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American Origins
The War for Independence brought political liberty, but it became increasingly obvious that the thirteen former colonies were held together, in George Washington's words, by "a half-starved, limping Government." To rectify the situation, delegates met in Philadelphia during the summer of 1787 and brought forth a Constitution calling for three branches of government -- executive, legislative, and judicial -- with powers to be balanced among them. The bold new experiment of representational democracy went into effect in the spring of 1789 with the convening of the First Federal Congress and the inauguration of President George Washington.
America's rights as a sovereign nation were called into question as England persisted in confiscating American vessels and seizing American seamen for service in the British navy. On the frontier, the British were accused of provoking the Indians to harass western settlements. Congress declared war against England in June 1812. After peace was achieved in 1814, there would be no further challenges to the new nation's independence. |