As one of the first pieces of legislation under the United States Constitution, the Judiciary Act of 1789 created a branch of government that did not exist under the Articles of Confederation. However, the law contained several aspects that proved controversial.
John Jay returned from Britain in 1794, carrying with him treaty that normalized relations between the United States and its former mother country. He was greeted to a hero’s welcome by the Federalists, but was held in contempt by Republicans. The country became bitterly divided, and Jay’s likeness was hung in effigy in every corner of the country.
Of all things, the most controversial issue of President George Washington’s first term swirled around a bank. While Alexander Hamilton championed the establishment of the First Bank of the United States, Thomas Jefferson believed it would endanger liberty, ignite a constitutional crisis, and set a dangerous precedent.
In his first inaugural address, Thomas Jefferson articulated a vision of “peace, commerce, and honest friendship with all nations, entangling alliances with none.” But how did he think this would be best accomplished?
In 1793, President George Washington issued a statement that the United States would remain neutral in the ongoing conflict between France and Britain. But given that his decision kept the United States out of war, why was his decision so controversial?
The 1803 Louisiana Purchase doubled the size of the United States, adding the massive territory at the mere price of three cents per acre. But did you know that the arrangement sparked a sectional secession movement and constitutional crisis?
