History of the early national United States, 1789–1848

History Of the Early National United States, 1789-1848

The history of the United States has been marked by important factors which determined its evolution into what has come to be known as the most efficient democracy in the world. However, in order to reach this status, the republic had to undergo several changes, both at the level of the political conduct, as well as at the level of the political thought. Republicanism is widely considered as having been a milestone in both these aspects. It was the cornerstone of the political conduct in the early days of the republic and at the same time it enshrined the basic thoughts on politics at the time. Despite its use in that historical context, by the late 1960s, the term of republicanism as analyzed by scholars came to signify a different perspective and thus its interpretation gave rise to new meanings and points-of-view.

In the early days of the creation of the state, republicanism represented a set of ideas and values that motivated the revolutionary spirit of the Founding Fathers. It stood up for the beliefs that justified their actions which set them apart from the British rule. In this sense, the early history of the United States saw in the elements defining republicanism ideas related to liberty, the respect for human right, the equality of men, and, above all, a new set of norms based on the constitutional order.

The emergence of republicanism as a political thought is attributed to the early revolutionary forces that continuously viewed the British rule as a sign of corruption and inherited power. In turn, the advocates of this trend sought liberation from the old ideas related to the monarchic rule which limited the exercise of basic human rights. This was considered to be a flaw in the system of the monarchy that also confronted the colonies under the British rule. The right to exercise a chosen religion for instance was thought to be forbidden in the Empire, taking into account the fact that Anglicanism was the dominant and decisive force in England. By comparison, Republicanism advocated a new sense of considering the freedom of choice and of belief and rejected these imperatives.

There were also other considerations which led to the establishment of Republicanism as the framework for the conduct of politics in the era prior to the American Revolution. Unlike the apparently corrupt political system in Britain, which was hereditarily constructed, with inherited titles and positions often accessed through favoritism, the American political scene would be one in which the population would be properly represented according to the will of the people, and not through the power of influence of the representatives. In this sense, there was a wide interest in the construction of a representative system of elections which would set the basis for the democratic system.

The power of the law was yet another aspect that was taken into consideration by the Republican advocates. Personalities such as John Adams considered that the equality among men had to be perceived both in terms of the exercise of rights, as well as in the protection of their rights by the legal system. In this sense, he viewed all men, regardless of their status, as benefitting from the same liberties, by comparison to the British system where the nobility was better represented and enjoyed certain privileges common people lacked.

The matter of a central government that would enable a coordinated control over the matters of the republic, without however limiting the autonomy of state government was also an important aspect. It ensured that control was somewhat maintained, but still the freedom to adapt central politics to local specificities was created in order to limit the discrepancies existing between the two levels of government, state and federal.

Aside from the practical considerations provided by the system which split the federal and local authorities, there was also the matter of the limitation of powers. In this sense, the central government was built in such a manner as to express the boundaries of the influence even the elected office representatives had on the particular issues concerning each state. Thus, the Congress and the House of Representatives were established and these institutions came to represent the essence of the American Republicanism and democracy.

Despite these revolutionary ideals, the interpretation of the Republican creed came to be associated with the industrial aspects of the economy. As the country began to flourish and the economic development came to be associated more and more with the industrial revolution, so did the Republican political thought. The issue related to the taxation without representation and the subsequent debates that emerged gave way to an increasingly worried society which came to view the Republican perspective in grim shades. The distinction was basically made at the level of the regional split between the North and the South. While the North took into account the liberal ideas promoted by the Republican view, the South lacking the economic power to adjust to the increasing shift in the economic orientation, began to oppose the taxes and levies that characterized the period.

From the perspective of the pre-war American society, it can be said the Republicanism represented a set of ideals with which the entire population could identify. However, the political and historical context that emerged in the final part of the 19th century gave the notion of Republicanism a different meaning and today, there are various discussions over the exact meaning of the term.