Empire of Liberty: A History of the Early Republic, 1789-1815

Chapter 1

Americans had largely considered themselves culturally inferior when compared to Europeans as colonists but that changed after The Revolution

Americans began to see the advantages of republican government as something that placed them above the old world

For any who couldn’t shake the feeling of inferiority they took comfort in believing they weren’t as corrupted by luxury as the Europeans and in knowing that most Americans were independent landowners and educated

Chapter 2

The most ardent Federalists like Washington and Hamilton, sought an energetic government

First Congress had monumental tasks including passing promised amendments to guarantee rights of citizens (what would be one the Bill of Rights) and organizing the judicial and executive branches

The House considered much more democratic and took this seriously and the Senate viewed itself as the superior to the House

“The idea of a bill of rights was too deeply embedded in the Americans’ consciousness to be so easily passed over” (66).

Federalists viewed a bill of rights as a plot to simply limit the power of the government.

Federalists may have been able to win the argument over the need for a bill of rights but Madison (who initially didn’t see a need for one) made implementing the amendments a matter of his personal honor.

Many Federalists came to support what became the Bill of Rights as it weakened a main argument for the Anti-Federalists and it weakened the Anti-Federalists because the desire for a second convention decreased.

Washington, assuming a position many feared was bound to be monarchical, had to find a way make the presidency an institution that was strong and energetic and considered his actions thoughtfully as he knew they would set important precedents.

The most important minister was the secretary of the treasury, Alexander Hamilton.

Hamilton was not born in the Nort American colonies and therefore didn’t have attachments to a specific state the way other Founders did.

Hamilton worked closely with Madison leading up to the Constitution and thought the relationship would continue but Madison had a different view of the state compared to Hamilton

Hamilton wanted a state powerful like Great Britain and Madison wanted a “disinterested adjudicatory state” (90-91).

Americans, drawing on the philosophical inspirations of their colonial forefathers, were opposed to Hamilton’s view of an ideal state

Many Americans subscribed to the country-Whig views of the English opposition to the commercialization of English culture and politics and the ways in which England was able to grow commercially was very close to what Hamilton sought for the United States