Madison Administrations - Changes in the U.S. Government
Changes in the U.S. Government
The War of 1812 has been credited as the event that finally gave the United States a sense of nationhood. Prior to the war personal allegiances were usually focused on the state or the locality. The war pulled the country together and focused its attention on the greatness of the nation. To U.S. citizens at that time, the nation had stood up to Great Britain, the preeminent military power in the world. This was a genuine source of pride for an underdeveloped, agricultural country with no real professional military and little industry. The fact that the nation survived despite its disorganized leadership made both possible and necessary the task of innovating a system of government.
Another important aspect of the government during Madison's presidency was that the Constitution proved to be both effective and durable. Despite all of the problems with the states over militias and finances, the...
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