8 The New Nation The Problems Ahead In 1789 the United States was a new and weak country It had declared its independence from Great Britain in 1776 and the American Revolution fought to win that independence had ended six years later in 1783 The new country faced many difficulties Could the states cooperate with one another or would they fight one another and destroy the Union What was the proper balance between the powers of the states and those of the national or federal government Could the economy of the new nation provide prosperity for farmers merchants and manufacturers Would the nation be able to pay the debts it had incurred during the years of the Revolution and afterward Relations with other nations were equally difficult Could the United States win the respect of the other countries of the world especially Great Britain its powerful former enemy Could it remain on good terms with France and Spain who were its allies during the Revolution Or would these countries try to carve up the new United States for themselves These problems were especially troublesome because for most of the years between 1789 and 1815 Britain and France who were then the two most powerful countries in the world were at war with each other During the 1780s the United States were governed by a weak central The infantry officer’s primary weapon was the espontoon a spear that he would also use as a signaling device government established under a document called the Articles of Confederation The new nation was not coping well with many of its problems so political leaders arranged for a convention to meet in Philadelphia during the summer of 1787 to discuss how to improve the government
The New Nation 9 Howard Chandler Christy’s painting Scene at the Signing of the Constitution of the United States depicts George Washington watching the North Carolina Delegate sign the Constitution Delegates to the Philadelphia convention wrote a new document called the Constitution which provided for an entirely new and stronger central government for the United States The U S Constitution was ratified or approved by the required nine states in 1788 and took effect early in 1789 just a few weeks before George Washington began his term as the first president of the United States President Washington and later Presidents John Adams and Thomas Jefferson carried the heavy responsibilities of leading the new nation as it struggled to survive grow and prosper Words to Know Articles of Confederation AR-ti-kuhls uhv kuhn fed-er-AY-shun The document that set forth the basic rules and powers of the U S government from 1781 to 1789
George Washington 10 George Washington George Washington The date that had been set for the new president to take office was March 4 1789 but George Washington did not officially learn of his election until the second week in April when all votes had been counted On April 16 he set out from his home Mount Vernon in Virginia to travel to New York City the nation's temporary capital Washington was not eager to take on his new responsibilities His feelings he said were not unlike those of a culprit who is going to the place of his execution The joyous crowds who came out to cheer him as he passed on his way to the inauguration did not share his lack of enthusiasm George Washington the most respected man in America took the oath of office as the first president of the United States on April 30 1789 Born February 22 1732 Westmoreland County VA Virginia Westmoreland County Term April 30 1789 March 4 1797 Party None First Lady Martha Dandridge Custis Washington Vice President John Adams Died December 14 1799 Mount Vernon VA Vice President John Adams
George Washington 1st President of the United States
