Chapter 3: The Constitution of the United States, 1783-1789

The Constitution

            Governing a country after independence was a harsh and tremendous task for the fathers of the American Independence. The Constitution, one of the most symbolic, and important American documents, written by James Madison, a member of the convention when the constitution was signed is said to be the father of the constitution. During the convention of 1787, all the representatives did not leave Philadelphia until the new set of rules was written for the new emerging country. Although it seems that there were no commotions on agreeing for the constitution, there were. Most Americans believed during this time period that having a constitution was going back to the origin of the war for independence, being bound to harsh laws and conditions. At the end there was logical reasoning by those who did not see the constitution right ended up believing that it was. After 1787, in 1788, George Washington, and John Adams were chosen as President, and vice president. Now the United States had their first head of state.

            James Madison, one of the most influential men at the convention during which the Constitution was signed, was known as the Father of the Constitution. During the convention with the 55 men, he was relatively a young man. Besides being a well-educated man, he had the broader comprehension on what a government should be like. He spent evening after evening reading books of government figuring out what the new government was to be like. Although Madison though about the new government, the Constitutional Convention of 1787 was a debate for abolishing or not the Articles of Confederation. Yet everyone agreed on the need for a stronger national government. The Virginia Plan became a focus of discussion, it consist of a bicameral, or two houses, national legislature. Each state would send representatives in proportion to number of its citizens. A state with large population would have more representatives then a state with low population. The proposed form of government would also have an executive branch and judicial bran as well as the right to tax its citizens. They would also have the power to veto any act of state legislature. Yet there were opponents to the Virginia Plan, they were the smaller states, due to the thought that they would not have much power, so they came up with the New Jersey Plan (N.J. Plan), like the Virginia Plan, this plan would give Congress the power to tax and would create and judicial and executive branches. The N.J. Plan also kept some of the articles of confederation, which was that every state would continue to have an equal vote in a unicameral Congress.

            The legislative branch would be made up by two houses, the House of Representatives, which would mean that every state would have a number of representatives that corresponded to congress, then the other house would be the Senate, every state would have an equal number of representatives; this is known as the Great Compromise. Although these actions were taken people wondered about the enslaved population, thus making the Southern States more powerful in the House of Representatives, so they decided to add the enslaved population and multiply it by three-fifths, this was known as the Three-Fifths Compromise. Although there seemed to be stability in the forms of government, there had to be equality among the three branches, therefore the constitution call for a separation of powers, which would have the executive, legislative, and judicial branches be able to check, or stop, the others in a certain way, this was known as the system of checks and balances. Another important thing to resolve in the emerging government was how to elect the president, so voters were to choose electors to do their electing for them. Each state would have as many electors voting as the same number of members of congress. Whoever received the majority of votes would become President; this was known as the Electoral College.

            Those who supported the Constitution where known as Federalist, they were in favor of a strong federalist government, they were all Nationalist.  Since the country was so big, Madison wrote in The Federalist Number Ten, no one faction, what we call today a “Special interest group” would be able to control the government. There were opponents for the constitution, the Anti-Federalist, were certain that mew government would be the death of American liberty. They were led by older revolutionary figures, such as Patrick Henry of Virginia, and widespread support in the areas that less commerce, particularly the lands distant from the Atlantic Ocean and major rivers. For the constitution to replace the Articles of Confederation, nine states had to ratify, or approve, it. Yet the states did adopt the Constitution- but the voting was close, any they might easily have rejected it. Yet if it weren't by Hamilton and Madison’s skills of persuasion and the Federalist offering to adopt immediately several changes in the Constitution. Then congress during September 1789 proposed to change the constitution, and in December 1791, the resulting ten amendments became part of the document known today as the Bill of Rights.

            After George Washington was elected President of the United States in New York City on April 30, 1789, Washington began to commission officials, including the cabinet, the heads of the major departments of the executive branch. Although George Washington had assigned Thomas Jefferson as secretary, someone had to be Treasure Secretary, this was Alexander Hamilton, relatively young, and brilliant, he had at the early age of 20 a political carrier writing political pamphlets and seeking power. Hamilton was entitled to help pay the large debt of the Independence war. Washington’s administration, or term in office, the government was preoccupied since it had to deal with huge and small responsibilities. President George Washington and his officials were doing things that no one else had done before.

            After the complications that the Washington’s administration had to face, and all the things that Congress had to work on to achieve an equal government it all gave results. A country that was to sail into a world were empires and nations had been established long ago would now have a new competitor on the street. This was the United States of America. After achieving the Virginia and N.J. Plans to have equality in Congress and concluding in the ten amendments for the People of America, the new country would start to flourish. Washington was to deposit all of his confidence in Jefferson as Secretary of State, and Hamilton and Treasure Secretary. They would help  out to make the United States a progressive country.

