American Politics in the Early Republic: The New Nation in Crisis

Description

During the years from 1789 to 1801, the republican political institutions forged by the American Constitution were put to the test. A new nation—born in revolution, divided over the nature of republicanism, undermined by deep-seated sectional allegiances, and mired in foreign policy entanglements—faced the challenge of creating a stable, enduring national authority and union. In this engagingly written book, James Roger Sharp offers a penetrating new assessment disputing the conventional wisdom that the birth of the country was a relatively painless and unexceptional one. Instead, he tells the dramatic story of how the euphoria surrounding the inauguration of George Washington as the country's first president quickly soured. Soon, the Federalist defenders of the administration and their Republican critics regarded each other as bitter political enemies. The intense partisanship prevented the acceptance of the idea that an opposition could both oppose and be loyal to the government. As a result, the nation teetered on the brink of disintegration as fear, insurrection, and threats of secession abounded. Many even envisioned armed civil conflict as a possible outcome. Despite the polarization, the nation did manage to survive its first trial. The election of Thomas Jefferson in 1801 and the nonviolent transfer of power from one political group to another ended the immediate crisis. But sectionally based politics continued to plague the nation and eventually led to the Civil War. Contents Acknowledgments Introduction PART I. The Breakdown of Elite Consensus 1789-1792 1. George Washington and the New Nation 2 . Disappointed Expectations The Failure of Elite Consensus PART II. The Polarization of the Elite 1792 - 1798 3. The Election of 1 79 2 Grappling with the Concept of Representation 4. The French Revolution and the Awakening of the Democratic Spirit 5. Threats to the Union 6. The Jay Treaty 7. The Election of 1796 8. The War Crisis and the Alien and Sedition Acts PART III. The Crisis of Union 1798-1801 9. The Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions Making a Refuge for the Oppressed 10. 1799 Virginia versus the Hamiltonian Federalists and the Fears of Armed Conflict 11. The Election of 1800 12. Electoral Gridlock The Crisis of 1801 Epilogue Notes Bibliography Index