United States State In The 1790’s

Throughout the 1790’s The United States of America was in a very vulnerable stage. In the years leading up to this period the new country had overcome many hardships. It had successfully split from British control and signed the Declaration Of Independence. The new nation had suffered from tremendous economic debt from The Revolutionary War. The debate on how to deal with the debt was heating up and political parties were beginning to form. Also lawmakers were still in the process of refining and creating new rules. Finally the history of slavery in the country and visible differences between the North and South created a threat that the South might secede from the union. In his novel, The Founding Brothers, Joseph Ellis portrayed how these events contributed to the vulnerability of the 1790’s. Ellis exemplified this in “The Dinner”, a chapter that showed how compromises were made between politicians; “The Farewell”, when George Washington decided not to run again; and “The Silence” where the writers of the constitution chose not to deal with the issue of slavery. In his discussion of these events, Joseph Ellis successfully illustrated the fragility of The United States in the 1790’s.
The compromise over Assumption and the location of the capitol was an excellent example of the instability of the United States. Assumption was Alexander Hamilton’s plan for how to settle the debt of the new nation after the revolution. Since Hamilton was the Secretary of the Treasury his primary objective was to deal with the economic debt, however he also wanted to strengthen the central government. In order to accomplish both his goals he pushed for the Assumption plan where “The federal government would take on—which is to say assume—all the accumulated debts of the states, most of which had their origins during the war”. (Ellis 57) This seemed like a great plan except Virginia and most of the southern states had already paid off their debt so they did not benefit from the plan, therefore James Madison, a congressman from Virginia, opposed Assumption. Hamilton believed that without the passage of Assumption, the states would be overwhelmed with debt, and conflict would increase between them at a time when unity was needed. In order to get Madison’s approval, Thomas Jefferson invited Hamilton and him over to his new house for dinner. The group ate and conversed as friends while Hamilton persuaded Madison. Madison finally agreed to vote for the bill if the capitol of the United States was moved to the Potomac River. Hamilton agreed to this compromise because he believed firmly that without Assumption America wouldn’t appear as one great nation, but rather as sixteen smaller countries. Joseph Ellis understood why Hamilton felt so strongly in favor of Assumption as a way to unify the country and he said, “When money was spread out, it was only money. When concentrated, it was capital.” (65) He conveyed through this chapter that America was so vulnerable at this point in her history that this bill would either bring the states together or, if not passed, would probably lead to secession.

George Washington’s resignation marked a crucial turning point in American history as the leaders continued to struggle to differentiate their new government from the British monarchy. In this chapter in Founding Brothers Ellis discussed George Washington’s “Farewell Address” where he announced that after two terms in presidential office, he would not run for a third time, even though he would probably be the clear winner again. Ellis said that Washington did not seek reelection because he feared that citizens would begin to perceive him as being too powerful and similar to a British monarch. Ellis also articulated that Washington had dedicated himself to leading and stabilizing the country, “and in so doing, he had become the beneficiary of its political imperatives, effectively being cast in the role of republican king”. (127) Not only did Washington set the example for future presidents, but he also showcased the lack of laws pertaining to this topic. As America was in its infancy term limits had yet to be considered, and this specific amendment would not be ratified until 1947. Washington understood that although he would surely win the election again he had to do what he deemed best for the nation. He must step away from politics and make way for a new leader such as Thomas Jefferson. “More than any great leader in American history before or since, he was accustomed to getting his way, and equally accustomed to having history prove him right.” (160) His decision not to run again showed what a delicate state the country was in. Washington understood something that the other founding fathers did not, that other men could and should be president. He knew that the presidency was a position for the people, elected by the people and he wanted to show American citizens and foreign leaders the difference between a president and a king.
The debate over slavery in The United States proved to be so controversial and damaging for the new nation that the founding fathers decided it must be delayed until the government was more stable. In the late 1700’s when the Philadelphia Convention was in the process of writing the constitution, they decided that a heated debate concerning slavery and the slave trade this early in American history could cause the South to secede. So they chose to write in the constitution that the congressional debate over slavery was to be delayed until 1808, which would give enough time for the country to first settle other important issues and have the strength to tackle such a laborious task. “The Constitution not only prohibited the Congress from legislating about slavery or the slave trade; it forbade anyone in Congress from even mentioning those subjects publicly.” (84) Ellis argued that if they had not done that, then a civil war would have arisen and at this point in history the South would most likely have won due to their greater manpower. The country wasn’t just politically unstable, but it was also economically fragile, due to the debt from the Revolutionary War. The abolishment of slavery would harm the country’s trade and wealth digging America deeper into debt. Ellis seemed to be in favor of this decision even though some people argued that it caused the American Civil War to be as gruesome as it was. Ellis included this chapter because it very successfully depicted the fragility of America while writing the constitution.
Founding Brothers, by Joseph Ellis powerfully captures the delicate condition of The United States in 1790. From an economic, political, and social perspective it was clear that the country was not yet a secure and confident new nation. Alexander Hamilton’s willingness to compromise on the location of the capitol in order to pass Assumption showed how necessary he deemed Assumption in order to centralize the government. George Washington was able to set aside his personal agenda for the greater good of America and her interests. The Philadelphia Convention made a controversial decision that delayed the inevitable but gave time for America to grow stronger and more stable. Some of the choices made by the founding fathers worked out well like Assumption, and some did not end well such as slavery, which later led to the Civil War. However Ellis argued that although some were not perfect the choices made shaped The United States and set the foundation for what was to come.