Exceptional leaders are key to the development of new countries. This was especially true during the New Republic Era, spanning from the late 1700s to the early 1800s, in which the first five presidents worked to lead the fragile, weak nation from infancy into a developed nation with a great infrastructure. George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and James Monroe all guided the nation using advantageous foreign and domestic policies toward a brighter, more prosperous nation.
George Washington was the first leader to save the nation from debt and unnecessary conflict with other nations. He instituted a series of tariffs and taxes during the first years of his presidency, 1790 to 1791, to help lift the burden of debt off of the nation’s back. It showed that George Washington cared about the new nation and used his leadership to try to help solve the nation’s many problems. George Washington created a policy of neutrality on April 22, 1793, called the Neutrality Proclamation because he knew the US was too young and too unprepared to fight in any war. It saved the United States from having to be included in impractical, inconclusive European wars that
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Thomas Jefferson purchased the Louisiana Territory for 15 million dollars on May 2, 1803, from Napoleon. His foresight helped boost the economy of the US and its expansion because the US could use the Mississippi River to transport the abundant resources of the Louisiana Territory to the industrial centers in the eastern states and then to the European market. Jefferson undertook his responsibility of showing America’s power by engaging in the Tripoli Wars which showed European powers that the US was a fighting force not to be reckoned with. By proving the army and navy were capable of war, Jefferson built the foundation of the US’s emergence as a world power and later a
In “When the Ends Justify the Means,” Barry J. Balleck debates that President Jefferson did not abandon his political ethics by purchasing the Louisiana Territory (P. 14). Balleck states that the Louisiana Purchase was “the greatest achievement of Thomas Jefferson’s presidency” (P. 14). With the addition of the new territory to the United States, President Jefferson secured the nation “for generations, if not centuries to come” (P. 14). Jefferson was confident that purchasing the Louisiana Territory would encourage the development of an upright Republican populace (P. 14). Surprisingly, he had many reservations about his authority to purchase Louisiana, but that did not stop him from laying the treaty before Congress (P. 19). He also knew that, by purchasing Louisiana, the Federalists power might be lost, but he still pushed forward with the treaty (P. 19). Although many historians criticize President Jefferson for giving up his most visible political convictions by purchasing Louisiana, he knew that it would double the size of the United States and ensure much land expansion for the country (P. 20). He strongly believed that the new territory was “essential to national security” (P. 21). In President Jefferson’s mind, purchasing Louisiana secured the “virtues of Republicanism in an ‘Empire of Liberty’” (P. 22). “The Louisiana
The Louisiana Purchase was a seminal event for a new nation that caused heated debates to just how constitutional this deal of land was. Due to Jefferson’s familiarity with the French during his time in France as an American envoy. Another factor that led Jefferson to purchase of this vast land, was his understanding of the potential dangers of the French military. Posted on the Mississippi River, controlling the ports, and what can enter and leave, this would make trade for the United States much more difficult. The deal was instantly popular but soon found
George Washington as America's Greatest Leader An independent country requires a strong, wise and dignified administration to guide a highly emotional population through a tough phase while establishing a stable relationship with other nations. At the same time, the first president, guided by his administration, must create a charter to govern the nation. Being the first president of the United States of America and a new face on the world stage, George Washington along with his administration created an excellent blueprint for the recently formed nation. Washington was successful as the first president because his administration maintained peace and neutrality in European affairs, consisted of men
The Louisiana Purchase happened in 1803 when Thomas Jefferson purchased the Louisiana Territory from the French for fifteen million dollars. The Louisiana Territory extended from the Mississippi River in the east to the Rocky Mountains in the west and from the Canadian border in the north to the Gulf of Mexico in the south. I believe that there were just as many disadvantages to the Louisiana Purchase for President Thomas Jefferson as there were advantages. The advantages were that the purchase removed France from North America, doubled the size of America, allowed the United states to acquire more fertile land, and gain control of the Mississippi River and New Orleans. The disadvantages were that America had to defend a country that was doubled in size, they had to supervise how Americans settled the new land, deal with more Native Americans, and the purchase was against Jefferson's beliefs.
