READ: After the US Constitution
After the US Constitution
Following the creation of the US Constitution, it took 2 years for the individual States to ratify (vote on/agree with) the new Constitution. In 1789, George Washington was voted in as the first President of the United States. His popularity was overwhelming and resulted in him being voted in unanimously as President for both terms that he served.
During his presidency, Washington was able to dissolve conflict over the functions of the government but this conflict did not go away. At the end of his second term, Washington chose to not run again because he wanted the people to see a successful shift of power from one person to the next. He also warned against letting conflict divide the country into different factions (groups). During the next president of John Adams, the first factions (political parties) were created and the country became divided over issues related to governing and a functioning country.
John Adams led the second presidency of the United States and focused on continuing to build the nation and its relationships globally. This resulted in some solid footing for the 3rd President of the USA. President Thomas Jefferson managed to negotiate with France for one of the biggest land purchases of all time, the Louisiana Purchase. With this land, the USA nearly doubled in size and provided untapped resources for the new nation.
Following Thomas Jefferson, the USA was turning into prime territory to control. Being stable with massive amounts of land attracted Great Britain to try to take the country back into its power. President James Madison was forced to lead the nation through the War of 1812. The war ended in USA victory once more against Great Britain but it solidified that the United States was here to stay. This gave way for the Americans to develop their own culture and expand their nation throughout their gained land.