Challenges Facing the New Nation
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the 1790s, the young republic faced many of the same problems that confronted
the newly independent nations of Africa and Asia in the 20th century. Like
other nations born in anti-colonial revolutions, the United States faced the
challenge of building a sound economy, preserving national independence, and
creating a stable political system which provided a legitimate place for
opposition.
In
1790, it was not at all obvious that the Union would long survive. George
Washington thought that the new government would not last 20 years.
One
challenge was to consolidate public support. Only about 5 percent of adult
white males had voted to ratify the new Constitution and two states, North
Carolina and Rhode Island, continued to support the Articles of
Confederation. Vermont threatened to
join Canada.
The
new nation also faced economic and foreign policy problems.
· A huge
debt remained from the Revolutionary War and paper money issued during the
conflict was virtually worthless.
· In
violation of the peace treaty of 1783 ending the Revolutionary War, Britain
continued to occupy forts in the Old Northwest.
· Spain
refused to recognize the new nation's southern and western boundaries.
Establishing
the Machinery of Government
The
U.S. Constitution created a general framework of government. It would be up to
the first president and first Congress to fill in the details.
The
new government consisted of nothing more than 75 post offices, a large debt, a
small number of unpaid clerks, and an army of just 46 officers and 672
soldiers. There was no federal court
system, no navy, and no system for collecting taxes.
The
Senate devoted three weeks to debating how the president should be address. One
committee proposed "His Highness the President of the United States and
Protector of the Rights of the Same."
The
House of Representatives, under the leadership of James Madison considered more
pressing problems.
· To
raise revenue, it pass a tariff on imports and a tax on liquor.
· To
encourage American shipping, it imposed duties on foreign vessels.
· To
provide a structure for the executive branch of the government, it created
departments of State, Treasury, and War.
· The
Judiciary Act of 1789 organized a federal court system, which consisted of a
Supreme Court with six justices, a district court in each state, and three
appeals courts.
To strengthen popular support for the new government, Congress also approved a Bill of Rights. These first ten amendments guaranteed the rights of free press, free speech, and religion; the right to peaceful assembly; and the right to petition government. The Bill of Rights also ensured that the national government could not infringe on the right to trial by jury. In an effort to reassure Antifederalists that the powers of the new government were limited, the tenth amendment "reserved to the States respectively, or to the people" all powers not specified in the Constitution.