Jefferson, Madison, and the Founding of the United States

jefferson madison foundation

Jefferson, Madison, and the American Founding

Introduction: Jefferson, Madison, and the American Founding

Today, the Declaration of Independence, Constitution of the United States, and Bill of Rights are semi-sacred texts, which inspire universal awe and reverence. The original documents rest in a special wing of the National Archives in Washington D.C., half way between the U.S. Capitol and the White House. In a dimly lit sanctuary, under a sixty-foot rotunda, sits what some critics have called the altar to the "Charters of Freedom."

During the day, visitors may view the historic documents, which are, without-a-doubt, the world's most protected pieces of parchment. The pages of the Declaration, Constitution, and Bill of Rights are encased behind bulletproof glass in separate gold-plated, titanium frames, which are locked down with machined, diamond-turned seals. The atmosphere within each encasement is regulated by an NIST-integrated instrument system that maintains an internal temperature of 67 degrees and a relative humidity of 45 percent. At night, the Declaration, Constitution, and Bill of Rights are mechanically lowered into a stone vault, behind five-ton doors of steel that are designed to withstand a nuclear explosion.

The National Archives has undertaken critical work to protect what it calls the "Charters of Freedom." Like the many other historic organizations, trusts, and sites around the country, the Archives is devoted to the protection and preservation of the American past. In the Archives' Exhibit Hall, however, guests encounter the Declaration, Constitution, and Bill of Rights as static objects of veneration -- relics of the early American past. Rushed along by fellow visitors and tour personnel, few people have time to read the documents they have traveled so far to see. The danger this poses is clear. To many Americans, the "Charters of Freedom" have ceased to be living documents -- to be read, interpreted, and applied. They are, instead, historic charters to be admired or worshipped.

In this course, we will remove the Declaration, Constitution, and Bill of Rights from their protective encasements so that we may study their origins, ironies, and legacies. We will approach the documents through the lives of two men, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. These Virginia statesmen lived less than thirty miles from one another in the heart of the Old Dominion. Jefferson was the tall, airy, eloquent philosopher who penned the first draft of the Declaration of Independence. He also served as Governor of Virginia, Minister to France, Secretary of State, and third President of the United States. Madison was the short, precise, cerebral political scientist who drafted the Virginia Plan, the Federalist Papers, and the initial draft of the Bill of Rights. He also served as Party Leader, Congressman, Secretary of State, and fourth President of the United States. It is my hope that our study of Jefferson and Madison will help us bring the Declaration of Independence, Constitution of the United States, and Bill of Rights from their shadowy encasements into the bright light of history.

Syllabus: HIS 597 - Jefferson, Madison, and the Founding

Online Graduate Course Dr. Jeff Littlejohn

3 hrs credit - Fall 2007 Office: AB4 472

Sam Houston State University Phone: 936.294.4438

http://www.studythepast.com Email: littlejohn@shsu.edu

Books to Purchase (in order of consideration)

- Pauline Maier, American Scripture: Making the Declaration of Independence
- Forrest McDonald, Novus Ordo Seclorum: The Intellectual Origins of the Constitution
- Jon Meacham, American Gospel: God, the Founding Fathers, and the Making of a Nation
- Joseph J. Ellis, Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation

Note on Books

Several additional books and articles will be assigned, but they are available online.

Assignments

1) Weekly Course Reading
Each week class members will complete assigned course reading by the due date.

2) Weekly Response Statement to Reading
Each week class members will respond to the reading assignment by submitting a 500 to 750-word response statement. All response statements will be posted to the discussion board in blackboard, where other class members may view them.

3) Weekly Discussion Board Participation
Each week class members will be responsible for reviewing and commenting on the response statements of two other class members.

4) Development of a Digital Learning Module
By the end of the term, each class member is responsible for developing a digital learning module, which will be posted on the internet. For specific information on this project see the DIGITAL MODULE tab on the left menu bar in blackboard.

Digital Learning Module Deadlines

September 17
Submit a 1 paragraph statement that describes your topic.

October 15
Submit a 1 page prospectus with a title, one paragraph abstract, thesis statement, and source list.

November 5
Submit a rough draft of your 8 to 10 page paper with footnotes and bibliography.

