The origins of and debates surrounding the U.S. Constitution, and how the debates were resolved
The differing views of what the nation should become, and how these differences led to the rise of the Federalists, the Republicans, and America's "first party system"
The ways in which the new United States tried to establish itself as a nation in the eyes of both foreign powers and its own people
The rise and fall of the Federalist Party and the background of the "Revolution of 1800"
A thorough study of Chapter Six should enable the student to understand the following:
The groups that advocated a stronger national government and how they, probably a minority, were able to achieve their objective
The historical debate concerning the motives of the delegates to the Constitutional Convention
The debate over the Virginia and New Jersey plans and how it was resolved
The idea of federalism and the working design of the American Constitution
The importance of The Federalist Papers in the ratification struggle, and the arguments of the Antifederalist opposition
The financial program of Alexander Hamilton, and its contribution to the success of the new government
The emergence of the first party system, the political philosophies of the Federalists and Republicans, and their respective influence through the election of 1800
The ways in which the weak new nation coped with various domestic and international problems, including the Whiskey Rebellion, Native American unrest, and the "quasi war" with France
The presidency of John Adams, the passage of the Alien and Sedition Acts, and their role in helping to bring about the "Revolution of 1800"
