Changes

4.  View multiple choice questions like a puzzle.  Enjoy solving it.  This class has more talent than any other class in our state, and maybe in the country.  Don’t let any test or question intimidate you.

4.  View multiple choice questions like a puzzle.  Enjoy solving it.  This class has more talent than any other class in our state, and maybe in the country.  Don’t let any test or question intimidate you.

Note about last week’s homework:  Massachusetts did not have religious freedom.  They came here for their personal religious freedom, but they did not give that freedom to others.   

Note about last week’s homework:  Massachusetts did not have religious freedom.  They came here for their personal religious freedom, but they did not give that freedom to others.   

Also, be aware that there many slaves in Virginia and other colonies long before Bacon’s Rebellion. <include info about how early the first slaves were brought from Africa>

There has always been constant conflict between debtors (often farmers) and creditors (banks).  Debtor’s prison:  understand the financial motivation for it.  <explain?>  It’s wrong, but understand why it existed. See both sides of every dispute.  <move this somewhere better>

 

To learn history well, you must put yourself back at that time.  Think of what it might have been like.  Imagine it. See both sides of the Boston Massacre, for example.  What were British soldiers doing there?  Maybe it was reasonable to object to their presence.

There has always been constant conflict between debtors (often farmers) and creditors (banks).  Debtor’s prison: understand the financial motivation for it. <explain?> It’s wrong, but understand why it existed. See both sides of every dispute.

We discussed how England justified its direct taxation to pay for the [[French and Indian War]].  But how do we know the taxes were to pay for the war? Would that be all that the taxes would be paying for? Would the taxes cease when the war debt was paid?  No, because that was a slippery slope. Those taxes would never end, even after the war was fully paid.

To learn history well, you must put yourself back at that time.  Think of what it might have been like.  Imagine it.  See both sides of the Boston Massacre, for example.  What were British soldiers doing there?  Maybe it was reasonable to object to their presence.

Learn to think in this way, and you will learn to understand history.

We discussed how England justified its direct taxation to pay for the [[French and Indian War]]. But how do we know the taxes were to pay for the war?  Would that be all that the taxes would be paying for? <no. which tax was it that said all the extra money would go into the royal treasury?>  Would the taxes cease when the war debt was paid?  No, because that was a slippery slope.  Those taxes would never end, even after the war was fully paid.

The American Revolution was a “conservative revolution.” <clarify?>  We won the Revolution.  What next?

<this is review, clean it up!> Before we won, there were meetings of the [[Continental Congress]] (initiated by the [[Committees of Correspondence]]) to organize war efforts and address issues common to all the colonies.  It adopted the Declaration of Independence in 1776 and proposed the Articles of Confederation in 1777.  Eventually it was ratified by the 13 colonies (in 1781).  It provided for a unicameral (one body) Congress to govern.  No president and no courts.  One vote for each state.

<this is review, clean it up!> Before we won, there were meetings of the [[Continental Congress]] (initiated by the [[Committees of Correspondence]]) to organize war efforts and address issues common to all the colonies.  It adopted the Declaration of Independence in 1776 and proposed the Articles of Confederation in 1777.  Eventually it was ratified by the 13 colonies (in 1781).  It provided for a unicameral (one body) Congress to govern.  No president and no courts.  One vote for each state.

Bottom line: most power remained in each state under the Articles of Confederation.  The national government could not raise money to pay its own obligations.  Americans were very wary of centralized power after their bad experience with England, but they took this so far that the central government was essentially worthless, and each state did as it pleased.

Bottom line: most power remained in each state under the Articles of Confederation.  The national government could not raise money to pay its own obligations.  Americans were very wary of centralized power after their bad experience with England, but they took this so far that the central government was essentially worthless, and each state did as it pleased.

But the Articles of Confederation did succeed in its plan for the systematic admission of new states based on population:  the Northwest Ordinance of 1787.

But the Articles of Confederation did succeed in its plan for the systematic admission of new states based on population:  the Northwest Ordinance of 1787.

