue and republican motherhood would endure
Old Lights
Who: middle/upper class; educated, established elites; creditors: Charles Chauncey Where: Eastern sea towns When: 1740s What: Those who rejected the evangelical message of the first great awakening , preferred traditional practices of Christianity Significance: Demonstrated the decline of the tradition forms of Christianity, emphasized the impact of the Great Awakening through their lack of ability to have influence against the revivalism.
