The Revolutionary War and Its Impact on the Unity of Americans

The Revolutionary war and ideals brought together a nation desperate to escape the wrath of monarchial rule. For how could a man in a country so far from their own govern the people accordingly when they had absolutely no representation in his government? This was one of the basic principles the revolutionary war was fought and won on. Yet, after the revolutionary war, the new nation known as America was faced with some difficult questions How was such a large group of people to be governed without a king? As the first republic in centuries the new United States needed to face such challenging questions both on a domestic and foreign front. The central government played a large role in those domestic and foreign questions, and the differing opinions of how that government should be assessed gave rift in the new American politics.

The domestic problems of federal debt, where to put the capitol, and slavery were all viewed differently depending on how one saw the power and scope of the federal government it all boiled down to believing in the, as Ellis puts it, “Collective wisdom and virtue of the central government,”. The problem with that is the fact that a nation had just fought a war in order to escape a strong central government, therefore was weary of trusting a new one. The domestic debt issue was a large problem, In order to pay for a war and pay their soldiers the United States government issued securities to many of its soldiers as pay. The nation had to find a way to pay these debts, Hamilton was the man who was assigned with this task His idea was instead of each state pay these debts off individually, the central government would “Assum[e],” these debts having one ledger under a central government.

The problem was that many people were afraid of the tyrannical implications that this new power could give a central government and the fact that Madison’s home state of Virginia had paid back a large amount of these debts. These politicians afraid of a strong central government began a rift that was nearly, as Ellis states, threatening “The survival of the infant republic.” There was a seemingly minor problem in comparison going on at the same time, the decision on where to put the capitol. Yet this minor problem strangely enough was a way in which the founding fathers stabilized a bad situation Jefferson hosted a dinner with the feuding Madison and Hamilton in order to try and find a common solution on the issue of assumption. Madison, a powerful voice in congress, decided to strike a deal with Hamilton. A deal in which would place the capital in on the Potomac River, just north of Virginia for “Twenty-one and a half million dollars," the exact size of the state debts combined.

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This compromise was one of the ways the founders dealt with diversity in settling different causes. The other huge issue confronting this young nation was that of slavery The south was dominated economically by a slave driven plantation system. The Northern states, based largely on family, had a small population of slaves and were able to see the immoral values of this, as Ellis claims, “Criminal activity,”. The anti-slavery north thought that congress ought to put gradual emancipation into a law. This signifies a stronger central government putting power over many states The southern states thought that since it wasn’t a power given to the central government in the constitution it should be governed by the individual states. Besides if that power would have been given to the central government to begin with, the southern states, as Ellis puts it, “Would not [have] come into the union. This power of central government.

In order to achieve peace between the two factions a committee was created to bring a resolution The Resolution being there would not, as Ellis states “Consider emancipation,” until the year 1808. This calmed the fears of the southern states, yet this committee also stated in its second resolution that congress could not interfere “In the emancipation of slaves, who are, or who may ,within the period mentioned to be imported into, or born within any of the said States. This meant that Congress would not intervene with any emancipation laws in the northern states. On the issue of foreign policy, one figure reigned supreme is his thoughts while departing from office That man was George Washington Washington saw that a new nation, especially one of a republic state, far away from any continent should, as Ellis States, extend “Commercial relations to have with them as little political connection as possible.

This shows that Washington believed that neutrality was the way to keep peace on a brand new nation whom was in no doubt, not capable of another war so soon He set up some economic ties with England allowing England to “retain tariffs on American exports. This caused Jefferson, who viewed the French revolution as an extenuation of that in which happened in America, great concern, He thought that Washington was overusing his power and as Ellis says, “The house was intended to be an equal partner in approving all treaties,".This brings us the feuds of early American Politics. The American political system was already divided into factions of Federalist, and Republican Parties, The Federalists believed in a slightly stronger central government while the Republicans were afraid of one government gaining too much power. This is evident in how Jefferson viewed Washington’s handling of the Whiskey Rebellion, A group of whiskey makers was very angry over a new tax on the whiskey in which they distilled.

Washington sent a militia of “Thirteen-thousand,” to silence this uprising Jefferson viewed this as an abuse of a strong central power that sent a militia to quiet the, as Ellis puts it “Healthy and essentially harmless expression of popular discontent. Jefferson began spreading rumors about Washington lacking control in government, allowing more Republican people to control decision-making. This infuriated Washington even though Jefferson made sure to deny these allegations Washington went so far as to say, in Ellis’ paraphrase, “Even this mere glimpse into my soul is more than you deserve, my former friend,“. Though at the end of Washington‘s terms as president a race had to ensue for a new one, which would involve Mr. Jefferson, as well as a new feud, and former friend John Adams. The two collaborators of many of America’s founding documents began a rift on the power the federal government ought to assume.

Jefferson, staunch anti-federalist, and Adams an insightful realist trying to figure out a way to conserve this new nation Jefferson‘s obsession with the French Revolution, As Ellis states, “Struck Adams as outright lunacy. As Jefferson entered retirement and Adams realized his “Obstinate prejudices against all forms of government. This political difference eventually tore two friends apart, showing that in the new America, the power of central government was one that was viewed very differently across the states, and people, depending on how they interpreted the constitution.  The power of the central government played a huge role in both domestic and foreign affairs. The very question of its power divided a nation among lines of how much power to give this government. The question was rather which how a compromise can be made on all fronts that will keep this young nation together. Ellis’ Founding Brothers showed that compromise, and how those who founded this nation, kept the nation from splitting thus being destroyed in the early days of the republic.

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