HST 306_ASU_ASSIGNMENT_WEEK 2_COLONIALISM IN NORTH AMERICA

COLONIALISM IN NORTH AMERICA

ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY

HST 306 - STUDIES IN UNITED STATES HISTORY

WEEK 2

BASIC COMPETENCIES:

Students understand the driving factors of colonization in North America

INDICATOR:

1. Students are able to understand the driving factors of colonization in North America.

2. Students can understand about the life of the North American colonists

A. Factors driving colonization in North America:

Since the end of the Middle Ages (XI-XII centuries) in Europe, an important

phenomenon in the course of history has emerged, namely the appearance of new citizens,

namely urban citizens (Paura) in Medieval European society. They played an important role

in bringing Europe from the Middle Ages to modern Europe. The townspeople (merchants)

have changed the condition of the closed household economic system as a result of the

disintegration period (The Dark Ages) to a trade system with the outside world, namely the

Far East, Asia and Africa.

Since the 19th century Constantinople has been a strategic crossroads for trade. Since

the eleventh century the Mediterranean Sea began to function again as an international trade

route. At that time there were also bustling trading cities such as: Venetia, Pisa, Genoa,

Marseille, Barcelona. Merchants from Europe traded with the eastern world by bringing

merchandise such as textiles, gold and silver handicrafts in exchange for spices or other

eastern goods such as silk fabrics through the spice trade route (sea route) or land route (Silk

route).

After the Crusades, in the XIII century, the demand in Europe for trade goods from

eastern countries increased. Among the goods traded were: silk from China, spices from the

Moluccas, frankincense and wine from Persia. While trade goods from Europe such as woven

wool from England, wood, leather, fish from Germany and Scandinavia, while trade goods

from Genoa such as flax, honey, animal fur and leaviar eggs.

The growth of a merchant class was supported by the governments of European

countries. The kings (16th-XVIIth centuries) in Europe supported commercial activities and

provided capital support for exploration (colonization). The support of European countries for

commercial activities in the 16th-XVII centuries became known as the mercantilist system.

The mercantilist system is a national economic activity that is able to meet its own needs

(self-sufficiency) for the following purposes:

(1) for the greatness of the nation known as glory;

(2) to collect gold and silver;

(3) for gospel purposes, i.e. for the purpose of spreading religion in the colonies;

(4) to obtain more commodities in the form of products or crops from the colonies for

further sale in the European market rather than just buying these commodities;

(5) to turn the colonies into a dumping ground for the mother country's products or for

capital investment.

The mercantilist economic system in Western Europe lasted from 1500 until the birth

of the industrial revolution. Mercantilist countries such as Spain, England, Portugal or the

Netherlands equated money with wealth and sought to acquire gold for currency by increasing

exports, imposing import duties and extorting colonies.

For example, Spain in implementing mercantilism by making a regulation that 20% of

the results, namely gold and silver in the colony must be provided to the king (mother

country). Spanish colonists were obliged to bring all the goods needed by the mother country

and all goods entered into the mother country were burdened with 10% import duties (excise).

In the XVII century the development of the wool industry in England increased rapidly. The

demand for English woolen cloth from foreign traders such as Spain, Portugal, the

Netherlands and France increased.

To meet this demand, the British government introduced what is known as the

Enclosure Movement, a movement from farmland to pasture land for sheep farming in

England. The impact of the Enclosure Movement policy was that many British people lost

their land because it was sold or leased on a long-term basis to sheep farmers.

In England, many people went to the city to look for work, but because there was no balance

between jobs and job seekers, many of them became homeless as proletarians and lived in

poverty. So that in the end many of them became coolies and entered into contracts with

trading companies which then took them to a new continent, namely from England to North

America (Krisnadi, 2012: 61-62).

Experiencing a lack of raw materials for the woolen fabric industry, namely in the

form of fur from the Pope's cane in the Vatican, Rome. The problem was that King Henry

VIII considered the Catholic Church in Rome to interfere deeply with the internal (political)

affairs of the English government, for example, every appointment of the king of England,

must be spent by the Pope or his deputy. But the real problem was Henry VIII who had

received the Sacrament of Marriage with his niece's daughter, the princess of Spain and had

received dispensation from the Pope. However, the basket-eyed King Henry VIII wanted to

divorce his wife to remarry and sought approval from the Pope.

This was rejected by the Pope because it violated the teachings of the Roman Catholic

Church which forbids all its members to divorce, because in the Sacrament of Marriage it

adheres to the principle of Jesus' teaching "what God has joined together, let no man put

asunder." because "Whoever divorces his wife and marries another woman, lives in adultery

with his wife."When the Roman Catholic Church was attacked by Protestantism under the

leadership of Martin Luther about the abolition of the 7 Sacraments that the Roman Catholic

Church believed in, King Henry VIII defended the Roman Catholic Church by ordering his

friend Thomas More to write a book against Martin Luther by defending the 7 Sacraments.

For this service, King Henry VIII received a title from the Pope as Defensor Fidei (Defender

of Religion). As a result of this dispute, King Henry VIII did not recognize the leadership of

the Pope and the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church and founded the Anglican Church

and he appointed himself as the Head of the Church in England as well as the head of the

English government which later became known as the Anglican Church.

In the 1630s the arbitrary government of King Charles I was cruel or persistent in its

pursuit of its political opponents, so that enlarged the drive to the new world for his political

opponents. Likewise, Oliver Cromwell held the reins of government also suppressed the

followers of Charles I as his political opponents, thus encouraging them to leave their

homeland for the new world (America). They were all usually sent to the colony of Georgia,

even England when ruled by King James Edward Oglethorpe, the colony of Georgia was used

as a fortress against the Spaniards in Florida which is south of Georgia.

