The 1780s (1986)

when in the course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bonds which have connected them with another [Music] we hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights that among these are life liberty and the pursuit of happiness [Music] as the Revolutionary War enters its fifth year British armies occupy New York City and large portions of Georgia and North and South Carolina along the Atlantic coast British warships are bombarding and blockading towns and cities [Music] conditions and morale at General Washington's winter camp in Morristown New Jersey are worse than they were at Valley Forge in September 1780 Benedict Arnold one of Washington's most respected commanders defects to the other side American Loyalist to the British crown are calling for hostilities to end even American Patriots are growing weary of the seemingly endless conflict with the outcome of the war uncertain and the outcome of the outcome uncertain no better words can describe the beginning of the 1780s than those written earlier by Thomas Payne these are the times that try men's Souls [Music] foreign Washington sums up his situation the Glorious offensive campaign before us we have a bewildered and gloomy defensive one by September of 81 much to Washington's surprise his situation has changed two powerful French fleets have arrived to bolster the American cause and general Nathaniel Green's hit and run tactics are exasperating British armies in the south that same month Washington feigns an attack on New York City then marches his own continental army plus five thousand French soldiers South to Yorktown Virginia at Yorktown 8 000 British and Hessian soldiers under the command of Lord Charles Cornwallis are entrenched and waiting Washington's troops around the town and French warships blockade Chesapeake Bay an earlier rescue attempt by the British Navy failed now trapped by land and sea Cornwallis is forced to surrender October 19 1781 marching to a popular tune called the world turned upside down his Majesty's soldiers lay down their arms the battle at Yorktown is the last major engagement of the Revolutionary War two years later in 1783 British and American negotiators signed the Treaty of Paris this treaty extends the United States border North to the Great Lakes South to Florida and West to the Mississippi River except for British Canada the rest of the continent belongs to Spain on the east coast of Spanish Florida the Castillo de San Marcos protects the old Spanish city of Saint Augustine for more than a century this Fortress has watched over the gold and silver Laden treasure ships as they sail East by Northeast along the Spanish Main [Music] foreign Flags also fly over the old French city of New Orleans and over other French establishments up the Mississippi River for more than 10 years Spain has controlled trade on the Mississippi from St Louis to the Gulf of Mexico in the southwest in Texas and New Mexico Spain is expanding its North American Empire using its familiar formula for Conquest first conquer then christianize in California during The 1780s Franciscan monks led by father juniperocera are building a chain of missions up and down the coast for every Fort constructed by soldiers father Sera builds a mission church although Spain owns all of the territory of Louisiana and claims the land between the Appalachian Mountains and the Mississippi River most of this vast area is inhabited by Indian tribes [Music] in Northern regions from the Great Lakes to the Rocky Mountains French voyagers and English Traders are stalking a small furry animal that builds dams unfortunately for the beaver hats made from beaver pelts are the fashion rage back east and in Europe [Music] in 1775 Daniel Boone rounded up 30 woodsmen and hacked out a trail through the Cumberland Gap of the Appalachian Mountains and into the valley of the Ohio River [Music] even though it's too narrow for wagons it's called The Wilderness Road [Music] After the Revolutionary War thousands of restless Americans pour through the Cumberland Gap into Kentucky and Tennessee [Music] once they arrived the woods fill with the sounds of falling trees and up goes the most common of all Frontier dwellings The Log Cabin once they've settled food clothing and other necessities must come from what is close at hand [Music] thank you [Music] because they are living on land that was claimed by Indian tribes there is hostility when Indian attacks increase settlers seek protection by living in or near large government Forts and stockades [Music] foreign on the frontier struggle to become self-sufficient those people living on Southern plantations are beginning to prosper after the war exports increase and the economy expands Southern farmers are called Planters and Plantation homes are patterned after English mansions in the Southern States climate is warm soil fertile field crops are corn rice Indigo wheat and tobacco slaves imported from Africa provide cheap labor making large-scale farming profitable [Music] laid out on rivers that lead to the Sea plantations are like small towns in the country they support every stage of production from planting to shipping in the 1780s eight out of 10 workers are involved in agriculture [Music] yet there is a big difference between Southern plantations and the Hard Scrabble Farms of New England here the land is hilly and Rocky harsh the most part it is subsistence farming [Music] on the New England Seacoast most people are engaged in fishing or Shipbuilding the middle states have both farms and Industry the soil is fertile the land is hilly but not steep there are small farms and large Farms that do not rely on slave labor [Music] also Americans are becoming aware of their untapped resources powered by water and fired by charcoal iron forges docked the countryside hardwood forests Limestone and deposits of iron ore the abundance of these raw materials makes iron production a leading industry in Pennsylvania and parts of New York yet for the 13 States along with differences there are similarities artificial light comes from candles [Music] wood fires cook fireplaces are a sign of wealth larger and more expensive homes have more fireplaces this is a period of urban growth in spite of the Damage Done during the war five great cities are on the Rise Boston Philadelphia New York Charleston and Baltimore manufacturing stimulated by the war continues to grow and workers not involved in agriculture learn a skilled craft or trade [Music] thank you [Music] the Apothecary shop is the doctor's office side doctors grow herbs for medicine [Music] inside their instruments look like Carpenter's tools [Music] bloodletting is