December 3
Submit your online learning module in a zip file.

Grading Scale

Weekly Response Statement to Reading -- 60%
Weekly Discussion Board Participation -- 10%
Digital Learning Module -- 30%

Weeks One and Two: Background

General Reading

- Joseph Ellis, “The Generation” from Founding Brothers
- James M. Smith, “An Intimate Friendship” from The Republic of Letters | optional

Documents

- The Declaration of Independence | online
- The Constitution of the United States | online
- The Bill of Rights | online

Biographies

- Thomas Jefferson | online
- James Madison | online

Available Reference Works on Jefferson [not assigned reading]

- Thomas Jefferson: Library of Congress Exhibition | online
- Thomas Jefferson: A Reference Biography, edited by Merrill D. Peterson
- Jefferson and His Time, six-volume biography by Dumas Malone
- American Sphinx: The Character of Thomas Jefferson by Joseph J. Ellis

Available Reference Works on Madison [not assigned reading]

James Madison and the American Nation, 1751-1836: An Encyclopedia, edited by Robert Rutland
James Madison, six-volume biography by Irving Brant
James Madison, one-volume biography by Ralph Ketcham

Writing Assignment

In his essay, "The Generation," Joseph Ellis discusses the theoretical "imcompatability" of two American foundings. What were the two American foundings that Ellis discussed? How might we see Jefferson as a representative of the first founding and Madison as a representative of the second? What conclusions does Ellis draw?

- 500-750 word review due: August 30
- Bulletin board response to colleagues due: September 2

Weeks Three and Four: The Declaration of Independence

General Reading

- Carl Becker, The Declaration of Independence | online pdf
- Pauline Maier, American Scripture: Making the Declaration of Independence

Additional Resources

- Jefferson's Declaration: A Rough Draft | online
- Declaring Independence: Library of Congress Exhibit | online
- The Declaration of Independence and Political Theory | online

Writing Assignment

Carl Becker and Pauline Maier offer very different interpretations of the Declaration of Independence. Compare and contrast their arguments.

- 500-750 word review due: September 13
- Bulletin board response to colleagues due: September 16

Week Five: Thomas Jefferson's Notes on Virginia

General Reading:

- Thomas Jefferson, Notes on the State of Virginia | online | online2

Secondary Sources

- Gisela Tauber, "Notes on the State of Virginia: Thomas Jefferson's Unintentional Self-Portrait," Eighteenth-Century Studies, Vol. 26, No. 4 (Summer, 1993), 635-648. | online

- William D. Richardson, "Thomas Jefferson and Race: The Declaration and Notes on the State of Virginia," Polity , Vol. 16, No. 3 (Spring, 1984), 447-466. | online

Writing Assignment

In Notes on the State of Virginia, Thomas Jefferson reveals a great deal about himself and his era. Why did he write the book? Who was its intended audience? And, what important revelations does it contain about Jefferson himself?

- 500-750 word review due: September 21
- Bulletin board response to colleagues due: September 23

Week Six: The Confederation Government

General Reading

- Merrill Jensen, "The Achievements of the Confederation" from The New Nation | online

- Jack N. Rakove, "The Confederation: A Union Without Power" from The Beginnings
of National Politics | online

- Irving Brant, "James Madison and His Times," The American Historical Review, Vol. 57, No. 4. (Jul., 1952), 853-870 | online

- Lance Banning, "James Madison and the Nationalists, 1780-1783," William and Mary Quarterly 3rd ser., 40 (1983): 237-55

Primary Source

The Articles of Confederation | online

Writing Assignment

The Confederation period was one of the most critical eras in American history. Under the Articles of Confederation, the central government was weak -- made up of nothing more than a unicameral Congress. Why was the Confederation government so weak? What, if any, achievements did Congress accomplish? How did James Madison see the national scene in the early 1780s?