In addition to these various reasons, there is another reason for Europeans to go to the

Americas is to avoid military obligations that are being promoted by countries in Europe in an

effort to fulfill the needs of war in Europe. The existence of wars between countries in Europe

had forced the population to become voluntary soldiers. Thus the migrating Europeans settled

in America in the XVII and XVIII centuries.

Most settlers who came to America in the 17th century were English, but there were

also Dutch, Swedes, and Germans in the central region, a small number of French Huguenots

(protestants) in South Carolina and in the South, and Spaniards, Italians, and Portuguese

scattered in the colonies.

After 1680, England was no longer a source of dispersed immigration. Thousands of

refugees flocked to mainland Europe to escape the scourge of war. Many were also forced to

leave their homelands to escape the poverty caused by government oppression and the cruelty

of landlords.

B. Life of the Colonists in North America

The United States before successfully proclaiming itself on July 4, 1776, had been a

colony of various countries in Western Europe, for example France which had colonies in

Canada, Quebec, Great Lake, Lousiana, Ohio Valley, Spain had colonies in Florida, Mexico,

and England had colonies along the east coast of the Atlantic Ocean.

In 1578, Humphrey Gilbert, author of a treatise on the exploration of the North-West

canal, secured a patent from Queen Elizabeth to colonize the lands still inhabited by

barbarians and savages in the new world that had yet to be settled controlled by other

European countries. It was only five years later that his efforts could begin. When he was lost

at sea, his half-brother Walter Raleigt took over the mission.

In 1585, Raleigt established the first British colony in North America, on the island of

Roanoke off the coast of North Carolina.The place was abandoned and a second attempt years

later also failed.It took 20 years before the British tried again.This time it was Jamestown in

1607.The colony was a success and North America began to enter a new era.

In the early 1600s there was the beginning of a large influx of emigration of

Europeans to the Americas, especially in the North. They came to the Americas, especially

the North, because they were compelled by several diverse reasons and in a new place they

built a new civilization on a continent that was all wild. The reason is that many emigrants

from Europe left their homeland because they were fleeing political oppression, in search of

freedom to worship, to avoid military obligations that were being promoted by countries in

Europe in an effort to fulfill the needs of war in Europe. The wars between European

countries forced the population to become voluntary soldiers.

for adventure and to seek better fortunes than in their own countries, and were bound

by labor agreements between the immigrants and the trading partners. This process of

migration lasted for more than three centuries (16th-XVIII centuries).

The first English colony to be established in North America was Jamestown.The first

group of immigrants from England crossed the Atlantic to what is now the United States long

after Spain had established its colonies in Mexico, West India, and South America.Like all

early travelers to the new world, they arrived in small, crowded ships.During the voyage of

between 6 and 12 weeks, they lived on limited food rations. Many died of disease, while the

small ships were also often battered by storms, and some were lost at sea.

Their condition in the American colonies was poor because they lived as laborers and

were bound by contracts with trading partners as slaves and domestic servants. The workers

signed agreements that The content of the agreement was to allow the ship captains to sell

their labor for a number of years (between 3-5 years) and the money from this labor was used

to repay the cost of travel in Europe.

Not only that, their conditions were also bound by official laws that did not pay

attention to human values.For years they had to be status as indentured coolies who received a

small amount of money, clothing, work tools.But they in the colonies gained the freedom to

own about 50 hectares of land. Their journey across the Atlantic Ocean was a frightening one,

either they would be able to return or repay the loan for the journey to America or else they

would be enslaved.

Although the Americas were naturally rich in natural resources, trade with Europe was

essential to import goods that the colonies had not yet produced. In order to support these

needs, coastal areas were very useful for immigrants, especially areas that had bays as a place

to dock trading ships. Among the Thirteen Colonies in America, only North Carolina and

southern New Jersey did not have trading ports.

However, these two colonies can utilize the nearest trading port. For example, North

Carolina can utilize the trading ports in Virginia and South Carolina, while New Jersey can

utilize the trading ports of Massachusetts and Delaware. Meanwhile, existing rivers such as

the Kennebec, Hudson, Delaware, Susquehanna, Potomac and others can be used as

transportation routes to connect between colonies.

Meanwhile, the dense jungles and giant obstacles of the Appalachian Mountains were

an obstacle to expanding the colony into the interior of the west. Only hunters, farmers and

ranchers were willing to enter the jungle. The Appalachian Mountains prevented settlement

far from the coast, so for more than a century the colonists built their settlement centers along

the Atlantic Ocean coast.

In the XVII century immigrants came to the Americas with careful planning and at

considerable cost and risk immigrants came to America was not organized by the government,

but by private parties/trade unions.

They were transported by ship almost 5000 kilometers by sea. The trading companies

came to America with tools, clothing, seeds, agricultural equipment, livestock, guns and

gunpowder as well as building materials. But for the colony of New Haven (later to become

part of the colony of Connecticut), it was the economically well-off immigrants who paid for

the transportation as well as the equipment of their families and servants.

Whereas the colonies of New Hampshire, Maine, Maryland, Carolina, New Jersey

and Pennsylvania originally belonged to English tycoons or nobles who as landlords gave

advances to residents and workers who settled on land designated for them by the king. For

example, the King of England, Charles I appointed Cecil Calvert (Lord Baltimore) and his

heirs to manage 2,800,000 acres of land which later became the state of Maryland.

