2. Forming the Political Nation
THE FORMATION OF THE NEW NATION
AND CONSTITUTIONAL HISTORY
In the first unit we studied how the frontier was one of the key factors in determining the American character. In this unit we look at how the philosophical underpinnings of democracy as expressed in the Constitution define us as a people. The unit will begin with a brief look at the causes and results of the Revolutionary War. Then we will study how people interpreted the Constitution over the 200 years of its history.
SECTION 1 – CHAPTER 4 THE EMPIRE IN TRANSITION AND CHAPTER 5 THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION
9/30 Read Stephen Vincent Benet’s “A Tooth for Paul Revere.” Answer the question “What is this story/Revolution about?” Write the answer in your notebook.
http://www.archive.org/stream/selectedworksofs030023mbp/selectedworksofs030023mbp_djvu.txt
10/3 and 10/4 Finish watching We Shall Remain, “Wounded Knee.” Evaluate the role of the federal government in this battle. What is your reflection on this film?
Sticky notes: Great Awakening and Enlightenment; Review 83-6 [81-4]; 84-91
10/4 Use sticky notes: Chapter 4 “The Empire Under Strain,”99-115,[101-114]107-121 with sections “Stirring of Revolt” and “Cooperation and War.,
10/5 Listen to Carol Berkin, “Myths of the American Revolution,” http://www.gilderlehrman.org/historians/podcasts/podcast.php?podcast_id=514 and write a blog post. In this post, pick one of the myths of the revolution and tell why you think people want to believe it. Then tell what is inaccurate about the myth. How does this change your view of the American Revolution? http://blog.whps.org/twilson/2011/10/04/berkin-american-revolution/
10/6 c. 5 War for Independence 116-129, 117-29, 122-37
10/7 War and Society and The Creation of State Governments 129-144; 137-41, be sure to read The Age of Revolutions, 130-1, 126-7
10/12 TEST – DBQ and multiple choice
10/13 What type of a revolution was it? Chapter 6 “The Constitution and the New Republic,”Framing a New Government 146-52; Adoption and Adaptation 152-155; Federalists and Republicans, 155-8; Establishing National Sovereignty, 158-61; Downfall of the Federalists 161-5;read 147-158; 141-153 [in library]
10/14 Work on research paper
10/17 Work on research paper [hand back test]
10/18 Chapter 7, “The Jeffersonian Era,” 180-8,[166-173] 193-8, [179-182] read Kezirian in class
10/19 C 7 review 198-216 188-198] 10/20 Chapter 8 “Varieties of American Nationalism,” 210-221, [208-19]; 226-240; C8 232-40; Read also about Nixon and the Watergate Scandal 973-9.[871-5], 879-883; 10/21 ; Declaration, Articles, Constitution
10/21 go over DBQ
10/24 prepare for role play
10/25 role play;
10/26 The New Nation
10/27 paper due, Harkness discussion on DBQ
10/28 DBQ writing
Carol Berkin provides an interesting view on the events of the American Revolution, in her podcast she explains that many Americans like to believe that at the time of the Revolutionary war all the colonists rose up in unison to rebel against the horrible British King and his unfair taxes. They also like to believe that everyone willingly followed George Washington, beat the strong British army and the harsh conditions during battle, created their own government, and lived “happily ever after”. Other then the hardships, such as extreme cold, Berkin says that this belief is a myth. She explains that from the very beginning the british government was not going to hold the colonist’s hands while they set out for the New World. They still supported the colonists with their army against other countries, but other than that they usually had no real involvement with the colonists. The taxes for example were given by the local governments not the main British government. Berkin also stated that it amazed her that the British remained tolerant of rebellions for a very long time and even when they got involved at Lexington and Concord they only arrested a few men. The second part of the myth is that all of America was united at the time and everyone agreed that they should fight. Many actually argued that if they were going to get taxed either way why risk getting killed by the British. So although many Americans wish to believe that all the colonists stood together in unison, Berkin argues that that is not the case.
Berkin expresses how America won the Revolutionary war by themselves against the biggest army in the world. She then follows on explaining the first myth: “The Shivering Cold.” George Washington and his men faced a rough winter, but they couldn’t prepare themselves for the weather since the sources of these vital elements were “Patriotic Pennsylvania Farmers” who demanded an insanely high price for the products, and most of the time they cheated the army; Berkin provides the flour example. She says that most of the time there was more sand than flour n the barrels, therefore making more money out of the deal. Unfair taxation was also a factor. The British empire “created an imperial policy that would enrich the ‘Mother Land’” , and the economic system was mercantilism. The ultimate goal of a nation, according to Berkin, is to “be as self-sufficient as possible, keeping the gold/silver in and providing products that other nations would need.” Colonist were forbidden to pay, engage or in any way to deal with enemy nations. In turn, the colonies could enjoy the military protection. However, England was cheap. They did not finance any of the explorers’ expenses, and most of the financial burden fell on private companies. It even failed to control trading policies, which lead to smuggling. Colonists used this slacking from the Enlgish to trade with many other races and people. John Hancock dominated the smuggling business and asserted himself as the wealthiest colonist in Boston. Taxation was also a big deal. The Stamp Act really was what ticked the colonists off the most, and riots began. According to Berkin, all of the violence before the Revolutionary war was from the Americans.
Berkin states that the belief that the revolutionary war was a sudden uprising against the British peoples as a myth being that many factors contributed to the official starting of the war which was sparked much earlier. She explains how much of the people in the colonies were smugglers or traders of illegal goods and as the British began to knuckle down on laws against this, as they hadn’t previously, these people grew furious at the British and were able to make quick allies being that many people were in the same business. She also describes how the founding fathers were not supportive of going to war with the “motherland” that was England. They were eventually propelled into the revolution due to debts they owed English merchants,pressure from farmers and settlers who wished to move into Indian lands, and the “provocative policies” of the Virginia royal governor which raised threats of slave revolts. Historically, these events all happened across a relatively long period of time rather than in one short moment that ignited the revolution.
