While some allege that the Articles of Confederation was an unpopular framework that invited universal criticism, the Annapolis Convention of 1786 proved that not everyone was ready to radically alter the Confederation system. In this video, I explain.
While Alexander Hamilton’s national bank is often considered the first of its kind in the United States, a precursor was actually established a decade earlier. Though short-lived, the Bank of North America was a defining institution of the Critical Period. In this episode, I explain.
By the Constitution, most Americans think of the existing document, which is actually the second constitution of the United States. Even though it receives little attention today, the Articles of Confederation was the first.
In 1787, a series of long-lasting territorial disputes between states culminated in a new set of guidelines for a vast swath of North American land. In the process, the debates over the Northwest Territory brought slavery to the forefront of national political discussion for the first time.
In 1786, a group of veterans from the War for Independence challenged the republican government of Massachusetts over harsh taxation and the lack of debt relief. To many, Shays’ Rebellion necessitated the grant of additional power to Congress…but did it really?