Meanwhile, Charles II parceled out the lands that later became the states of Carolina

and Pennsylvania. Thus technically, landholders and leasehold companies were tenants of the

king, but the land payments they made were merely token. This was demonstrated by Lord

Baltimore who annually presented the king of England with a quiver of arrows, while William

Penn annually paid the king's rent with two beaver skins.

British colonies in the Americas were mostly corporations or joint stock colonies in

trading companies. These companies paid rent to the King of England. The British

government managed the colonies in the Americas by appointing a Viceroy who was assigned

to the colonies with the task of organizing the government of the British colonies in the

colonies, organizing a mercantilist economic system between the colonies and the mother

country, collecting taxes in the colonies maintaining security in the colonies, combating illicit

trade and so on. The viceroy was given the title of governor-general of the colony. Other

forms of colonies are immigrants who came to the colonies established the colonies

independently and self-sufficiently, but had to obey the British administration in the colonies.

Since the end of the Middle Ages (XI-XII centuries) in Europe, there has been an

important phenomenon in the course of history, namely the emergence of new citizens,

namely the citizens of the city (Paura) in Medieval European society. they have an important

role in delivering Europe from the Middle Ages to modern Europe. The townspeople

(merchants) have changed the condition of the closed household economic system as a result

of disintegration (The Dark Ages) to a trade system with the outside world, namely the Far

East, Asia and Africa.

The form of British colonies in the Americas was partly in the form of corporations or

joint stock colonies in trading companies (merchant partnerships). These companies paid rent

to the King of England. The British government managed the colonies in the Americas by

appointing a viceroy who was assigned to the colonies with the task of organizing the

government of the British colonies in the colonies, organizing a mercantilist economic system

between the colonies and the mother country, collecting taxes in the colonies maintaining

security in the colonies, combating illicit trade and so on. A viceroy was granted the title of

governor-general in the colonies to establish colonies on a self-sufficient and self-governing

basis, but had to obey the administration of the British government in the colonies.

About

1. What factors influenced Europeans to colonize North America?

2. How did Europeans migrate to North America in the XVII century?

3. Describe what life was like for the colonists in North America?

THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION:

BASIC COMPETENCIES:

Students understand about the American Revolution

INDICATOR:

1. Students are able to understand the meaning of the American Revolution

2. Students are able to understand the background of the American Revolution

A. Definition of the American Revolution

A revolution is a rapid and fundamental change that affects society at large in all

sectors of life. The American Revolution was the result of a victorious war between the

colonists (the 13 colonies) against the British colonial government. The American Revolution

was an event whose effects are still being felt not only among this nation, but also throughout

the world. It characterized the beginning of an age of world revolutions, but it was not like the

revolutions that followed it. It was not a French Revolution, nor was it different from the

failed revolutionary movements of the 19th century, nor was it different from the Russian and

Chinese revolutions.

The American Revolution was more of a political revolution than the overthrow of a

social order. The far-reaching economic and social consequences that followed were

essentially the by-products of a struggle for political independence and for the establishment

of American nationalism. The American Revolution was not a revolt of the proletariat, but it

was led by Whig aristocrats seeking freedom from the political and economic pressures

imposed by the British Crown. The American revolution was closer in nature to the 1688

revolution in England that established the rule of Parliament, but more so than the earlier

English revolution, and it sparked more ideological and social forces whose influence we still

feel today. The American ideals of liberty, human rights, equality and government by consent

are rooted in a revolutionary tradition.

If a pattern can be seen in the revolutionary movements of modern times, then the

American War of Independence does not fit that pattern. It did not result from severe

economic discontent. On the contrary, the depression that followed the French war with the

Indians was followed within a few years by a period of prosperity and by a period of

expanding trade. The British government's retaliatory actions related to the closure of Boston

harbor did cause some local unemployment. But very few people in the colonies experienced

hunger in 1775.

The American Revolution did not confront class with class and refused to conform to

the pattern of Marxism, but it mobilized the patriotic energies of all classes and economic

classes from the landowning aristocracy, the merchants engaged in inter-oceanic trade and

with the Carib Islands, the local shopkeepers, the mechanics, the professions (vak) and the

workers, but members of the same class were among the Loyalists who in addition considered

themselves supported by the peasants who rented land. The fact that the American Revolution

was not a class war and that its leadership consisted of superiors and moderates who

discouraged the masses from committing acts of terror, meant that not a single royal governor

lost his life in the revolution.

In this regard, there is a stark difference between the French Revolution and the

American Revolution. In the American Revolution, there was no seizure of power by

extremists, no resort to dictatorship and no violent reaction known as Thermidor as had

happened in England.

B. Background to the American Revolution

The second president of the United States, John Adams (1735-1826), claimed that the

American Revolution began before the war.The revolution was in the minds and people of

America.The principles and spirit that led the American people to revolt must therefore be

traced back 200 years or searched in the history of this country since the establishment of the

first plantation in America.Thus to know the background The backdrop of the American

Revolution must be traced back to the London Company's successful establishment of the first

trading post in Jamestown in 1607.

The London Company, armed with the royal charter obtained from the King of

England, traveled to the Americas and arrived at this continent and established the first

trading post in Jamestown in 1607.In this place, the trading company then ran a full self-

government, which could not be dictated by the governor of the colony as an extension of the

king of England in the colony.The trading company could even control the performance of the

governor of the colony through the placement of representatives of the colonists in the

legislative council.

The Plymouth Company, armed with a royal charter from the King of England,

established and organized full self-government in New England.The colonists' representatives

in the legislative council exercised control over finances, stipulating that no tax could be

levied without representation, and that no collective revenue could be issued without the

consent of the elected representatives.This was something the colonists were accustomed to,

so they felt they had a tradition of being free.

