Chapter 6 The Federalist Era to the War of 1812 I. Challengesfacing the new republic: A. The United States of America came into formalexistencewith adoption of the Articles of Confederation in 1781.With the ratification of the federal constitution the United States facedfour significant challenges when George Washington took office in 1789: 1. On the simplest level, the United States lacked clear externalboundaries. a. The US and Britain did not agree to specific boundaries along theCanadianborder. b. The boundaries between the US andSpanish Floridawere also in dispute. c. The states of Virginia, Georgia, and North Carolina still claimedlandsrunning all the way to the Mississippi River. d. Massachusetts, New York, and New Hampshire still fought overMaine. 2. The US was challenged by the more than one hundred thousandNative Americanswho lived within the borders of the new republic. a. The US had signed eighttreatieswith Indian nations before ratification of the constitution. b. However, Indians rejected the idea offixed bordersand the specific borders established in the Treaty of Paris. 3. The new nation also lacked a clearculturalor ethnic identity. a. Most of the population was of Europeandescentand most claimed Englishheritage, but was not uniform. b. Almosthalfof the population was of Scottish, Scotch-Irish, Irish, German, Dutch, Welsh, or French descent which tended to fractureculturalunity. c. Non-European immigrants often brought oldanimositiestoward the English with them to America. 4.Religionseparated Americans as much as it united them. a. English, Welsh, Dutch, and many Germans were primarilyprotestant, but not thesameprotestant b. Irish and French wereRoman Catholic, at a time when Protestant-Catholic differences were the cause for Europeanwars. B. In 1789 the US was overwhelmingly arural nation, with 97% of the population living in the countryside. 1. Most rural Americans owned family farms of50-100acres. 70