Shay’s Rebellion in 1786-87 illustrated how inadequate the national government was under the Articles of Confederation.  It was an armed uprising of Massachusetts farmers burdened with high debt.  This was the first of many future clashes between Americans who owed money (debtors) and those who lent money (creditors).  The farmers were angry that they had to pay back their loans in “specie” (gold or silver) rather than cheaper paper money, which was a common requirement of the time.  They lost their farms when they could not pay their loans, and because of that they lost their right to vote, because at the time only property owners could vote.  They violently took over the town courthouse to prevent any additional court-ordered seizures of their farms.  The Massachusetts governor sent in the militia but there were more farmers in the rebellion then there were in the militia.  Daniel Shay then led 1200 men to Springfield to capture the federal arsenal, but by then there were enough state militiamen to win.  Shays fled to the Vermont area.  Everyone was panicked by this uprising, and a newly elected Massachusetts legislature subsequently enacted some debt relief.

 

Shays' Rebellion in 1786-87 illustrated how inadequate the national government was under the Articles of Confederation.  It was an armed uprising of Massachusetts farmers burdened with high debt.  This was the first of many future clashes between Americans who owed money (debtors) and those who lent money (creditors).  The farmers were angry that they had to pay back their loans in “specie” (gold or silver) rather than cheaper paper money, which was a common requirement of the time.  They lost their farms when they could not pay their loans, and because of that they lost their right to vote, because at the time only property owners could vote.  They violently took over the town courthouse to prevent any additional court-ordered seizures of their farms.  The Massachusetts governor sent in the militia but there were more farmers in the rebellion then there were in the militia.  Daniel Shays then led 1200 men to Springfield to capture the federal arsenal, but by then there were enough state militiamen to win.  Shays fled to the Vermont area.  Everyone was panicked by this uprising, and a newly elected Massachusetts legislature subsequently enacted some debt relief.

 

The Constitutional Convention convened in the summer of 1787 in Philadelphia to strengthen the national government by modifying the Articles of Confederation.  Every state sent representatives except Rhode Island.  (Remember Rhode Island – some claim its “separation of church and state” laid the foundation for the Constitution.  It didn’t even show up!).  The deliberations were held in secret, without any news leaking to the newspapers.  Everyone was ordered to destroy their notes afterwards, but James Madison kept his notes and they were released about fifty years later.

The Constitutional Convention convened in the summer of 1787 in Philadelphia to strengthen the national government by modifying the Articles of Confederation.  Every state sent representatives except Rhode Island.  (Remember Rhode Island – some claim its “separation of church and state” laid the foundation for the Constitution.  It didn’t even show up!).  The deliberations were held in secret, without any news leaking to the newspapers.  Everyone was ordered to destroy their notes afterwards, but James Madison kept his notes and they were released about fifty years later.

Once the ninth state ([[New Hampshire]]) ratified on June 21, 1788, the Constitution became law of the land.  George Washington was elected a few months afterwards as our first president.

Once the ninth state ([[New Hampshire]]) ratified on June 21, 1788, the Constitution became law of the land.  George Washington was elected a few months afterwards as our first president.

[[George Washington]] was so popular and respected that he probably could have become king.  He was in his fifties, about the age of our President Bush.  Even if Washington did not become king, he could have ruled as president for the rest of his life.  But his greatness was, like Jesus, in his declining power to rule.  Washington was inaugurated as president in 1789.

[[George Washington]] was so popular and respected that he probably could have become king.  He was in his fifties, about the age of our President Bush.  Even if Washington did not become king, he could have ruled as president for the rest of his life.  But his greatness was, like Jesus, in his declining power to rule.  Washington was inaugurated as president in 1789.

Jefferson:  federal government only has the powers expressly given it.   

Jefferson:  federal government only has the powers expressly given it.   

[[John Adams]], born to a prosperous farmer in Massachusetts, became president after Washington, and served just one term (four years).  His presidency was a failure.  Symbolic of his failure was his signing of the Alien & Sedition Acts, which made it a crime to criticize him!  Jefferson and Madison responded with strong state resolutions (Kentucky and Virginia) to “nullify” or declare the Acts unconstitutional.

 

[[John Adams]], born to a prosperous farmer in Massachusetts, became president after Washington, and served just one term (four years).  His presidency was a failure.  Symbolic of his failure was his signing of the Alien & Sedition Acts, which made it a crime to criticize him!  Jefferson and Madison responded with strong state resolutions (Kentucky and Virginia) to “nullify” or declare the Acts unconstitutional.  

Debate:  Can a State nullify an act of Congress?  Can a State secede (withdraw) from the United States?

Debate:  Can a State nullify an act of Congress?  Can a State secede (withdraw) from the United States?

[[Category:United States History]]

[[Category:United States History]]