Armed with this tradition as the basic capital for the colonists to fight against British

colonial rule, so it is true what President John Adam said that the American Revolution began

before the war broke out, because in fact the revolution was already in the minds and people

of America.

By the time the American Revolution erupted, all colonists already had years of self-

government experience, and demographically there was a significant increase in the

population of the colonies between 1688-1750, reaching 1,600,000 people. This aspect

certainly had an impact on the motivation of the colonists to fight in order to fight for their

rights. The existence of a large number of people means that it has the potential to maximize

mass mobilization.

In the 18th century there was a regular expansion of the wave of migration from

Europe, and since the good land for settlement near the coast was already occupied, the new

settlers had to go further inland behind the rapids of the rivers. Traders ventured into the

backwaters bringing back tales of rich valleys, and persuaded farmers to bring their own their

families through the wilderness. Despite the hardships of nature, the new settlers eventually

arrived and in the 1730s pioneers began to pour into the Shennandoah Valley. The British

government did not formulate a firm political line for its colonies until 1763 because it held to

the mercantilist view that colonies should provide raw materials to the mother country and not

compete with it in the manufacture of goods.

But this line of policy was poorly implemented, and the colonies never regarded

themselves as more of a state or a member of the commonwealth as did the British who had

only a loose relationship with officials in London. The geographical distance between the

mother country and the colonists, bounded by vast oceans, minimized the danger of the

colonists' fear of reprisals that would have been felt by the colonists had the distance between

the mother country and the colonists been closer.

The colonists, inheritors of the English tradition of a long struggle for political

independence, incorporated the concept of independence into the first Virginia Charter which

stated that English colonists should enjoy all the same liberties, rights and immunities as if

they had been born and resided within England. This meant that they should also enjoy the

wisdom of Magna Charta and the common law.

At first the colonies were able to hold on to their inherited rights thanks to the King of

England's assumption that they were not under parliamentary control.After all, for many

years, the English monarchs had been so preoccupied with the struggles taking place in

England that culminated in the Puritan Revolution, that the English monarchs had not had

time to impose their will on the colonies.Before the English Parliament could turn its attention

to the task of shaping the American colonies under the framework of an empire-wide political

system, the colonies had grown strong and prosperous on their own.

In the early days of the colonists' presence on the new continent, the colonists lived

according to British laws and constitutions with legislatures, a system of representative

government, and recognized guarantees of personal liberty under customary law.

Nevertheless, the colonies' freedom from apparent British control was not achieved without

conflict, and the history of the colonies is replete with disputes between representative bodies

elected by the people and colonial governors appointed by the king.

But the colonists were able to render the governors powerless because, by law, the

governors received no income other than from the representative body.Sometimes the

governors were told to grant lucrative posts or land licenses to influential colonists in order to

secure their support for royal plans.

But it was also often the case that once the colonists had received their gifts, they

continued to vigorously fight for the will of the colonists. Frequent disputes between the

governor and the representative body further sharpened the colonists' awareness of the

different interests between Britain and America. The representative body gradually took over

the duties of the governor and his advisory council, so that the center of colonial government

shifted from London to the provincial capitals in the colonies.

England had thirteen colonies along the Atlantic Ocean coastline, investing them with

land, plantations, and settlements, while France invested in the St. Lawrence Valley in eastern

Canada, sending fewer settlers and more explorers, missionaries, and establishing a series of

forts and trading posts that stretched from Quebec in the north-east to New Orleans in the

south.

The dispute had been going on since 1613 between French and English colonists

which led to the war for colonies between France and England which was actually a rifality

between the two countries in the struggle for dominance as the most powerful country in

Europe. Between 1689 and 1697, King William's War was a war for colonies between the two

countries in America, which was actually part of the Palatinate War between England and

France in Europe. In addition, the two countries fought each other as seen in Anne's War

(1702-1713) as a companion war to the War of Spanish Succession.

The two countries were also involved in King George's War (1744-1748)

accompanying the War of the Austrian Succession.Although Britain gained certain

advantages in these wars, in general there was no clear winner in these battles, and the

position of the French colonies in the Americas remained strong. However, in war the

principle of losing to ashes, winning to charcoal applies, meaning that both the losers and the

winners will suffer great losses both materially and spiritually and of course the losers suffer

greater losses than the winners.

The dispute between Britain and France entered its final stage in the 1750s. After the

Aix-la-Chappelle Peace Agreement of 1748, France tightened its grip on the Mississippi

Valley. At the same time, the influx of British colonists across the Alleghenies increased,

stimulating a struggle for equal ownership of the area.

Not only did France threaten the British government, but it also threatened the

American colonists, because by controlling the Mississippi Valley France could block Britain

from expanding its colonies westward. In 1754, an armed clash between some members of the

Virginia militia under the leadership of 22-year-old George Washington and a group of

French soldiers ignited a French-Indian war and the British seized this opportunity to help the

Indians. It was this war that would determine whether Britain or France would prevail in

North America.

The position of the British colonies in North America was less favorable, because the

British colonies along the east coast of the Atlantic Ocean were sandwiched by the French and

Spanish colonies.England if it wanted to expand its colonies to the north, it was blocked by

the French colony that controlled Canada.Likewise, if England wanted to expand its colonies

to the south, it was blocked by Spain which controlled the colonies in Florida and in New

Mexico.

