Alexander Hamilton: Target of Republican Mistrust
Historian Peter Onuf says that Republicans both feared and respected Alexander Hamilton, believing that he wanted to make the United States over in the image of Britain. "Many of Hamilton's troubles," Professor Onuf explains, "...go back to the Cons...
Precarious Experiment, A: Economic Upheaval
There is tremendous economic disruption after the war. The currency is worthless; Robert Morris' proposed 5% duty tax to pay for war debts fails. Under the Articles of Confederation economic problems fall to the states to resolve if a unanimous vote...
Not Much of a War: Support for Independence Intensifies
Colonial support for independence intensifies with the circulation of "Common Sense" by Thomas Paine. Three weeks after the battles of Lexington and Concord, the Second Continental Congress meets at the state house in Philadelphia with delegates fr...
American Experiment, The: Steps Toward a Constitutional Democracy
In the 19th century British Prime Minister Gladstone called the American Constitution "the most remarkable work in modern times produced by the human intellect at a single stroke." Historian Bernard Bailyn agrees that our constitutional system is re...
Vision for a Nation: Ratification Strategy
It is one thing to get Convention delegates to agree on the Constitution; it's quite another matter to get states and opponents to go along with it. Perhaps the most revolutionary move of the Convention is the adoption of a ratification clause which...
A New Nation: Dangers and Challenges
Historian and author Bernard Bailyn talks about some of the most significant challenges facing the newly formed United States, including concerns that the Constitution wouldn't work, and fears that the federal government's power might be excessive.