Term
| George Washington and the Newburgh Conspiracy. March 1783. Notes.** |
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Definition
• Encampment of northern wing of Continental Army, lower Hudson River
• Anger, unpaid soldiers and officers, latter threatening to lead army out of the War
• Idea is to intimidate the Continental Congress
• Washington faces down the angry officers thus a general upheld civilian control of military four years before it appears in constitution |
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Term
| The American National Interest, 1783. Notes. |
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Definition
• Most basic is national security
• Maintain stable diplomatic relationship with England including efforts to get its military posts removed from Northwest Territory
• Careful diplomacy with Spain that protects our right of deposit on the Mississippi.
• Avoid foreign conflict; concentrate on building a nation within North America
• Mainly to develop the new nation as free as possible of outside interference but this is not the same as isolationalism. |
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Term
| What major problems led to the Constitutional Convention of 1787? Notes. |
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Definition
• A great fear on the part of many nationalists that popular discontent could get out of hand and destroy civil society. Shay’s Revellion triggered this.
• The unwieldiness of the Articles. Eg, took unanimous consent to pass a tax or otherwise amend the Articles.
• Fear of complete financial insolvency; we could not pass a tax to pay our bills and begin stabilizing a trustworthy currency; wouls soon have no credit with other nation |
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Term
| Slavery aside, what was the most important part of the Great Compromise? Why? Brinkley answers the ‘what’. You have to reason out the ‘why’ |
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Definition
• Creation of the United States Senate – an upper house with all states was equally represented.
• Why? Senate can block house action.
• This gave small states power to block legislation of large states. |
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Term
| Briefly explain the main features of the separation of powers. P 151 |
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Definition
• A president can veto an act of congress – but….
• The senate and house with a 2/3 vote can override an act of president.
• house and senate can override each other.
• Federal judges are appointed and serve for life. So they don’t be subject to demands of voters
• Only one of three branches of gov’t were elected by the people |
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Term
| What does it mean to say the people are sovereign? Notes. |
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Definition
• Define power; well, it causes things to happen such as feed children or protect forests, or hurricane victims…
• Sovereign power resides in corporate body of people over life of republic
• People are all of us in life of republic; examples? |
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Term
| Describe the early version of the Virginia Plan. Details matter. |
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Definition
| James Madisons Virginia plan proposed “a national government aught to be established, consisting of a supreme Legislative, Executive, and Judiciary.” This description even contrasted the Confederation quite strongly. It was approved with very little debate, probably due to the delegates being anxious for reform. |
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Term
| Describe the most important decision made at the Annapolis conference in 1786? |
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Definition
At this conference the attending delegates from five states approved a proposal drafted by Hamilton for a convention of special delegates from all the states to meet in Philadelphia the next year.
Hamilton’s first intentions were to overhaul the Articles of Confederation. He found an ally in James Madison, who helped convince the Virginia Legislature to convene this meeting. |
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