Lecture Notes: Chapter Six - The New Nation

Overview

• Focus on the early political parties (Federalists & Jeffersonians) and their views on land expansion.
• Discussion on the western expansion of the United States and its impact on Western Virginia.

Documentary Links and Personal Anecdotes

• Blackboard page includes a documentary on Betty Zane.
  • Features a reenactment of her running for gunpowder.
  • Includes perspectives from noted local historians.
• Instructor's connection to Fairmont State University.
  • First teaching job was there.
  • Fairmont State's role during the Red Scare and McCarthyism.

Federalists vs. Jeffersonians

Federalists

• Led by Alexander Hamilton.
• Advocated for an industrial and urban nation.
• Aligned politically and socially with Britain.
• Believed in governance by an educated elite.

Jeffersonians (Democratic-Republicans)

• Led by Thomas Jefferson.
• Advocated for a rural, agricultural society.
• Preferred French alliances due to Revolutionary War support.
• Supported mass democracy, opposing elitism.

Political Influence in Virginia

• Jeffersonians were more influential in Virginia, especially Western Virginia.
• Rural and agricultural lifestyle aligned with Jeffersonian beliefs.

Westward Expansion

• Push for infrastructure improvements (roads, canals) under the "American system."
• Westward expansion encouraged by government loans and support.
• Shift towards larger-scale farming to grow the agrarian economy.

Changes in Local Governance

• Increase in population led to the growth of county and local governments.
• Reorganization of existing counties (e.g., West Augusta) into smaller entities.
• Establishment of new towns and renaming (e.g., Charlestown to Wellsburg).

Native American Relations

• Continued conflicts with Native Americans until victories like the Treaty of Grenville.
• Isaac Zane's story as a positive example of cooperation.
  • Captive story: Isaac Zane integrated into a Native American tribe, facilitating peace.
  • Successful attempts at bridging gaps between settlers and Native Americans.

Conclusion

• More captive stories exist with varying outcomes.
• Further discussions on these stories will continue in future lectures.

Early Republic: White Captives and Frontier History

Story of Mary Ingalls Draper

• Occurs around Charleston, West Virginia, in an area known as Draper's Meadows.
• Capture: Mary Ingalls Draper was taken by a Native American hunting/war party from Draper's Meadows to mid-Ohio.
• Escape:
  • Mary, pregnant at the time of capture, escapes with an older Dutch woman.
  • Unclear fate of her baby, possibly lost during capture or escape.
• Journey: The two women traverse nearly a thousand miles following waterways to return.
  • The Dutch woman has a breakdown and attempts to attack Mary.
• Return: Mary returns to Draper's Meadows, initially unrecognized and mistaken as a Native American due to her appearance.
• Legacy: Mary's story is well-documented in the Draper family archives. Her tale has inspired books and adaptations, including "Follow the River."

Federalists vs. Anti-Federalists

• Federalists:
  • Led by Hamilton, pro-Constitution, and strong federal government.
  • Constitution leads to ratification with Federalist support.
• Anti-Federalists:
  • Led by Jeffersonians, prefer strong state/local governments.
  • Influence leads to the inclusion of the Bill of Rights.
• Western Virginia Perspective:
  • Support for Anti-Federalist views due to local autonomy desires.
  • Importance of the Bill of Rights in balancing power.

Whiskey Rebellion

• Context:
  • Happened in Western PA and Northern Panhandle, including Wheeling.
  • New taxes by Hamilton to pay for Revolutionary War debts, including on whiskey.
• Grain and Whiskey:
  • Western farmers used surplus grain to make whiskey, which was bartered without tax.
  • Whiskey tax opposed by veterans who hadn't been paid for war service.
• Rebellion:
  • Refusal to pay whiskey tax led to resistance.
  • Hamilton leads US Army to enforce tax, meets with varied resistance.
  • Washington eventually pardons rebels, viewing them as non-threatening.
• Cultural Impact:
  • Reenactments and festivals celebrate the rebellion's history, e.g., Whiskey Rebellion Festival in Washington, PA.

Conclusion

• Exploration of white captive stories and the complexity of early U.S. governmental structures.
• Highlights the regional differences in reception to federal policies during the early Republic.
• Teaser for future discussion on the Blennerhassets.

Lecture Notes: New Nation Chapter Six, Part Four

Key Concepts

• Absentee Land Ownership: Colonial Economy
  • Absentee land ownership persists, causing a colonial-style economy.
  • New land law in 1779 affects land claims, risking settlers losing homes.
  • Many landowners did not reside in the U.S. (e.g., in England) and did not develop their lands or pay taxes, transferring the tax burden to settlers.

Historical Context

• Proprietary Land Grants
  • Lands given as rewards for assisting in historical events, e.g., Restoration of Charles II.
  • Absentee landlords often neglected maintenance and development of their lands.

Colonial Economy Model in Western Virginia

• Mother Country and Colonies Analogy
  • Absentee landowners act as the 'mother country'.
  • Western Virginia settlers are akin to 'colonies'.
  • Settlers work the land, paying rent or sending profits to absentee landlords.

Modern Parallels

• Extractive Industries in West Virginia
  • Similar colonial economic systems present today.
  • Locals work in industries like coal, oil, gas, often not owning the land.
  • Profits benefit international corporations, similar to absentee landowners.

Ongoing Issues

• Infrastructure and Tax Burdens
  • Historical issues of undeveloped infrastructure (e.g., road maintenance) seen today.
  • Debate over economic contributions and tax responsibilities of companies vs. locals.
  • Sociologists and anthropologists see these patterns as cyclical, revealing continuity in economic exploitation.

Conclusion

• The lecture highlights the continuity of economic struggles rooted in absentee land ownership.
• The colonial economy concept remains relevant in discussions about economic conditions in West Virginia today.

Next Steps

• Transition to Chapter 7 in subsequent lectures.

Note from me

• There is a missing part to this chapter. It is 20 minutes of the professor talking in zoom, and i cannot add the notes here.