The Revolution and Creating a New Government
The American Revolution divided colonists into Patriots who supported independence and Loyalists who remained faithful to Britain. Both sides had distinct advantages—Britain possessed a professional army and naval power, while Americans had home-field knowledge, motivation, and eventually foreign support from France. The American victory at Saratoga proved pivotal in securing this French alliance.
After winning independence at Yorktown, Americans created their first national framework with the Articles of Confederation, which established a weak central government with no taxing power. This weakness became apparent during Shays' Rebellion, when the government couldn't respond effectively to an uprising of indebted farmers in Massachusetts.
The Constitutional Convention addressed these problems through crucial compromises. The Great Compromise balanced representation between large and small states, while the Three-Fifths Compromise addressed the counting of enslaved people for representation. The debate over ratification divided Americans into Federalists who supported the Constitution and Anti-Federalists who feared centralized power.
Make the Connection: The Bill of Rights was added to protect individual liberties and secure Anti-Federalist support for the Constitution. These first ten amendments continue to safeguard American freedoms today!
James Madison, known as the "Father of the Constitution," alongside Alexander Hamilton and John Jay, wrote the Federalist Papers to argue for ratification. Meanwhile, the Northwest Ordinance established an organized process for creating new states, prohibiting slavery in these territories and setting a precedent for westward expansion under the new government.