In 1793, a controversial Supreme Court opinion convinced Congress to amend the Constitution to provide a more explicit safeguard for federalism. Indeed, even Federalists considered the majority opinion in Chisholm v. Georgia as an overt example of overreach by the federal judiciary.
In 1790, Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton proposed assuming the outstanding state debts in order to create an overarching national debt. When he did so, uproar ensued. But why was this such a controversial subject, and how did it bring the United States Capitol to Washington, DC?
The severance of the American colonies from Great Britain began, in large part, over the constitutional implications of British taxation. However, a concerted tax revolt in the early 1790s, the Whiskey Rebellion, was viewed as an existential threat to the fledgling United States.
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.
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 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?