- 500-750 word review due: September 28
- Bulletin board response to colleagues due: September 30

Week Seven: The 1780s and the Crisis of the Confederation

General Reading

- J.R. Pole, "Shays's Rebellion and the Problem of Opposition Politics," from Political Representation in England and the Origins of the American Republic | online

- Gordon S. Wood, "The Crisis of the 1780s"

Primary Source

George Washington to Richard Henry Lee, October 31, 1786 | online

James Madison to Edmund Pendleton, February 24, 1787 | online

James Madison to George Washington, April 16, 1787 | online

James Madison, "Vices of the Political System of the United States"| online

Writing Assignment

In September 1786, several states sent delegates to Annapolis, Maryland for a conference on the Articles of Confederation. The objective of the conference, stated simply, was to revise the Articles and give the Confederation government additional power. The conference was a failure, however, with only five states represented.

Less than nine months later, the Constitutional Convention met in Philadelphia. It, of course, was a great success with delegates from every state but Rhode Island in attendance. George Washington, James Madison, Ben Franklin, and Alexander Hamilton attended the conference with other national leader.

So, our question is simple. What happened between September 1786 and May 1787 to alter the national scene?

- 500-750 word review due: October 5
- Bulletin board response to colleagues due: October 7

Weeks Eight and Nine: The Constitutional Convention

General Reading

- Charles Beard, An Economic Interpretation of the Constitution [skim] | online doc

- Forrest McDonald, Novus Ordo Seclorum: The Intellectual Origins of the Constitution

- Lance Banning, "The Constitutional Convention," from The Framing and Ratification of the Constitution, edited by Leonard Levy and Dennis Mahoney | online

Primary Sources

James Madison, Virginia Plan | online

James Madison, speeches in the Federal Convention | online

Writing Assignment

The Constitutional Convention has produced some of the most hotly debated historiography of the twentieth century. How has the Convention been interpreted? Focus your review on the analysis of Charles Beard, Forrest McDonald, and Lance Banning, bringing in other interpretations as you see fit.

- 500-750 word review due: October 19
- Bulletin board response to colleagues due: October 21

Week Ten: The Ratification Debate and the Bill of Rights

General Reading

- Gordon Wood, "The Worthy Against the Licentious" from Creation of the American Republic | online

- Bernard Bailyn, “Fulfillment” from Ideological Origins of the American Constitution | library

- Leonard W. Levy, "The Politics of the Bill of Rights," from The Encyclopedia of American Political History, edited by Jack Greene | online

- Murray Dry, "The Anti-Federalists and the American Constitutional Tradition," from Principles of the Constitutional Order: The Ratification Debates, edited by Robert Utley | online

Primary Sources

Federalist 10 | online
Federalist 39 | online
Federalist 51 | online
Federalist 84 | online
Madison's speeches in the Virginia Ratifying Convention | online
Patrick Henry's speeches in the Virginia Ratifying Convention | online
The Bill of Rights | online

Writing Assignment

Although sixty-five percent of the delegates in thirteen states voted to ratify the Constitution, a close examination of the figures in Massachusetts, Virginia, and New York reveals how contentious the ratification debate really was. In Massachusetts, for instance, only 187 of 355 delegates voted to ratify the Constitution. A change of ten votes would have killed the Constitution there. In Virginia, only 89 of 168 delegates voted to ratify. A change of six votes would have killed the Constitution there. And finally, in New York, only 30 of 57 delegates voted to ratify. A change in two votes would have killed the Constitution there. In all, then, a change of only 18 votes -- 10 in Massachusetts, 6 in Virginia and 2 in New York -- would have scuttled the Constitution before it even took effect.

How has the ratification debate been interpreted in the historical literature? What novel arguments did James Madison make in the ratification debate? And, what role did the Bill of Rights play in the debate?

- 500-750 word review due: October 26
- Bulletin board response to colleagues due: October 28

Week Eleven: Slavery and Sally Hemings

General Reading

- William Freehling, "The Founding Fathers and Slavery" | online
- Joseph Ellis, "The Silence" from Founding Brothers

Jefferson and Sally Hemings

- Joseph Ellis, "Jefferson: Post DNA"
- Annette Gordon-Reed, "Engaging Jefferson: Blacks and the Founding Father"

Weblinks

"Frontline: Jefferson's Blood" | online | transcript
Assignment on "Jefferson's Blood" | online
Monticello: Jefferson and Sally Hemings | online

Writing Assignment

What did Jefferson and Madison think about slavery? What did they say (or not say) about the institution? And, how does the Sally Hemings controversy complicate the story?

