The United States Was Weak In The Early Republic

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The United States was weak to a great extent in the late 1700s and early 1800s. The early republic was a period of time in early American history when the war of 1812 happened and the country was pretty divided politically. Great Britain and France had their own wars in Europe and America got caught in the crossfire and was roped into this worldwide war. While the United States really couldn't afford to go to war, it was really hard to stay out of a war between two world superpowers especially because ships and sailors were getting captured out at sea. The United States was weak in the early republic mainly due to the disastrous state of the economy and the divided country. While some say that America was strong and did fight Great Britain …show more content…

Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton both had very differing ideas on what America should look like. Hamilton led the Federalist party and believed in a strong central government and a loose interpretation of the constitution which means that politicians could read inbetween the lines and bend the rules. Jefferson led the Democratic-Republican party who believed in a weak central government and a strict interpretation of the constitution which allowed only what was specifically said in the constitution. This division often made it difficult for the country to agree on things and make change when it was needed. In addition to this political division, the North and South were two very divided areas. The north depended on trade and also had the beginnings of a manufacturing industry while the south relied heavily on the growing of cotton and farming to make their money. This economically divided country made it really hard for them to unite because they were so …show more content…

The battle of Fort McHenry was an important battle in which America held out against the super power Great Britain for 23 hours. The British brutally attacked an American fort with warships that brought the battle to a whole new level. But even with all of the odds against them, America held out and eventually won. This was a huge inspiration for the country and was even when our national anthem about the Star Spangled Banner still waving was written. Not only did this war unite the country, but it also gained other countries respect for America for fighting Britain to a draw not only once but twice. The battle of New Orleans was also a great show of power from America. Even though the Treaty of Ghent signaling the end of the war was already signed, it had not yet reached america. This battle fought in New Orleans by America and Great Britain, only had about 71 American casualties, but over 2,000 British men