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
From the struggles of the American Revolution such as the tough winter at Valley Forge faced by General George Washington and his troops the United States emerged to establish a democratic republic 7 INTRODUCTION
8 THE NEW NATION The process of creating a workable government for the new nation required both the collective wisdom of the Founding Fathers as well as some trial and error The lessons of what the Americans had considered unfair under British rule were still fresh in their minds and strongly influenced their thinking At the same time they had to craft a system powerful enough to unite such a diverse nation The United States would also have to settle prob lems with Britain France and other foreign nations as it sought to establish its place in the world commu nity Careful navigation in foreign affairs was crucial in securing the country’s security and economic well-being Money and financial troubles including problems with currency plagued the new nation and these too would have to be fixed The decisions that the Founding Fathers made in the early years of the United States along with the industriousness and boldness of its citizens would affect the direction and development of the nation for decades and centuries to come
CHAPTER ONE 9 A NEW NATION ARISES The United States had finally won its struggle to separate from Great Britain The British had surrendered to General George Washington’s forces at Yorktown Virginia on October 19 1781 in the last major battle of the American Revolution The U S and Britain signed a preliminary peace treaty on November 30 1782 The agreement was finalized on September 3 1783 officially ending hostilities Known as the Treaty of Paris it recog nized America’s independence It established the nation’s boundar ies as Canada on the north the Mississippi River on the west and Florida which had been ceded back to Spain by Britain on the south This illustration shows British and American delegates signing the Treaty of Paris
