The United States – A New Nation – Legends of America
Okay, picture this: July 4, 1776. Fireworks, right? Well, kind of. It was more like a Declaration of Independence – a big "We’re outta here!" to Great Britain. What started as a bit of a squabble about rights under the British Empire suddenly became a full-blown revolution. The goal? Total independence. But let’s be real, kicking out the King wasn’t going to be a walk in the park. The Americans were in for a long, tough fight.
A Nation in Diapers
This "new nation" was basically a bunch of 13 states, all doing their own thing. National pride? It was a brand-new feeling, mostly fueled by everyone being annoyed at the British. Think about it: these were colonies used to doing things their way, with different loyalties and economies. Plus, this whole revolution thing was born out of a fear of the government throwing its weight around. So, building a strong central government that could actually get stuff done? Easier said than done.
Back in 1776, these 13 states had about 2.5 million people. But not everyone was ready to grab a musket. About 20% were African American slaves, who weren’t usually allowed to serve (though some did end up fighting in integrated units). And then there were the Loyalists – people who still sided with the King, either because they felt they had to or because they genuinely believed in the British cause. Add in the folks who just didn’t care either way, and you can see the patriots had their work cut out for them.
Still, there were enough potential soldiers to give the British a run for their money. The problem? Most of these guys were farmers with families. They weren’t exactly thrilled about leaving their farms for long stretches. They were used to short stints in the local militia, not signing up for the Continental Army.
The Economic Puzzle
The economy of these 13 states wasn’t exactly a powerhouse. They were mostly farming communities, trading their extra crops for British goods and stuff from the West Indies. Manufacturing was just starting out, so they didn’t make much of the military supplies they needed. Even though they tried to boost local production during the war, they still relied heavily on stuff they captured or imported from Europe and the West Indies. And the British were doing their best to block those imports.
Food wasn’t the problem – they had plenty of that. The problem was getting it from one place to another. The best way to travel was by river, but the roads running north and south were terrible. Wagons and boats were always in short supply. So, supporting a local militia for a few weeks was one thing, but keeping a large, national army in the field? That was a whole different ball game.
Government by Committee
The government they set up after the Declaration was all about keeping things decentralized and weak. The 13 states turned their temporary revolutionary governments into official state governments. The new state constitutions usually gave most of the power to the state legislatures (the old colonial assemblies). They also made sure the governors didn’t have too much power.
At the national level, it was the same story. They didn’t trust a strong central authority. So, they kept the Continental Congress going – basically a group of delegates chosen by the state legislatures. The Congress didn’t have much power of its own, and it didn’t have anyone to enforce its decisions.
The Articles of Confederation, which laid out the rules for the union and gave Congress some limited powers, were written soon after the Declaration. But the states were so jealous of each other that they didn’t ratify it until 1781. In the meantime, Congress tried to do its best under the Articles. But the Articles didn’t give Congress the power to tax or raise its own army. It could only ask the states for troops and money, based on their population and wealth. And guess what? The states rarely met their quotas.
Money Troubles
One of the biggest problems with this setup was money. Nobody wanted to pay taxes, so the state legislatures (who had the power to tax) were hesitant to use it. They often struggled to pay their own bills.
So, Congress decided to print paper money and take out loans. But the states were doing the same thing, printing money like crazy and borrowing as much as they could. In the beginning, the paper money was helpful. In fact, the Revolution probably wouldn’t have happened without it. But eventually, all that printing led to massive inflation. That’s where the saying "not worth a Continental" comes from.
The value of the money kept dropping, and the states and Congress ran out of credit. They couldn’t pay the troops, buy supplies, or cover the costs of the war.
A New Nation, But At What Cost?
The United States had won its independence, but it was a young nation with a lot of challenges ahead. It was broke, divided, and had a weak central government. The road to becoming a truly united and powerful nation was going to be a long and bumpy one.