Kryzysy i kompromisy w Stanach Zjednoczonych Ameryki czasów Ojców Założycieli
Crises and Compromises in the United States of America in the Times of the Founding

Author(s): Jolanta Alina Daszyńska
Subject(s): History, Diplomatic history, Military history, Modern Age, 18th Century, 19th Century
Published by: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Łódzkiego
Keywords: Founding Fathers; federalism; constitution; crisis; compromise; Washington; Hamilton; Jefferson; Adams; Madison; Monroe
Summary/Abstract: The work discusses the issue omitted by American historians as the one that stands in the opposition to a vision of the United States being presented as a successful country especially after proclaiming a federal constitution in 1787. Although it prevented the break of a nation and made the Union stronger, numerous crises that took place after the war of independence still happened. What is worth mentioning, the USA were created due to the crisis that occurred between the British colonies and a metropolis. The said crises are on various occasions called in such a way to omit the word “crisis”, which for instance can be noticed while talking about the Rebellion of 1792, Whiskey Rebellion or John Fries Rebellion. Additionally, the treaties concluded are named after the people responsible for their creation and are believed to be a sign of a success of an American diplomacy. Some issues were not considered to be critical ones despite starting a crisis, like it was in the case of purchasing Louisiana. Crises occurred as a consequence of various factors – economic, political or constitutional ones. The last mentioned resulted from a different interpretation of the constitution with a special impact of the introduced rule of implied powers. A number of crises were solved, which was done thanks to the work of the presidents who were at the same time the Founding Fathers and who went to great lengths to create “a more perfect Union” (J. Madison). In fact, it is possible to talk about the expanding territory of the USA, the defended independence (in a war of 1812) and the increasing power of the country which started being so influential that it began imposing its politics on the rest of the world, which was manifested in the Monroe Doctrine. The constitution survived, crises ended and were not publicized.

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