Meanwhile, if Britain wanted to expand its colonies to the west, it would be blocked

by France, which had controlled the Louisiana and Ohio Valley areas and the Quebec

area.After weighing the advantages and disadvantages, then Britain made its choice by

expanding its colonies to the west by crossing the Rochy Mountains and having to face

France. Consider Another reason for the British to expand their colony to western Arabia was

that in the western region there was a vast expanse of land that had natural wealth in the form

of mines, mineral resources and various abundant forest products. While the challenges it had

to face in addition to breaking through the Rochy Mountains and the wilderness were

difficult, Britain also had to face France, so there was a war for colonies with France that

could not be avoided. The war in the pages of history is known as the Seven Years War

(1756-1763).

The British victory in the Seven Years' War (1756-1763) led France to cede most of

its colonies to Britain such as: Canada, east of the Mississippi River. After the post-Seven

Years' War, Britain exchanged its colony in Cuba to Spain, and Britain got in exchange from

Spain the colony of Florida. The exchange of colonies was agreed upon by both Britain and

Spain, because it made it easier for both parties to manage their colonies in the Americas.

As a result of Britain's victory over France in the war for colonies in the Americas

(1756-1763), the British colonies grew wider, so many new problems arose such as: the

problem of guarding border areas, managing colonies, dealing with Indian rebellions, for

example the Otawa rebellion in 1763. All of these problems had to be addressed immediately,

and at great cost. Britain's victory over France in the Seven Years' War (1756-1763) led to a

large British debt of 130,000,000 pounstraling with annual interest of 4,000,000

pounstarling.106 Britain tried to cover its debts by implementing trade laws imposed on

colonists in America. For example, the Sugar Act of 1764, the Stamp Act of 1765. The Sugar

Act of 1764 stipulated a ban on the importation of liquor from abroad (outside the UK),

prohibited the importation of sugar, syrup from abroad, imposed import duties on wine, silk,

coffee, and a number of other luxury goods. The Stamp Act of 1765 provided for the

imposition of duties on newspapers, alamanaks, pamphlets, licenses, dice, and gambling cards

on the colonists in America.

Between 1700-1703 the poor balance of trade increased to over 20,000,000

pounstarling.The British colonists in America then opposed the policies of the mother country

(Britain), and they under the leadership of George Washington successfully proclaimed on

July 4, 1776.

The background of the American Revolution includes:

(1) The American colonists inherited the tradition of being free since the King of England

granted royal charters to the London Company and the Plymouth Company with the

freedom to govern themselves;

(2) The development of the colony's population increased significantly between 1688-1750,

reaching 1,600,000 people. This aspect certainly had an impact on the motivation of the

colonists to fight for their rights. The existence of a large number of people means that

it has the potential to maximize mass mobilization;

(3) The British government's policy towards the colonies in the Americas was not clear-cut,

and only made the colonies in North America devoted to the mercantilist economic

system through the provision of commodities to Britain for sale in European markets;

(4) The supervision of the colonies by the governors of the colonies as an extension of the

King of England was ineffective, as the colonists were able to render the governors

powerless, as according to the regulations, the governors received no income other than

from the representative body;

(5) Britain's victory over France in the Seven Years' War (1756-1763) led to a large British

debt, attempted to be covered by implementing trade laws (Sugar Act of 1764, Stamp

Act of 1765), but was rejected by the colonists on the grounds that the taxation was not

through representation (not taxe without representative).

About:

What was the American Revolution?

How was the American Revolution different from other revolutions?

What triggered the outbreak of the War of Independence?

FORMATION OF THE NATIONAL GOVERNMENT

BASIC COMPETENCIES:

Students understand the formation of the national government

INDICATOR:

1. Students are able to understand Article of Confederation

2. Students are able to understand the Federal Convention of 1787

3. Students are able to understand the Tradition of the Alexander Hamilton-Thomas

Jefferson relationship

A. Articles of Confederation:

The local councils rejected the Albany Plan of Union of 1754, nor were they willing to

surrender even the slightest of their autonomous rights to another body, even if it was their

own.But during the revolutionary period, mutual aid proved effective, and concerns about

self-reliance were greatly reduced.

John Dickinson produced the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union in

1776.The Continental Congress adopted these writings in November 1777, and enacted them

in 1781, after ratification by all the states.The plan of government established under these

articles had many flaws.

The national government lacked the authority to set tariffs when necessary, which was

needed to regulate trade and collect taxes.The central government also lacked control over

international relations.A number of states had begun their own negotiations with foreign

countries.Nine states had organized their armies and some states had their own navies.There

was great confusion because of the many varieties of coins as well as the national paper

money of the states, all of which were rapidly declining in value.

It was the peasants who probably suffered the most from the economic hardships of

the revolution. The courts were filled with debt suits.Throughout the summer of 1786, popular

conventions and informal meetings in several states demanded reform of state governments.

After the American colonies proclaimed their independence on July 4, 1776, their

people needed a permanent law/constitution to guide their lives in society, nation and state.

The Second Continental Congress on May 10, 1775 had passed a resolution advising the

colonies to form a new government that would bring happiness and security to its citizens.

The founding fathers such as Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, George

Washington, John Adams attempted to draft the United States Constitution which included the

protection of human rights, freedom of speech, assembly, freedom of the press. The

Constitution supports a three-pronged structure of government, namely the executive,

legislative and judicial branches whose powers limit and balance each other.

After the War of Independence, the United States had to face again the old unsolved

western problem of "empire" with all its complexities of land, fur trade, Indians, settlements

and subsidiary governments. Before the War of Independence, several colonies had laid claim

to large, overlapping tracts of land across (west of) the Appalachian Mountains. For those

who had not yet paired such claims, the rich territory seemed unfairly divided.

