1

Angela Simmons
Mr. Walker
Hist. 120
October 17, 2013
Ideology in the Early Republic
It is commonly believed that in the early years of the United States republic, many people
had a common vision for the future of the nation, but in reality, there was strong division
between leaders of the time. The Citizens also had differing views on what kind of country the
United States should become. In the period after the Revolutionary war, the U.S. was in a fragile
state. There was fear that if no constitution was written, before long the states would end up
separated, and the nation would fall apart. There were many aspects of the nations future that
needed to be considered before a conclusion could be reached. Opinions on the plan for the new
constitution varied, and it would take much convincing before it would be agreed upon.
Creating a government for a budding country is a big task and the early leaders of the
United States new that getting the Constitution right would be important for the future of the
nation. One important issue that faced early leaders was what to do about the native population
inhabiting the land. Some believed that Native Americans could one day become a part of the
United States if they could cooperate with the new government. On the other hand many people
believed that Native Americans were savages, and didnt deserve to be proper citizens of the
states. When the Native Americans were approached with the idea of assimilation into American
society, the idea was greatly unpopular within the tribes. They wanted to keep their tribal roots,
because that is what they considered their freedom. Eventually leaders came to a conclusion that

Natives wouldnt be taxed, so that they couldnt be counted as population, and could not
contribute to the number of representatives elected in the states.
Another looming issue in deciding the constitution was what to do about slavery. Slavery
was considered morally wrong by many leaders, but the decision to free them or leave them
enslaved was a whole other problem. They knew that slaves were a crucial part of the southern
economy and many people feared that banning slavery would break the fragile bonds between
the states and break up the union. Others believed that slaves could be freed and given rights to
citizenship, but the overwhelming racism and concerns over the U.S. structure and economy won
out over the ideals of equality in the states. It would be many years before salves would enjoy
freedom in the United States.
Another issue that faced the organizers and writers of the new constitution was whether
to include a bill of rights. Some people opposed a bill of rights, saying that individual states are
the ones who should decide natural rights; others simply believed a bill of rights was not
necessary at all in framing a government. On the other side some believed that securing the
peoples rights in the federal constitution was the only way to insure true liberty in the United
States. In a debate at the Pennsylvania ratifying convention it was stated that ...from the
example of other states, as well as from principle, that a bill of rights is neither an essential nor a
necessary instrument in framing a system of government, since liberty may exist and be as well
secured without it. Another concern about a bill of rights as stated by Giles Hickory is that a
standing bill of rights is absurd, because no constitutions, in a free government, can be
unalterable. He worried that freedoms listed in a bill of rights, may not be the same throughout
the generations, and that making a bill of rights that is unalterable is foolish.

The main issue facing leaders was ideas of federalism and anti-federalism. Many people
throughout the states believed that a stronger central government would restrict their freedoms.
State governments had been working well in the colonies up to that point, and people feared that
a stronger central government would just end up turning into another monarchy and ultimately
strip them of their freedoms like the countries in Europe. This was a concern of David Redick, an
anti-federalist who wrote in my opinion the day on which we adopt the present proposed plan
of government, from that moment we may Justly date the loss of American Liberty,. This
reflects the great concern throughout the anti-federalist, who greatly opposed strong federal
government. Fear of strong federal government was also a recurring theme through the citizens
in each state. Many people believed that the state governments were fine as they were, and a
strong federal government would disrupt their lives and create more issues then it solved. On the
other side of the argument, some leaders were concerned that without a strong federal
government, the states would end up splitting into their own governments and eventually become
little monarchies that would inevitably strip citizens of their freedoms. The fear was that the
states would eventually become like another Europe.
It took much time in effort to create a government for the new country. There were
numerous issues that had to be argued in order to come to an agreement about the constitution. It
wasnt an easy task because of the many differing opinions between leaders and citizens alike,
but after considerable debating and discussion about the future of the United States, the
constitution was written and ratified. Although there was much skepticism in the early republic,
America eventually grew into a strong nation on the solid foundation that the constitution laid
out. Contrary to popular belief, there were many struggles in the creation of the United States
government, which has held strong through the centuries.