Berkin addresses many popular myths about he American Revolution. The colonists were not, as many believe, all for the revolution. Many were loyalists and many were neutral at the start of the war but later joined the revolution only due to the terror caused by mischievous soldiers in the British Army, not because of any political or ideological beliefs. Even during the war, suppliers cheated the continental army out of their money by selling them things such as flour cut with sand and flimsy shoes made out of leftover leather scraps. The lecture also goes into myths concerning the causes of the revolution. The much derided Sugar Act actually cut duties on imported sugar in half, but what angered colonists was that it was actually enforced. I, like many others, believed that the sugar act increased taxes. Also, according to Berkin, the colonists, not the British soldiers, started most of the violence leading up to the revolution. Everybody knows about the Boston Massacre, but few are aware of the colonists’ many brutal attacks on tax collectors. Berkin also says that colonists were unjustified in referring to the English as tyrants because the English didn’t take away freedom of press. I disagree because there are many ways to be tyrannous, and the British should not be excused from the title just because they didn’t take away a basic right. The lecture certainly changed my view on the revolution, but it didn’t change my opinion that the Revolutionary War was justified.
Berkin tackles a lot of the most common myths about the American revolution. one of the most prominent myths is that all of the colonists were on the same side of the gun, there were still loyalists, or did not choose a side at first and how they only helped the revolution because of the way that the English soldiers treated them. there were some suppliers who ripped off the colonist army by selling them bad equipment and supplies made from leftover produce. The podcast also talks about the myths of the cause of the revolution. The much hated Sugar Act cut duties on imported sugar in half, however this act was strictly enforced, which irked the colonists. Many people believe that the sugar act increased taxes, when it was actually the exact opposite. According to Berkin, the colonists, not the British soldiers, started most of the violence leading up to the revolution. Every American knows about the Boston Massacre, but hardly any know of the colonists’ numerous attacks of the local tax collectors. Berkin also states that the colonists were unjustified in referring to the English as tyrants because the English did not take the freedom of the press. I agree because the English were not with holding the basic rights of the people, but they were still oppressing the Colonists. The lecture changed my view of the revolution, but it didn’t change my ideas that the Revolutionary War was justified.
In Berkin’s podcast she brings up a few interesting myths about the American Revolution that many people are unaware about. One significant myth that she defines is that the Americans united to fight the British. Many historical events go against this. One example that Berkin mentions is how the Pennsylvania farmers were not loyal to Washington’s army. They established their betrayal by manipulating and scamming the army out of their food and supplies. Farmers charged high prices for food and often would scam the buyer by placing more sand in the barrel of flour than flour itself. Meanwhile, soldiers also lacked durable footwear. Shoe makers made shoes out of scraps of leather and this meant they would wear out very easily. Thus they would only profit themselves, not the army. If they were really united they would support the army and give them the product they advertised, not scam them. Moreover, many colonists were neutral or loyalists prior to the revolution but converted during the war to protect themselves from the British army. Berkin argues against what most people believe by saying that Americans were not united. This podcast definitely changed my view of the revolution. Before I believed that all Americans were united together and wanted to defeat the English, but after listening to this I’ve realized that not everybody agreed to fight a war.
One of the numerous myths presented in Berkin’s podcast is the belief that the American Revolution was unanimously supported by settlers. On the contrary, Berkin argues that most settlers attempted desperately to stay neutral, referring to Jonh Adams’s quote “one third supported the war, one third opposed it, and one third had no opinion” which even she considers to be “an exaggeration.” Berkin believes that there wasn’t even one moment where all settlers were united to one cause in the issue. The lecture certainly alters my original understanding of the American Revolution, which consequently changes some of my opinions associated with it; now I view settlers as slightly more antagonistic due to the fact that they used such excessive force on royal officers and other regents. However, I agree with Matt Jerom’s point that despite my new attitude on the war, I still believe that the American Revolution was warranted as a whole.
Berkin talks a lot about the different myths of the American Revolution, one of them is the idea that all of the colonists were united about fighting against Britain. According to Berkin this is untrue, she argues that all the settlers tried to stay neutral and uses the quote John Adams says about 1/3 of settlers being supportive, 1/3 being opposed , and 1/3 being neutral. She says that this is extremely untrue and a big exaggeration of what really occurred. She is showing that not all of the settlers were united against one common enemy, this really changed my view on the American Revolution because I believed that everyone was united in fighting against the British. Berkin uses the idea that when people think of the Fourth Of July they think that everyone was supportive and celebratory, this is true but there were some other settlers who were seriously opposed to this and that drastically changed how I think of the Revolution because I always believed that fighting for Independence was the only thing our country was able to agree on, which is apparently extremely untrue. I think people want to believe this myth because our country is based on the idea that people can come together and unite against a common enemy, and in this case when we were fighting for our independence some people disagreed. It’s much simpler to just pretend that settlers were united against the British and all stood for the same values rather than disagree with a value our country has been known for since the beginning.
The podcast provides an insightful perspective on the revolution that contradicts the generic school version, in which Americans rise up as one to defeat the big bad British tyrants. That version of the story is appealing to believe but in actuality the British were extremely reasonable and patient with the colonies. Contrary to popular belief the Colonists were the ones committing crimes and initiating most of the violence. Berlin denounce the myth that all settlers supported the revolution and that many of the settlers were very aggressive at the British stamp distributes and officials: routinely beating, mutilating, and killing the stamp sellers.