The state of Maryland proposed a resolution that the lands to the west should be

considered a commons to be divided by Congress into free and independent governmental

territories. This idea did not receive a favorable response from the other colonies.

Nonetheless, in 1780 New York spearheaded the surrender of the lands it had claimed to the

United States Congress. This was soon followed by other states, so that Congress could own

all the land north of the Ohio River and possibly west of the Allegheny Mountains. The joint

ownership of millions of acres of land was the most visible evidence of the sense of

nationality and unity that emerged during these difficult years, and gave a certain

reinforcement to the idea of national sovereignty. But at the same time it was also a problem

that desperately needed solving.

The Articles of Confederation, a formal agreement that had loosely united the colonies

since 1781, presented a path of disunity. Under the articles, a system of limited self-government

determined the organization of the Northwest Territory, which had been a single district, and

was now governed by a governor and judges appointed by Congress.

When the territory has a voting-age male population of 5,000, it shall be entitled to a

legislature consisting of two tiers, the lower of which shall be elected by the territory itself;

and it may also send decisions to Congress without a vote. No more than five or fewer states

shall be formed from this territory, and when each of these states has 6,000 free citizens, it

shall be admitted to the Union on an equal footing in all respects with the other states. The

"six articles" of agreement between the original states and the people and with the other states

in the territory guarantee civil rights and liberties, encourage education and guarantee that

neither slavery nor forced labor will be allowed in the territory.

The new political policy discarded the old concept that the colonies existed to serve

the interests of the mother country.122 This doctrine was replaced by the principle that the

colonies were an extension of the state and entitled to all the benefits of equal status, not as a

privilege but as an absolute right. The provisions of the ordinance laid the foundation for a

common land policy in America and enabled the United States to expand westward to the

Pacific Ocean, and to expand with little difficulty from 13 to 50 states.

The Articles of Confederation, approved by 13 states on March 1, 1781, made the 13

states form a union of countries known as the United States of America (USA). This article

was a very loose bond, because each state still holds its own sovereignty, while the central

government (federal government) is weak, because the federal government has no right to

levy taxes, deploy troops or make laws that are binding on each state, except with the consent

of each state for each event.so the article is in principle a cooperation between the states if

there is some kind of agreement. And actually sovereignty is still held by each state. But if

there is a disturbance (threat) we together protect each other.

Each state did not give a chance to a strong federal government and preferred

autonomy to each strong state.This was due to fear of tyranny, because of anxiety.In England,

writings against tyranny were disseminated by the Whig party as an opposition party.

The first writings attacking tyranny were delivered by John Lock who assumed that

there was collusion between the king and parliament.The king of England had been bound by

the finance minister, Robin Haug who was corrupt.The Whig Party assumed that the collusion

was corrupt and had a tendency to come to power, and after coming to power had a tendency

to be corrupt and a tendency to commit crimes in the form of exploitation of the people.Then

further said that in order for humans or rulers not to commit crimes (corrupt), the need for

laws.

But the Articles of Confederation were disappointing in terms of solving other

problems. A glaring weakness was its failure to create a truly national government for the 13

states that had been aiming for unification since their representatives met for the first time in

1774 to oppose the oppressive British rule.

The Articles of Confederation had many weaknesses. For example, in disputes over

frontiers, courts in each state often issued conflicting decisions. Legislatures in

Massachusetts, New York, and Pennsylvania installed tariff regulations that disadvantaged

smaller neighboring states such as Rhode Island, New Jersey. The trade borders between the

states caused heartache.e.g. the people of New Jersey could not crossing the Hudson River to

sell vegetables to markets in the state of New Work without paying the expensive entrance fee

and inspection fee.

The Federal Government (national government) should have the power to impose

tariffs where necessary, regulate trade and tax for national purposes. The Federal Government

should have sole control over international relations, but the states have begun to negotiate

with foreign countries.

Some states have even formed their own armies. There was also a jumble of coins and

a confusing assortment of state and national banknotes, all of which were rapidly declining in

value. The economic hardships resulting from the war also created discontent, especially

among the peasantry.

Agricultural produce tended to be hoarded in the markets, and anxiety prevailed

among indebted farmers who were threatened with confiscation of their property and fear of

imprisonment for non-payment of their debts, as agricultural produce was not immediately

sold. The courts were full of debt collection suits. During the summer of 1786, public

meetings and private gatherings in many states demanded an overhaul of state government.

Many small farmers were threatened with imprisonment and loss of inherited farms due to the

threat of confiscation, so they resorted to violence.

In the fall of 1786, farmers in Massachusetts under the leadership of Daniel Shays

rallied to forcefully prevent the county court from holding hearings and to prevent other

rulings in debt cases pending the next election in the state. The Massachusetts state

government insisted on holding the debt trial, so the angry peasants wanted to storm the

statehouse in Boston.

The delegates also realized that the central government must have real power, so the

central government must be given powers such as issuing currency, regulating trade, declaring

war and making peace. With regard to the existence of weak federal government powers,

which caused many complex problems in the life of society, nation and state, President

Geogre Washington He described that the states were only held together with a rope made of

sand, and even the dignity of the congress had declined to the lowest point. The Article of

Confederation for 7 years (1781-1787) turned out to have many weaknesses because it was

unable to solve the problems between the states, so the American people were dissatisfied.

B. Federal Convention of 1787:

Geogre Washinton wrote that the period between the Treaty of Paris and the writing of

the states' constitutions was united only by a "rope of sand". A dispute between Maryland and

Virginia over shipping on the Potomac River led to a conference of representatives of the five

states in Annapolis, Maryland in 1786.

