新编英美概况（许鲁之）Chapter5wordforPPT

新编英美概况（许鲁之）Chapter5wordforPPT
Chapter 5
Confederation and the Constitution
Key words in this chapter:
Articles of Confederation
Constitution Convention
Congress
Federalists
Antifederalists
Bill of Rights
Lousiana Purchase
The War of 1812
Kansas Nebraska Act
President Obama on the Passing of Steve Jobs: "He changed the way each of us sees the world." ?Michelle and I are saddened to learn of the passing of Steve Jobs. Steve was among the greatest of American innovators - brave enough to think differently, bold enough to believe he could change the world, and talented enough to do it.
By building one of the planet’s most successful companies from his garage, he exemplified the spirit of American ingenuity 独创力. By making computers personal and putting the internet in our pockets, he made the information revolution not only accessible, but intuitive and fun. And by turning his talents to storytelling, he has brought joy to millions of children and grownups alike. Steve was fond of saying that he lived every day like it was his last. Because he did, he transformed our lives, redefined entire industries, and achieved one of the rarest feats in human history: he changed the way each of us sees the world.
The world has lost a visionary有远见卓识者. And there may be no greater tribute to Steve’s success than the fact that much of the world learned of his passing on a device he invented. Michelle and I send our thoughts and prayers to Steve’s wife Laurene, his family, and all those who loved him.
Articles of Confederation
Adopted by Congress in Nov. 1777, and sent to the 13 states for ratification.
It came into effect in 1781.
created a central government by constitutional compact but do not give it power to regulate the conduct of individuals.
The Articles of Confederation established
a fragile league of friendship
a very loose union of states within the framework of a central government
little unity between the states
Very limited power to the central government
Shays' rebellion
angry masses got together and stormed prisons to set free prisoners of debt. They attacked government institutions to protest against the unfair treatment.
Soon a large part of Massachusetts was involved. Shays tried to interfere with the courts, and some 400 men demonstrated against the state legislature.
When the rebels attacked the federal arsenal at Springfield, state troops were called out and quickly put down the rebellion.
Shay’s rebellion caused many Americans to se ek a revision of th e Articles. Washinton wrote, ?“We are fast verging to anarchy and confusion.”
The Articles were referred to as a “rope of sand.”
The Constitutional Convention
In May 1787, 55 men met in Philadelphia and wrote the Constitution of the United States.
These attending included such noteworthy men as
Washington,
much respected Ben Franklin, now 81, in ill health,
James Madison of Virginia, whose meticulous journal is the major source of information on the convention, and
Alexander Hamilton, a fiscal genius.
They generally approved of a stronger central government than that authorized under the Articles,
Virginia Plan: larger states should have a larger representation= expressing the sentiments of the large-state New Jersey Plan: a small state should have the same voting power as a large state, expressing the small states' sentiments The president
--- should be made chief executive and that the president would be elected for four-year terms, not for life.
a system of presidential electors,
The Slave Issue
South and North compromised by having only three-fifths of the slaves count in Southern representation and by extending the life of the slave trade until 1808.
The convention had opened on May 25, and by September 12 the final draft was submitted for approval.
Ratification
The Constitution needed nine states to ratify before it became effective
New York and Virginia
In both these states ratification barely carried, requiring the
guarantee that a bill of rights would be added to the Constitution.
Federalist Papers
“Publius” =Pen name
Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay
85 articles in the New York newspaper between Oct. 1787 and May 1788
Puposes:
supporting ratification of the Constitution;
defending the principles of the Constitutin;
dispelling the fears of national authority.
The Antifederalists
The new Constitution betrayed the Revolution and was a step toward monarchy;
Not enough powers left to the states;
Wanted the constitution to spell out the people’s rights;
It did not do away with slavery.
Bill of Rights
The Federalists agreed that if the Constitution was accepted, they would support changes to protect the rights of the people.
The promised changes include ten important amendments which have been known as the Bill of Rights.
The Constitution ensures the protection of private ownership. It makes it almost impossible for any authority to go against the Constitution without being checked by the other authorities.
In June 1788, when New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify, the Constitution came into effect.
Washington as the first president
Washington swore in before the assembled members of the Congress and large crowds of cheering people on April 30, 1789 in New York, the then Capital of the United States.
