The birth of America was complicated and consisted of many problems because as a child, the country did not have a mother to guide it through infancy. The United States had to learn lessons and solve problems on its own in order to stand on its own as a leading and powerful country. In Founding Brothers, Joseph Ellis goes in detail about the troubles America faced in the start up, the indifferences between Jefferson and Washington, and the rifts of Jefferson and Adams. America went through many trials and tribulations in its infancy stages. A major problem that Ellis describes is the terrifying $77.1 million in wartime debt (Ellis 55). The daunting task of reducing the large amount of state debt weighed heavy on the founding brother. Ellis introduces Hamilton’s plan as being straight forward: “all citizens who owned government securities should be reimbursed at par-that is, the full value of the governments original promise” (Ellis 55-56). Hamilton also wanted to move the states’ debt from wartime on to the federal government. Madison would oppose and block the approval of Hamilton’s plan as Ellis states, “Madison opposed the assumption because of his economic objections” (Ellis 57). Madison’s objections were based on the unfair factor of many southern states paying of most of their debts compared to the northern states, making southern states contribute more to pay off the other states debts. The founding brothers struggled in choosing a location for the capital, a possible of sixteen locations were proposed. According to Ellis, “given its geographic centrality, some location in Pennsylvania appeared to have the edge” (Ellis 70). Madison opposed the Susquehanna site and argued for the Potomac site (Ellis 71). He also opposed the Susquehanna site for an alternative purpose; Madison and Jefferson wanted the capital site to be close to them to be able to keep an eye on the capital (Ellis 71). Madison opposed Hamilton’s assumption plan, while Hamilton opposed Madison’s plan to move the capital to Potomac. Jefferson held a closed door dinner with Madison and Hamilton to discuss the problems that the founding brothers were facing (Ellis 72). During the dinner Madison and Hamilton came to a compromise: “Hamilton helped Madison secure Potomac as the capital, only if Madison would help allow the passage of the assumption plan” (Ellis 73). According to Ellis, “the accounts of Jefferson’s dinner-table meeting were distorted to favor the founding brothers power” and that Jefferson’s accounts left out private meetings that had occurred before the dinner occurred (Ellis 73). The founding brothers were conflicted on the merits of slavery.
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Two delegates one from New York and one from Philadelphia made a petition to end slavery. The founding brothers were conflicted on two sides, one side wanted to keep slavery while the other wanted to abolish slavery. A major reason that slavery could not be abolished was the fact that it would increase the states debt and the federal budget was only $7 million (Ellis 106). The counterpart was to abolish slavery for the following two reasons: “slavery and the slave trade were incompatible with the values for which the American Revolution had been fought…” and “…it challenged the claim that the Constitution prohibited any legislation by the federal government against slave trade for twenty years” (Ellis 83). The founding brothers technically could not pass any laws on slavery because the constitution prohibited Congress from passing laws about slavery for twenty years (Ellis 82). Washington was dead set on the isolationist policy; in 1975, Washington and Jay drew up a treaty with the English. The treaty gave English goods more priority which help guarantee payment …show more content…
The major problems that the founding brothers faced in the start up of America were resolved through Madison allowing for Hamilton’s assumption plan to pass and Madison in favor would get Hamilton’s help in the approval of the capital’s location at Potomac. The founding brothers also argued over the rightness of slavery. However, they were unable to solve anything either way due to the Constitution, which didn’t allow the brothers to do much. Despite all the early conflicts and problems that arose in the foundation of America, the country prevailed and became one of the most powerful countries in the world
Two delegates one from New York and one from Philadelphia made a petition to end slavery. The founding brothers were conflicted on two sides, one side wanted to keep slavery while the other wanted to abolish slavery. A major reason that slavery could not be abolished was the fact that it would increase the states debt and the federal budget was only $7 million (Ellis 106). The counterpart was to abolish slavery for the following two reasons: “slavery and the slave trade were incompatible with the values for which the American Revolution had been fought…” and “…it challenged the claim that the Constitution prohibited any legislation by the federal government against slave trade for twenty years” (Ellis 83). The founding brothers technically could not pass any laws on slavery because the constitution prohibited Congress from passing laws about slavery for twenty years (Ellis 82). Washington was dead set on the isolationist policy; in 1975, Washington and Jay drew up a treaty with the English. The treaty gave English goods more priority which help guarantee payment …show more content…
The major problems that the founding brothers faced in the start up of America were resolved through Madison allowing for Hamilton’s assumption plan to pass and Madison in favor would get Hamilton’s help in the approval of the capital’s location at Potomac. The founding brothers also argued over the rightness of slavery. However, they were unable to solve anything either way due to the Constitution, which didn’t allow the brothers to do much. Despite all the early conflicts and problems that arose in the foundation of America, the country prevailed and became one of the most powerful countries in the world