One of the delegates, Alexander Hamilton, convinced his colleagues that trade was

inseparable from economic and political matters and that the situation was too serious to be

handled by an unrepresentative body. Alexander recommended that all states appoint

representatives to the meeting to be held the following spring in Philadelphia.

The federal convention held at the Philadelphia statehouse in May 1787 was a

prominent gathering of leaders from each state gathered at the Federal convention at the

Philadelphia statehouse, chaired by George Washinton. George Washinton was made

chairman because he was considered an outstanding state color because of his integrity and

military leadership during the revolution, so he was chosen as the leader of the meeting. The

representatives present were for example from Pennsylvania: governors Morris and James

Wilson, from Virginia (James Madison), Massachusett (Rufus King, Elbrdge Gerry),

Connecticut (Judge Roger Sherman), New York (Alexander Hamilton).

Among those present were two Pennsylvanians who were active and prominent,

Governor Morris, who clearly saw the need for a national government, and James Wilson,

who was a tireless advocate of nationalism.Also chosen by Pennsylvania was Benjamin

Franklin, near the end of a distinguished career in public service and science.

At the conference the delegates sought to establish an entirely new form of

government. The delegates realized that the most urgent need was to reconcile the two

different powers of :

a) Local oversight powers already implemented by 13 states, and

b) Powers of a central government

Delegates wanted or adhered to the principle that the functions and powers of the new

national government should be general and comprehensive, should be limited and carefully

stated.Delegates also realized that the central government should have real powers, so it

should be given powers such as issuing currency, regulating trade, declaring war and making

peace.

The convention was originally convened to draft amendments to the articles of

confederation, but then as Madison wrote the delegates "with full confidence in their

country", simply set aside the articles and moved towards forming an entirely new governing

body.

The convention convened from May 1787 to September 1787 and succeeded in

producing the Constitution of the United States as the foundation of the Republic of the

United States. The delegates present at the convention wanted a government structure that

fulfilled the concept of separation and balance of powers between the executive, legislative

and judicial powers.

The convention gave the federal government full power to tax, borrow money, impose

uniform customs and tax rates, issue currency, determine measurements of weight and length,

grant patents and copyrights, establish post offices, and build post roads. The federal

government is also empowered to establish and maintain an army and navy, regulate interstate

commerce, manage Indian relations, international relations and manage war. The federal

government can also pass laws to regulate the naturalization of foreigners, supervise public

lands, recognize new states on the basis of full equality with old states.

In 1787 there was a peasant rebellion in Massaachusett under the leadership of Daniel

Shays from the interior. Daniel Zay at that time wanted to pay debts but had difficulty finding

money. The condition of the farmers at that time before the creation of the United States

Constitution was not represented in the continental Congress. At that time in the Continental

Congress one state was represented by one vote.

Virginia, which has a population of 7,00,000, is only represented by one vote, which is

equal to the population of the state of 60,000. At the National Conference in Philadelphia that

took place between May-September 1787, Thomas Jefferson proposed that there should be a

separation of powers in the executive, legislative and judicial branches. He also emphasized at

the conference that Congress should consist of two bodies, the Senate and the House of

Representatives.

The success of the Revolution presented Americans with an opportunity to give

official form to their ideals as expressed in the Declaration of Independence and to address

grievances and discontent through state constitutions. On May 10, 1776, Congress passed a

resolution "recommending that the colonies form new governments that would best serve the

happiness and safety of their constituents".

Some states were even able to do so, and within a year of the Declaration of

Independence.Only 3 states had not yet drafted constitutions.The new constitutions showed

the influence of democratic ideals.None of them strayed far from the past as they were all

drafted on the solid foundation of colonial experience and British government practices.

But every constitution was animated by the spirit of the republic, an ideal long praised

by Enlightenment philosophers. Indeed, the first goal of the framers of the state constitutions

was to protect the "inherent rights" whose violation caused the former colonies to sever their

ties with England. Thus, every constitution begins with a declaration or statement of human

rights.

The Constitution of Virginia, which served as a model for all other states, included a

declaration containing basic principles, such as popular sovereignty, alternation in

government offices, freedom of choice, and a number of fundamental freedoms such as small

bail and humane punishment, the conduct of speedy trials by jury, freedom of the press and

conscience, and the right of the majority to reform or replace the government.

Other states expand this list of freedoms to cover freedom of speech, assembly and

petition, and often include provisions for the right to bear arms, the right to be heard before a

magistrate, the right not to have one's residence questioned, and the equal protection of

convictions.

In addition, all constitutions were faithful to a three-branch government structure of

executive, legislative, and judicial branches, each of which was counterbalanced by the

other.The Pennsylvania state constitution was the most radical. In the state, Philadelphia

artisans, Scots-Irish borderlanders, and German-speaking farmers were in control. The

provincial congress enacted a constitution that allowed every taxpayer a vote, required

rotation in government offices (no one could serve more than four years out of every seven),

and established a single-chamber legislature.

State constitutions have glaring limitations, especially when viewed by today's

standards. Constitutions established to guarantee people their basic rights did not protect the

most fundamental right of all - equality. The colonies south of Pennsylvania excluded their

slaves from this inherent right of every human being.Women had no right to politics. The

farthest the states went was to grant suffrage to all men, and even in states that allowed all

taxpayers to vote (Delaware, North Carolina, Georgia, and Pennsyvania), those allowed to sit

in government had to have a certain amount of wealth.

However, there was heated debate at the convention about how many delegates should

sit in the Senate and House of Representatives. Delegates from small states such as Delaware,

Rhode Island, which had a small population demanded that they be represented in the same

number as the large and populous charters.