The Constitution said nothing about the organization of the administration. Washington had to work out his own plan.
Hamilton's proposals:
1. Tax on whiskey (1971)
2. The National Bank of the United States
The angry Jefferson resigned his position as Secretary of State and organized his supporters into a group which was known as the Democratic-Republican Party.
3. The location of the US capital
Hamilton proposed that the Federal Government take over all the debts the states had incurred during the Revolution.
The Southern States wanted to have a new capital located on the Potomac River. ?Compromise led to the solution of the two problems.
Washington's achievement
economic development,
neutral policy in foreign affairs
transformation of the separate states into a remarkably strong Union.
At the end of his second term, Washington decided he would not seek reelection. His refusal established the two-term presidency as a tradition in American politics (which was made into law in 1951 by the twenty-second amendment to the Constitution).
The Adams Presidency
John Adams was elected to succeed Washington. Thomas Jefferson, who had the second highest number of votes, became the new Vice-President.
His cabinet was manipulated by Alexander Hamilton, who
had just returned to private life.
And his vice-president was from the opposition party.
The split between Adams and Jefferson increased as time went on.
Finally, Adams paid less attention to his duties than any of his successors.
The election of 1800
Jefferson vs vice-president, Aaron Burr,
tied in electoral college votes.
After 33 ballots in the House of Representatives,
Hamilton and a few blank ballot votes
on the 36th ballot Thomas Jefferson became America's third president.
The Louisiana Purchase
Jefferson himself wrote," The cession of Louisiana by Spain to France works most sorely on the United States."
a French Louisiana would make France "our natural and habitual enemy' and would compel America to "marry ourselves to the British fleet and nation."
Robert Livingston, minister to France offer $2 million to purchase New Orleans and West Florida.
Jefferson’s s pecial minister, James Monroe, to join Livingston and to offer $10 million for the same territories.
Napoleon was willing to sell all of Louisiana for a total of $25 million.
Napoleon himself declared,
"We helped them to be free; now let us help them to be great."
After some haggling, the American ministers reduced the price to $15 million. This was a great bargain: the US acquired
title to 2.6 million square kilometers of land for about three cents per acre, doubling the US land area and made possible further expansion westwards by pushing American frontier west far beyond the Middle West.
Livingston wrote, "We have lived long, but this is the noblest work of our lives."
The Louisiana Purchase encompassed portions of 14 current U.S. states and 2 Canadian Provinces. The land purchased contained all of present-day Arkansas, Missouri, Iowa, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, parts of Minnesota that were west of the Mississippi River, most of North Dakota, nearly all of South Dakota, northeastern New Mexico, the portions of Montana, Wyoming, and Colorado east of the Continental Divide, and Louisiana west of the Mississippi River, including the city of New Orleans.
The land included in the purchase comprises around 23% of the territory of the United States today.
Napoleon Bonaparte, upon completion of the agreement, stated,
"This accession of territory affirms forever the power of the United States, and I have given England a maritime rival who sooner or later will humble her pride."
James Madison
Father of the Constitution; as a delegate to the Constitutional Convention, he took a leading part in the fight for a strong central government, and his notes are the only full record of the constitutional debates.
As a member of the first House of Representatives, he was largely responsible for drafting the Bill of Rights.
The Louisiana Purchase was Madison's greatest personal
success.
The War of 1812
Direct cause of the war:
Britain impressed great number of sailors from seized American ships to become crews of its large navy.
Oregon Question:
a dispute (1840's) over the western part of the boundary, left undetermined by the Anglo-American boundary Commission of 1818 between the U.S. and Canada. The dispute was settled (1846) by a treaty expanding the boundary along 49 parallel from the Rocky Mtn to the Pacific coast. This gave the present states of Oregon, Idaho and Washington to the U.S.A. while Britain obtained Vancouver Island.
Kansas-Nebraska Act: a law (30 May 1850) which provided that settlers in the newly created territories of Kansas and Nebraska should decide whether to have slavery or not. It nullified the Missouri Compromise and greatly increased the tension which led to the American Civil War.
Both Adams and Jefferson died on July 4, 1826, 50 years after the acceptance of the Declaration of Independence by Congress.
Changes caused by the war:
1. Antiwar movement in New England;
2. Tarnished James Madison’s image as a creative statesman;
3. Strengthened the national unity and patriotism.。