- 500-750 word review due: November 2
- Bulletin board response to colleagues due: November 4

Week Twelve: Faith and the Founding

General Reading

- Jon Meacham, American Gospel: God, the Founding Fathers, and the
Making of a Nation

- Eugene Sheridan, "Introduction" in The Papers of Thomas Jefferson, Second Series, Jefferson's Extracts from the Gospels: "The Philosophy of Jesus" and "The Life and Morals of Jesus," edited by Dickinson W. Adams (Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press). Optional.

Weblinks

- Religion and the American Founding: Library of Congress Exhibit | online

- NOW: With Bill Moyers, Faith in America (Statistics on Religion in America) | online

- NOW: With Bill Moyers, Religion in America Quiz | online

- The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life | online

Primary Sources | Thomas Jefferson

"The Philosophy of Jesus" and "The Life and Morals of Jesus"
Jefferson's Bill for Establishing Religious Freedom, 1779
Jefferson's Virginia Statute on Religious Freedom, 1786
Jefferson Letter to Rush, 1800
Jefferson Memo, 1800
Jefferson, 1st Inaugural, 1801
Jefferson, 2nd Inaugural, 1805
Jefferson Letter to Robinson, 1801
Jefferson Letter to Danbury, 1802
Jefferson Letter to Lincoln, 1802
Jefferson Letter to Miller, 1808
Jefferson Letter to Baltimore Baptist, 1808
Jefferson Letter to Stiles, 1819
Jefferson Letter to Cooper, 1822
Jefferson Minutes, University of Virginia, 1822-25
Jefferson Query XVII, 1782
Jefferson Papers, Library of Congress

Primary Sources | James Madison

Madison's Proposal for a Bill of Rights, 6-8-1789
Madison's Report on the First Amendment to the Virginia House of Delegates, 1799-1800
Madison, 1st Inaugural, 1809
Madison, 2nd Inaugural, 1813
Madison Prayer, 1812
Madison Prayer, 1813
Madison Fasting, 1814
Madison Thanksgiving, 1815
Madison Letter to Bradford, September 25, 1773
Madison Letter to Bradford, January 24, 1774
Madison Letter to Bradford, April 1, 1774
Madison, Memorial and Remonstrance Against Religious Assessments, 1785
Madison Letter to Randolph, July 26, 1785
Madison Against Virginia's Establishment of the Episcopal Church, 1786
Madison Letter to Jefferson on the Bill Concerning Religious Freedom, January 22, 1786
The Federalist No. 10, November 23, 1787
The Federalist No. 51, February 6, 1788
Madison Letter to Randolph, April 10, 1788
Madison Speech to Virginia Assembly Regarding Religious Freedom, June 12, 1788
Madison's Letter to Jefferson Regarding the Proposed Bill of Rights, October 17, 1788
Madison on Property, 1792
Madison, Veto Messages, February 1811
Madison to Everett Regarding Theological Professorships Within a University, March 19, 1823
Madison Letter to Beasley Regarding Proofs of God, November 20, 1825
Madison Letter to Reverend Adams, 1832

Writing Assignment

Based on your reading of American Gospel, what role did religion play in the American Founding? What did Jefferson and Madison think about religious liberty? What role did they play in establishing the modern principle of religious liberty?

- 500-750 word review due: November 9
- Bulletin board response to colleagues due: November 11

Week Thirteen: Founding Brothers

General Reading

- Joseph Ellis, Founding Brothers (finish)

- Joyce Appleby, "Capitalism and the Rise of the Republican Opposition," from Capitalism and a New Social Order | online

- Drew McCoy, "Jefferson and the Empire of Liberty," from The Elusive Republic | online

- General Links on Alexander Hamilton | online

Primary Sources
- Alexander Hamilton: His Financial System and the Emergence of Political Parties [ link ]
- Hamilton's Report on Manufactures [ link ]
- Hamilton's Support for a National Bank [ link ]
- Alien and Sedition Acts [ link ]
- Virginia Resolutions [ link ]

Writing Assignment

If Jefferson and Madison represented different foundings at the beginning of our course, how did they come together in the 1790s? Who were the allied against? And why?

- 500-750 word review due: November 16
- Bulletin board response to colleagues due: November 19