The need was finally solved when a representative from the state of Connecticut,

namely a A famous judge named Roger Sherman proposed a balanced representation in which

each state was represented by two senators in the Senate, while in the House of

Representatives each state was represented by a number of representatives whose number was

determined by the population of each state.The proposal was approved by the delegates to the

convention and became known as The Great Compromise.

The House of Representatives in each state sends at least one representative, while

every 350,000 inhabitants in each state is represented by one person.The House of

Representatives in Congress first consisted of 65 seats.Since 1910 the House of

Representatives in Congress has been set at 432 seats from the 50 states in America.The

President of the United States is obliged to notify.

Congress is then given two months to think about whether to agree or disagree.If they

disagree, they are asked to give reasons for their objection along with an explanation, which is

then submitted to the President of the United States for further discussion. Congress is then

given two months to think about whether to agree or disagree.If it disagrees, the congress is

asked to provide reasons for objections accompanied by an explanation and then submitted to

the President of the United States for further discussion.Next, after going through discussions

in the executive, the results are submitted again to the congress which is then approved by the

congress.

C. Alexander Hamilton - Thomas Jefferson's Tradition of Infighting

At the birth of the United States Constitution in September 1787, there was also a

dispute regarding the formation of the national government, namely, a political dispute

between Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton and Secretary of State Thomas

Jefferson.This dispute took place at the end of the presidential administration of George

Washinton (1789-1797).

Alexander Hamilton was a United States secretary of the treasury during the

administration of George Washington (1789-1797) known as the Federalist camp.This group

was supported by industrialists in the northern United States against the secretary of state

Thomas Jefferson known as the democrat camp with its supporters in the south.

The 1790 showdown between the Federalists and the Antifederalists was a powerful

one in American history. The federalists

led by Alexander Hamilton, who married a member of the wealthy Schuyler family,

represented the interests of urban merchant families in the harbor. Antifederalists, led by

Thomas Jefferson.

In the dispute Alexander Hamilton wanted the following policy:

1) Trying to protect domestic industries by suggesting that the United States government

implement protectionist politics by setting import duties as high as possible. This is

intended to stimulate the growth of US industry

2) Hamilton also wanted to expand central power by establishing a National Bank system

that assumed the debts of the Union as well as those of the states, as well as establishing

various federal taxes.

3) Hamilton believed that the wealth and welfare of the United States nation depended on

the good growth of manufactured goods so Hamilton emphasized that the United States

must gain confidence in the development of industry and trade activities. Therefore, it is

necessary to implement protection politics.

4) Hamilton wanted to abolish the system of slavery as practiced by plantation owners in the

southern United States because it was against human rights.

Meanwhile, secretary of state Thomas Jefferson criticized the policies of finance

minister Alexander Hamilton as follows:

a) The idea of an economic development program introduced by Alexander Hamilton was

considered a conspiracy in the form of monopoly or evil collusion because Hamilton's

economic development system policy would only harm economic development in the

Southern United States,

b) Thomas Jefferson opposed the policy of establishing a federal state that tended to curb

individual freedom, and Thomas favored the establishment of a confederate state that

provided broader guarantees of individual freedom,

c) Jefferson wanted an agricultural system in the United States that maintained a system of

slavery that could be utilized as the core labor of the plantation.

d) Jefferson also suggested that the United States government implement a policy of free

trade politics with no interference from the central government regarding trade. In addition,

Thomas Jefferson did not approve of the existence of a federal policy and wanted the

creation of security stability in the United States to have a positive impact on the

implementation of free trade.

According to Degler, the tradition of the clash between Alexander Hamilton and

Thomas Jefferson symbolizes personal rivalry on the political stage in the United States at the

time that never found a way to end the dispute.

Thomas Jefferson rejected Alexander Hamilton's protectionist policy because the high

import tariffs would make it difficult to realize the free trade desired by the southern

landowners. Abraham Lincoln was assassinated by an actor, John Wilkes Booth while

watching a theater performance at the Ford building on April 15, 1865.

SUMMARY:

Key issues discussed at the National Convention (May 1787) included:

(1) refers to two distinct powers: the local oversight powers already exercised by 13 states and

the powers of the central government.

(2) The delegates wanted or adhered to the principle that the functions and powers of the new

national government should be general and comprehensive, should be limited and carefully

stated. In this regard, the participants in the convention agreed to give the federal

government full power to impose taxes, borrow money, set uniform customs and tax rates,

issue currency, determine measures of weight and length, grant patents and copyrights,

establish post offices, and build postal roads. The federal government was also given the

power to establish and maintain an army and navy, regulate interstate commerce, manage

relations with the Indians, administer international relations and manage wars, pass laws to

regulate the naturalization of aliens, supervise public lands, recognize new states on the

basis of full equality with old states;

(3) The delegates wanted a government structure that fulfilled the concept of separation and

balance of powers between the executive, legislative and judicial powers.

(4) There was a heated debate about the number of delegates in both the Senate and the House

of Representatives. Delegates from small states such as Delaware, Rhode Island, which

had a small population demanded that they be given the same number of delegates as the

large and populous states. There was a deadlock at the convention. The deadlock was

resolved when Roger Sherman proposed balanced representation in which each state was

represented by two Senators in the Senate, while in the House of Representatives each state

was represented by a number of representatives whose number was determined by the

population of each state. The proposal was approved by the delegates at the convention and

became known as The Great Compromise.

About:

1. What is the Article of Confederation?

2. What weaknesses Article of Confederation as constitution in the organization of the

government of the United States?

3. What was the federalist (Alexander Hamilton) view of a good system of national government

of the United States, explain?

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