Melancton+Smith+-+SP09

// Anti-Federalist //
 * Melancton Smith (1744-1798) **

** Occupations/Socio-economic Background: ** Veteran of the Revolutionary War ·  Merchant in the mercantile business ·  Lawyer ·  Politician ·  Captain of the Dutchess County Minutemen ·  Secret service commissioner and sheriff of Dutchess County in 1777-1778  ·  Strong supporter of Martin Luther  ·  Was a leader in reformation  ·  Help organize Washington Hollow Presbyterian Church

Melancton was a merchant in New York and was a veteran of the Revolutionary War. Smith also worked as a lawyer, politician, a captain of the Dutchess County Minutemen and a secret service commissioner and sheriff of Dutchess County too. His government jobs makes him an outstanding person to discus and debate changes that should take place in the government.

** Government Roles: ** ·  First Provincial Congress Member in 1775 ·  Continental Convention Congress Member (1785-1788) in which Melancton Smith was the chief spokesman for the Anti-Federalists ·  A part of the Legislature in 1791 ·  Represented as a Dutchess County in Conventions ·  Continental Line Regiment in 1775 ·  Member of state ratification convention at Poughkeepsie in 1788 ·  In the State Assembly in 1791 ·  Apart of the Federal Farmer Letters Melancton Smith was also a politician and represented New York as an Anti-Federalist. He was a member of the first Provincial congress and was apart of the legislature in 1791. Smith supported Governor George Clinton and in the State- Rights Party; and as a result he represented Dutchess County in a convention for the possibilities of rafting the Federal Constitution. Melancton also served as a continental convention congressman in 1785-1788. In the continental convention Smith was the chief spokesman for the Anti-Federalist. When the State ratification took place at Poughkeepsie in 1788 the Anti-federalists didn't want to ratify the Constitution "until it was amended to eliminate their objections" and the by the time this convention took place the Constitution to be in effect. John Jay and Melancton Smith ratified the Constitution and got 11 Anti-Federalists to vote for the Constitution and eight didn't. New York really didn't have a choice, they had to accept the Constitution otherwise New York would be kicked out of the Union. George Clinton hated Melancton for this and as a result Melancton never major office position.

** Vote: ** He voted for the ratification of the Constitution, in the end.

__Friends:__ George Clinton James Madison Mercy Otis Warren Patrick Henry Richard Henry Lee Robert Yates Thomas Jefferson

__Foes__: Alexander Hamilton Ben Franklin John Adams John Jay

However Smith and Patrick Henry had arguments over what they thought the government sure be. And John Jay and Smith put the differences asided and help ratifitied the Constitution for New York.

__Arguments:__ <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol;">· Protection for individual liberties is on the line with the constitution. <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol;">· The amount of power/ability the House of Representatives is questionable. <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol;">· The government could fall into the hands of the wealthy. <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol;">· The representatives will generally be composed of the first class in the community/ aristocracy of the country. <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol;">· The representatives wouldn’t be fair to make sure their state is the best/richest. <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol;">· The representative’s class matters to the other representatives and the people who elected him. <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol;">· It is too difficult to combine a district containing 40,000 inhabitants to be framed for elections. <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol;">· The poor and middle classes chance to be elected is minimal. This is a downfall in the constitution because middle class representative would be more ideal; because they are in between they see better what’s better for the poor and upper class. <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol;">· “In every human society, there is an essay continually tending to confer on one part the height of power and happiness, and reduce the other to the extreme of weakness and misery. The intend of good laws is to oppose this effort, and to diffuse their influence universally and equally.” Marquis Beccaria <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol;">· There is a big danger for corruption and tyranny. <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol;">· The proportions of representatives per state will be matter to state would agree, each state would want an edge. <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol;">· These economic difficulties are due to the war. The war cost most what we expected, that doesn’t mean we should change our government completely; the country’s debt lessened a bit too. <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol;">· There is too many aspects like the, checks, extended republics, taxation, the need for a stronger union, the bill of rights, executive powers, house of representatives, regulation election, defense, standing armies, judiciary, the senate and the Representation in congress to look at that the constitution is not clear about.

** New York ** ** Information: ** <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol;">·  Social Structure: (lowest to highest) <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Courier New'; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Courier New';">o  Slaves <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Courier New'; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Courier New';">o  Servants <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Courier New'; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Courier New';">o  Famers/Traders/Merchants <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Courier New'; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Courier New';">o  Professional Men/College Professors/Magistrates <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol;">·  Population: <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Courier New'; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Courier New';">o  In 1786 was about 238,899 <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol;">·  Geography: <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Courier New'; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Courier New';">o  <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Courier New';">Mountains <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol;"> ·  Valleys/Hills Lakes and Rivers <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol;"> ·  The West of New York wasn't explored <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol;">·  Economy: <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Courier New'; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Courier New';">o  Based on the harbors and fur trade <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Courier New'; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Courier New';">o  Trading in general __Social Structure:__ African Americans was the lowest social status. Domestic servants received mild; humane treatment compared to the African Americans. The next social status higher then this was a mix of farmers, traders and merchants. The ruling class was composed of the professional men, college professors and magistrates.

__Population:__ The first Federal Census was not established till 1790; at that time the population was 340,241 people. The closest estimate in 1786 was 238,897 people. In the end, in four years this were was a difference of 101,344 people.

__ Geography: __ Most of the west of New York was not inhabited at the time. However New York at one time had many hills, valleys an mountains. It also contained various lakes and rivers which helped in trade. __Economy:__ New York's economy was well off with many harbors. They were also involved in the fur trade. The harbors and the fur trade made it easy to trade with follow colonist and Native Americans. __ Melancton Smith __. Internet. 11 Feb. 2009 < http://images.virtualology.com/ac/5/i/ency0274.jpg  >. "Melancton Smith." __www.famousmericans.net/melnctonsmith/__. 11 Feb. 2009.
 * Work Citied: **

__Antifederalists__. 12 Feb. 2009 http://www.ushistory.org/us/16b.asp. __ *The Debates in Convention of the State of New York on the Adoption of the Federal Constitution __. 12 Feb. 2009 http://www.constitution.org/rc/rat_ny.htm#msmith02.

__ The Economy of America __. 11 Feb. 2009 http://www.historycentral.com/Revolt/Americans/PriorEconomic.html. __JSTOR: The William and Mary Quarterly__. 11 Feb. 2009 http://www.jstor.org/pss/1920872.

__Melanctom Smith____, New York__ __Ratifing Convention__. 2009 http://www.teachingamericanhistory.org/library/index.aps?document=1814.

__Melanctom Smith Papers,1767-1795__. 12 Feb. 2009 http://www.nysl.nysed.gov/msscfa/sc14382.htm.

__Nation at Crossroads__. 12 Feb. 2009 https://www.nyhistory.org/web/crossroads/convention.html.

__Populationand Social Rank__. 11 Feb. 2009 http://www.usahistory.info/colonial/population.html.