Shay’s rebellion
Farmers had to take debt because they weren’t getting paid. Their land was being repossessed so they rebelled and closed the courts. They used Republican ideals to justify it.
Federalists
Common sense
Fries rebellion
Farmers in southeast Pennsylvania stopped paying taxes for the larger military. John Fries led a peaceful protest, but John Adams ordered federal troops to stop the protest, and they made mass arrests, assaulted newspaper editors, and almost executed John Fries.
The middle ground
The plan for representation favored by small states. It called for 1 house of Congress with each state getting equal representation.
Congress would have 2 houses, one with equal representation and one with population based representation.
The plan for representation favored by large states. It called for 2 houses with population based representation and a strong national government.
civic virtue
Election of 1797
First contested election in American history, won by John Adams (Washington's vice president)
12/13 states met to amend the articles of confederation. They eventually decided to draft a new constitution
Virtual representation
The idea that each representative in parliament represented the empire as a whole, and therefore, the colonies were represented.
virginia and kentucky resolutions
drafted by thomas jefferson and james madison, claimed that alien and sedition acts were unconstitutional and overstepped federal authority under the constitition, and could therefore be nullified by the states
British won, but had many casualties. They eventually abandoned Boston
They viewed the colonies as subordinates. They had spent billions on defending them, and thought they'd want to help pay the debt.
Colonial attitude towards independence
They didn’t want it. Initially the revolution was a petition to get the same rights as other British citizens
Jay treaty
Townshend Acts
In opposing the stamp act, the colonists said trade should be regulated instead. Parliament passed the townshend acts and began taxing imports and exports.
Whiskey rebellion
violent tax protest from 1791-1794.
the whiskey was the first tax imposed on a domestic product by president Washington to pay for the war. It unfairly burdened poor farmers west of the Appalachian mountains because they couldn't do business anymore
Federalism
The division of powers between different levels of government.
Congress wanted king George to intervene on their behalf and end the violence. He didn’t read it.
First political parties
authorized the president to deport "aliens" and permitted their arrest imprisonment and deportation during war time
2nd Continental Congress
Looked to balance national coordination and states rights to prevent tyranny. It featured a unicameral legislature, but the federal government had no money and no military
Proclamation of 1763
Failures of the articles of confederation
France and others wanted their debt paid back, yet the national government didn’t have money. States had individual economies that didn’t collaborate.
George Washington's Presidency
Ambassador from France came to America to encourage Americans to side with the French. Washington declared neutrality, but the ambassador remained in America to not get beheaded back home.
sedition act