Checks and Balances

Chapter 2: The Revolutionary Era, 1754 - 1783

 The Revolutionary Era

            During the American Revolution there were several events that marked history in the War for Independence which were the first steps for men and women to obtain their freedom. The people from the colonies faced several oppression from the British in the Acts that were established in the colonies to obtain taxes. Although it could be thought that they were being drained from their money, certainly they had a better standard of leaving than Europeans. The first act was the Sugar Act which was a way to raise money to pay for the cost of administrating the colonies. As a result there was the No Taxation without Representation. During this time there was a depression in England, this lead to heavy taxation. Due to this colonist boycott the British market. These were the starting events that lead to the Revolution and independence from England.

            Freedom and independence was an unspoken theme for several people in the colonies that were being affected by the multiple acts that the British Crown forced. An act that was boycotted by the colonist was the Stamp Act which was an act that forced al the printed paper to have a tax stamp; therefore the colonial action was to create the Stamp Act Congress to have rights. Another act that was forced was the Quarantine Act which forced the colonist to provide food, lodging to British soldiers, therefore the colonist refused to do such thing. Then came an even harsher act, which was the Declaratory Act, which was a way to show colonist that Britain keeps the right to make laws in the colonies. Colonist just kept resisting against the British acts. Although the in the colonies there was a certain amount of tension being felt everywhere.

            Another event that triggered and gave a small head star to the revolutionary war was the Boston Massacre, which was a mostly propagandist method to promote tension and political measures against the British actions in their acts. Then came the Tea Act to save the East India Company, the action that the colonist took was the Boston Tea Party, a group of colonist destroyed a shipment that brought tea to the colony. Due to the actions of the Colonist there came the Intolerable Act and The Port Bill, the Intolerable act was a measure due to the Boston tea party, then the Port Bill was that the Boston’s port was closed until colonist paid the damage they caused.

            After the incidents of the Boston Tea Party came the Massachusetts Government Act which was a new government in Massachusetts, then came the Quartering Act which force colonist to quarter British Soldiers in private homes is necessary. Another act that just made it worst was the Administration of Justice act, it was an act in which British officials in Massachusetts had the right to trail in a court outside the colony. To enforce all of their acts four thousand troops were sent to keep order in Boston. The actions that the Sons of Liberty did was to create the First Continental Congress, this creates the Continental Association which is to boycott British goods and send a petition of grievance to the king, outlining what is considered the rights of colonist and their assemblies. Then in 1775 British troop march in Massachusetts to seize and Destroy colonial ammunition. Colonial and British Troops collide in the Battle of Lexington. Then the Second Continental Congress meets in Philadelphia to address the revolutionary war aims and appoints George Washington commander in-chief to the Continental Army.

            Although all of this Acts and battles that the colonist had with the British lead to the revolutionary war, there had to be a Declaration of Independence written by Thomas Jefferson who was a member of the of the gentle class. The Declaration of Independence basically said that the colonies united as one and cut ties from their parent country. Although much of this were talks and acts, if the colonist did not win the war of independence and the British did not fight for their 13 prosperous colonies it would not have great cause. Furthermore, a great many colonist called Loyalist or Tories, were still loyal to King George. John Adams estimated that one third of the Americans were rebels, one third Tories, and one third was neither.

            Wars kept on going throughout the colonies that were part of the American Revolution after 1777 was at Saratoga, where Marquis de Lafayette, who was a French who assisted the Americans with 6000 men. Another European person essential in the war for the independence from England was Baron von Steuben, from Prussia; he drilled Washington’s troops and wrote a book that brought much discipline to the Continental Army. Then come the Treaty of Paris which George III was no longer the ruler of the 13 colonies. After the Treaty of Paris in December 23 1783, George Washington did a very impressive act that was to give up power. Now the United Sates government starts to form a confederation, an alliance of sates.

            During 1776 the Articles of Confederation were written although they were not approves until 1781. They created the Legislative Branch, the part that makes laws, the Executive Branch which is the part that puts the laws into action, yet the Articles of Confederation did not create a Judicial Branch that is the part of government that judges where laws have been broken, that job was left to the states.

           Although much blood was shredded for the War of Independence and several attempts from many British to stop such insane acts through their eyes, the Americans made a change in History and gave the first steps of an infant entering and adult world of politics and government. It did not take much for the rest of the America to star revolutions for their independence. The Revolutionary Era was not over yet, since the new government had to establish itself and begin the era of a New Country.

Declaration of Independence