CONTENTS INTRODUCTION 6 CHAPTER ONE A NEW NATION ARISES 9 CHAPTER TWO A STRONGER UNITED REPUBLIC 19 CHAPTER THREE NEW CHALLENGES THE REPUBLIC ENTERS THE 19TH CENTURY 31 CHAPTER FOUR THE COMPLICATED LEGACY OF WESTERN EXPANSION 47 CHAPTER FIVE A NEW AND CHANGING AMERICA 58 CONCLUSION 69 TIMELINE 71 GLOSSARY 73 FOR MORE INFORMATION 75 BIBLIOGRAPHY 78 INDEX 79
6 INTRODUCTION In 1783 the American Revolution was finally over America’s victory over Great Britain ended the colonial period and brought independence to the United States The new nation was still a confedera tion of states with a weak central government under a makeshift constitution the Articles of Confederation Its population of about 4 million largely resided in the countryside A major economic depression was under way and its people were still figuring out how to run their own affairs without British control Within a few short decades the nation would expand significantly in size population and eco nomic power Its new Constitution the able stewardship of its leaders and the efforts of its everyday people would be instrumental in its rise during the 19th century This rapid development would not be easy however The time after the American Revolution was one of instability and change The lack of a strong central authority made the new nation only a league of loosely tied states that were virtually indepen dent The national government could not collect taxes regulate commerce or settle disputes among the states Its work was further handicapped by the people’s lack of feeling for national unity Most Americans still owed their first loyalties to their home state 6
The New Nation
Political and military struggles, Manifest Destiny, and other dynamic events are included in this narrative history.
About This Book
By: Philip Wolny
Illustrated by:
Published by: Rosen Publishing provided by Britannica