a common practice and leeches are used to suck out bad blood [Music] in the 1780s people are beginning to heed Thomas Jefferson's warning a nation that is ignorant and free has never been and will never be there are the older colleges like Harvard established 1636 William and Mary 1693. but after the war new colleges begin to spring up everywhere most are Church related but some are established by the states even though most children are taught to read and write by their parents public and private schools increase in numbers [Music] education varies greatly in New England Puritans establish public schools so their children can read the Bible each school year lasts two or three months although boys and girls are educated separately the curriculum is the same for both in the South wealthy Tradesmen and landowners have Tutors or send their boys to private academies girls are taught domestic activities in the home in 1783 after the war is over George Washington comes home to Mount Vernon Mount Vernon is the place he loves best [Music] he prefers farming to soldiering he prefers farming to politics content but concerned he keeps a weary eye to the Future With Our Fate will the destiny of unborn Millions be involved [Music] the 13 Loosely United States had fought both together and separately they had thrown off the chains of monarchy and they are now enjoying the heady air of Victory and freedom yet sooner or later the inevitable question will come what do we do next there are nearly four million people who will need to be governed somehow some way the Articles of Confederation ratified in 1781 is a makeshift Constitution hastily put together at the onset of the war it was careful not to offend any state or fear that state might withdraw during its brief tenure however the Confederation Congress does convince most eastern states to give up their western land claims in 1785 it passes a land ordinance which requires Western townships to set aside one section of land for the support of Education and in 1787 it enacts the Northwest Ordinance which provides for the government of territories and outlines the steps by which these territories would become new States but the Confederation Congress doesn't have the power to Levy taxes it cannot maintain an army and it cannot regulate shipping and commerce and to make matters worse each state has its own Constitution its own government and its own currency in short the Confederation Congress cannot bind the nation together a nation that is separated not only by the selfish interests of each state but also by time and distance in the 1780s roads and transportation are woefully inadequate stagecoaches and wagons lumber over dirt roads that frequently turn into mud few Bridges exist most streams and rivers are crossed either by ferry or by 40. it can take days even weeks if the weather is bad to travel between New York and Boston to save time and toil most people take the sea route between coastal cities in 1787 when the first constitutional convention is held in Philadelphia the New Hampshire delegates take the land route and arrive two months late the convention meets in Independence Hall the same building and in the same room where the Declaration of Independence was signed 11 years earlier the convention has been called amidst both agreement and protest in contrast to some statesmenu are demanding that nothing be done to limit states rights George Washington wonders whether the revolution has been worse all the blood and effort we are either a United people under one head or we are 13 independent sovereignties eternally counteracting each other every state except Rhode Island is represented but delegates are cautioned that they are coming together only to revise the Articles of Confederation however from the beginning there are signs that something extraordinary is taking place all meetings are held in strict secrecy visitors are not allowed [Music] windows are sealed and in front of the delegates lodgings dirt is spread over the cobblestones to soften the noise of pounding Hooves and clanking Wheels [Music] George Washington is elected president of the convention James Madison tactfully reminds the delegates if all men were virtuous there would be no need for governments then steers the delegates in the direction of a new national government he proposes a plan that calls for a government divided into three co-equal branches executive judicial and legislative each calculated to check and balance the others plan survives three and a half months bitter debate the biggest stumbling block is how each state will be represented in Congress if it is only by population then the states with fewer people are at a disadvantage also since slaves are considered property one-third of the people living in the southern states will not count as population finally a compromise is reached seats in the House of Representatives will be allotted according to each State's population in the Senate however each state regardless of population will have two seats each slave will be counted as three-fifths of a person 39 of the 55 delegates signed the finished document then hurry home to push for ratification [Music] on June 21 1788 New Hampshire becomes the ninth and deciding state to ratify the Constitution [Music] we the people of the United States in order to form a more perfect union establish justice ensure domestic tranquility provide for the common defense promote the general welfare and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity but there is still something lacking nothing was included to safeguard the rights of the individual against the tyranny of government within four years ten amendments are added to the Constitution the Bill of Rights [Music] the founding fathers call the new government their Republican experiment there is no guarantee that it will work no guarantee that it will last some see in it the seeds of monarchy others fear the federal government has been too restricted when asked his opinion of the Constitution Benjamin Franklin now in his 80s replies I consent to this constitution because I expect to know better and because I am not sure that it is not the best by unanimous vote of the Electoral College George Washington is elected first president of the United States April 30 1789 New York City on the balcony of Federal Hall Washington takes the oath of office and offers these words to a jubilant crowd integrity and firmness is all that I can promise [Music] now as president he cannot escape the responsibilities of leadership nor can he escape his own concern for the future With Our Fate will the destiny of unborn Millions be involved [Music] foreign [Music] foreign