The United States of America had just won its independence from Great Britain. Now it was up to the patriots to form a new government and begin to shape the nation that they had envisioned. Victory in war did not ensure future success as the leaders began to form a new democracy and solidify a working union. The new nation faced several challenges in the first years, but also saw some major accomplishments. The challenges included internal political strife, international concerns, and growing pains. Among the accomplishments of the new nation during this period are the development of a new capital city, and acquisition of more territory. This is a brief look at those challenges and accomplishments.
POLITICAL BATTLES
The presidential election of 1796 saw the development of the two-party system in the United States. This development came as a surprise to many of the senior politicians of the Revolution, since many felt that political coalitions were many for battling short term issues facing the government . This election saw the creation of the Federalist party, which favored a strong federal government and the constitution, and the Democratic-Republican party, which favored the power of the people with more of a local control of government and less federal control.
The election in 1796 was closely contested with Adams, a Federalist, winning over Jefferson, the Democratic-Republican candidate. An interesting twist is that the constitution at the time stated that the vice president shall be the candidate with the second highest votes, so Jefferson became Adams’ vice president.
The division between the two parties was even wider during the next election in 1800, with both sides believing that control by the other party would lead to doom for the nation . This time, the Democratic-Republicans swept the election and gained control of both houses of Congress. This marked the first total transition of the federal government and marked the beginning of the demise of the Federalist Party.
FOREIGN AFFAIRS
War in Europe tested the new nation’s sovereignty. War broke out between France and Great Britain when England joined forces with Austria and Prussia against French aggression. The United States supported Great Britain at the time because Great Britain was the main trade partner with the United States . This broke a treaty of support between France and the United States that resulted from Frances support of the colonies in the Revolutionary War. This did not mean that all was well between the United States and Great Britain because England had yet to abandon all of their posts in the new world and were arming the native Americans while encouraging them to attack American colonies. This eventually lead to the declaration of war against Great Britain and the War of 1812 . American forces battled British forces and American native forces to the North and West of the colonies. The United States came out the victor and was able to secure the ability to expand more rapidly to the West.
GROWING PAINS
The colonies were at first limited to the Eastern seaboard, with very few settlers moving West of the Appalachian Mountains. But, with more and more settlers arriving from Europe seeking land, and with the Louisiana Purchase in 1903, settlers began moving Westward. This, naturally, meet with a lot of resistance from the Native Americans who were being forced away from their native lands. The Native Americans during this time allied with the British who still maintained forts in the territories to harass the settlers . This conflict would continue for many decades as the Americans continue moving Westward.
THE LOUISIANA PURCHASE
The purchase of the Louisiana Territory from the French in 1803 marks one of the greatest accomplishments of the American government during this time. This purchase nearly doubled the American territories that now stretched from the East coast to the Rocky Mountains. The expedition of Lewis and Clark, sanctioned by President Jefferson, was a remarkable achievement in that it mapped out a trail all the way to the Pacific Ocean while establishing good relations with the native Americans in the West . Lewis and Clark were the first Americans to travel from one end of the continent to the other and greatly increased our knowledge of the land West of the Mississippi River.
THE NATION’S CAPITAL
The creation of a special district under Congressional control to serve as the nation’s capital was another great achievement of the time. President Washington was sworn in as President of the United States in New York City and served most of his term in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The creation of the nation’s capital in the District of Columbia was the result of a compromise between two diverse forces. Congress approved the establishment of the Bank of the United States in Philadelphia, which consolidated the economic power of the banker, merchants, and financiers in the urban North. The nation’s capital, therefore, would be located in the Southern, rural territory where agriculture was the primary influence .
The new capital region was planned and developed to be an impressive representation of the values of America. Today, the capital continues to awe visitors who come from around world.
SUMMARY
The time immediately after the American Revolution represented a tumultuous time for the new government. True to the concepts of democracy, the people of the nation elected officials to represent them, and entrusted those individuals to make decisions that were for best for all of the people of the nation. The decisions made at the time helped solidify the United States as an international force while greatly expanding its borders to cover most of the land.
References
ushistory.org. A New National Capital: Washingtonn D.C. 2016. Online. 8 March 2016. <http://www.ushistory.org/us/20d.asp>.
ushistory.org. Exploration: Lewis and Clark. 2016. Online. 8 March 2016. <http://www.ushistory.org/us/21b.asp>.
ushistory.org. Native American Resistance in the Trans-Appilachian West. 2016. Online. 8 March 2016. <http://www.ushistory.org/us/21d.asp>.
ushistory.org. Negotiating with the Superpowers. 2016. Online. 8 March 2016. <http://www.ushistory.org/us/19b.asp>.
ushistory.org. The Election of 1800. 2016. Online. 8 March 2016. <http://www.ushistory.org/us/20a.asp>.
ushistory.org. The Second War for American Independence. 2016. Online. 8 March 2016. <http://www.ushistory.org/us/21e.asp>.
ushistory.org. Two Parties Emerge. 2016. Online. 8 March 2016. <http://www.ushistory.org/us/19c.asp>.
