01:512:104 Lecture Notes - Lecture 9: Cotton Gin, Midnight Judges Act, 600 Miles
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16 May 2018
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Chapter 09 - An Agrarian Republic
The Growth of American Communities From Coast to Coast
• In 1800 most people lived on the East Coast, however in 50 years
Americans would reach the Pacific
• Roads were bad= slow travel
Russian American: Sitka
• Russians destroy Aleutian society
• Intermarriage-like HBC and FNP
• Established Sitka as center of operations
• Went as far south as California
Northern New Spain
• Spain wanted the Pacific North but failed, Russians, Americans and
British were in the area
• Spain constructed missions in California to establish its presence
• Claimed the Columbia River
The French Legacy, New Orleans and St. Louis
• New Orleans was the key to Louisiana
• Under French civil law blacks got equal legal status as whites
• Most of the trade was American
• American's were allowed into New Orleans as a result of Pinckney's
Treaty but Americans were uncomfortable that a foreign power could
control the trade
• St. Louis was a small trading post 600 miles north
Trans-Appalachia: Cincinnati
• West of the Appalachian Mountains experienced the greatest growth
• Kentucky and Tennessee were the first Trans-Appalachian states
• Many families migrated every year, moving farther west
• Once FNP were defeated Cincinnati boomed
Atlantic Ports: From Charleston to Boston
• Atlantic Ports dominated the country economically
• Charleston was the center for cotton, rice indigo
• Baltimore was the major port for tobacco
• Philadelphia was the cultural, intellectual capital
• New York was the only city to accept the British auction system
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• Offered goods in large lots at wholesale prices=no middleman
• Most British trade passed through New York
• Boston was the shipbuilding center
A National Economy
• USA was a producer of raw materials
• At the mercy for of world prices
The Economy of the Young Republic
• 94% of Americans lived in rural communities=agricultural economy
• Mostly self-sufficient farmers in the West
• North some commercial farming
• South was wholly commercial
• However prices for slaves went up while demand for tobacco, rice and
indigo were steady
• Cotton was in demand but it was inefficient needing lots of labor
• This changed with the cotton gin
• Britain was the USA largest trading partner but as an independent
nation did not benefit from British mercantilist policy.
• Both Britain and France taxed American vessels discriminatorily
Shipping and Economic Boom
• French Revolution-European ships are converted into fighting
ships=American boom
• Neutrality led to re-exporting goods
• Rapid growth in port cities=rapid growth in farms
• Europeans were to busy to trade= Americans move into China and
create a Pacific Trade Triangle
• Rich trade led to creation of banks, insurance and other industries
The Jefferson Presidency
• Jefferson renounced the "rags of royalty"- no speech to congress,
walked to his inauguration
• Led to the change of power from one party to the another peacefully
Republican Agrarianism
• Factory system horrified Jefferson= opposed industrialization vs.
Hamilton who encouraged it
• Thought that the factory system would create the same extremes in
wealth in American that was seen in Europe
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• Jefferson wanted small family farms- an agrarian public
• Malthusian growth theory according to Jefferson was only applicable in
Europe as the USA had plenty of room to grow
• Jefferson's vision depended on constant expansion
Jefferson's Government
• Proposed simplicity over Federalist complexity
• Cut navy and army and government staff
• Proposed that the federal government only stop men from injuring one
another and stay out of their lives
• Washington DC was uncompleted during Jefferson's years
An Independent Judiciary
• Jefferson did not purge Federalist officials= led moderates to switch
over
• Did however purge the "midnight judges" as the new congress was
Democratic Republican= got rid of the job
• Adams before leaving appointed 16 new judgeships and six new circuit
courts.
• Democratic Republicans thought this was a ploy to extend Federal
control over the people
• One justice Marbury sued Jefferson's Secretary of State, James
Madison over his lost position
• The question was: Could the Judiciary be independent?
• The ruling stated that the judiciary had the right to stay independent but
the executive could not appoint someone to a position that did not exist
The Louisiana Purchase
• Napoleon regained Louisiana from Spain and had the option of fighting
the British in North America
• Upon hearing the news the Spanish commander closed New Orleans
to Americans= trade disrupted
• Federalists demanded military action
• Jefferson bought Louisiana Territory for $15 Million
• The constitution did not site that the president could buy territory and
Jefferson was a strong supporter in that the president could only act to
powers specifically given to him. However Louisiana was to rich to give
up and thus he argued that the new land was needed for his agrarian
republic
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