With a new nation facing overwhelming difficulties, George Washington faced the challenges of being the first president to run, shape, and build the foundations of the newly formed United States. Washington came into office with the country in heavy debt, and an empty treasury. With the issues President George Washington was facing, he proved to be a paragon leader.
The Louisiana Purchase was the largest land transaction for the United States, and the most important event of President Jefferson's presidency. Jefferson arranged to purchase the land for $11,250,000 from Napoleon in 1803. This land area lay between the Mississippi River and the Rocky Mountains, stretching from the Gulf of Mexico to the Canadian border. The purchase of this land greatly increased the economic resources of the United States, and proved Jefferson had expansionist dreams by doubling the size of the United States. Jefferson believed that the republic must be controlled by ambitious, independent, property-holding farmers, who would form
One of the most obvious, and in my opinion, most important factors to Why George Washington is the greatest president of all time, is the fact that he was the very first president ever. With John Adams at his side, George Washington started the country on its way to become the great and wonderful country that we call home today. George Washington is perhaps the single president who can truly call himself a “founding father” of the United States of America. Many people would’ve have looked at the situation and thought that it wasn’t their place to correct a whole country, or much less to lead the country to greatness. It takes great courage to lead an entire country, without anyone to look back on for experience advice or mistakes that have been made. I, myself, couldn’t or wouldn’t have even thought about doing that, I would’ve let someone like George Washington step up to the plate.
Before, the war in 1803, President Thomas Jefferson acquired land from the French for $15 million. This was best known as the Louisiana Purchase, which doubled the size of the United States it stretched from the Mississippi River to the Rocky Mountains and from Canada to New Orleans.
The Decisions made to buy the Louisiana Purchase were tough; however, in the end the Louisiana Purchase was the most important land purchase in American history. In 1803 the United States had seventeen states along with the Northwest Territory. America still had not reached its potential growth, even though the states were still growing with settlers, until after the Louisiana Purchase. The president at this time was Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson’s decision would soon be the birth of our nation, as well as be the largest land purchase in American history.
At the commencement of the 17th century, successions of westward expansion had already begun to take place. In 1803, Thomas Jefferson, who was president at the time, purchased the Louisiana territory from France. Several citizens did support Jefferson’s purchase in virtue of the many
While Washington was president, the French Revolution was going on and the English and French were in conflict. Both sides were asking help from the U.S.A. Many officials were split on who to side with but Washington decided to pass the Neutrality Proclamation declaring that the American stay out of it. Washington decided to do this because he believed there was no point in helping since it will just add to the national debt and cut ties with one or the other nations. He makes this clear when he states, “Against the insidious wiles of foreign influence” (paragraph
Jefferson faced a political dilemma by having to make a difficult decision with purchasing the Louisiana. He was a very strict person involved in the constitution. The federal government had a very hard time dealing with the constitution. The constitution would not give the federal government enough power to purchase it from France. Jefferson was an anti-federalist, although he wrote the constitution he did not agree to author it. He also faced the fact about deciding whether purchasing and acquiring land was even legal. On top of that there was also cons Jefferson dealt with. A con was that the United States would have to protect a larger nation with purchasing the Louisiana. The United States would also have to be careful with how the Americans explored the land and settled. Thomas Jefferson had a lot going on after
Moreover, Washington’s Proclamation of Neutrality, which stated that the US should not enter war due to its infancy, set the stage for foreign policy
The Louisiana Purchase was the most important event of President Thomas Jefferson's first Administration. In this transaction, the United States bought 827,987 square miles of land from France for about $15 million. This vast area lay between the Mississippi River and the Rocky Mountains, stretching
At first the United States wanted to buy only New Orleans and the land around it. The purchase met with the strong opposition in the United States on account of being unconstitutional. Those accusations were correct to some extent. President Jefferson couldn’t deny that the Constitution of the United States did not provide for buying new territories but still he decided to proceed with the purchase since the removal of French presence in the region was such an important issue.