American Creation

Ellis refers to Frederick Jackson Turner’s “Frontier Thesis” as an extension of Jefferson’s thoughts on the Louisiana Territory. What was Turner’s thesis and why was it an important contribution to American historiography? What have been some criticisms of it?

Chapter 4 and Chapter 6 look at how the new nation dealt with the Native Americans living within its territory. Ellis concludes that the inability to prevent their removal was one of the founders’ failures. This issue would later come to a head with the Indian Removal Act of 1830, leading to the “Trail of Tears.” Describe the repercussions of George Washington and Henry Knox’s failure to forge a solution to the new nation’s relationship with Native Americans.

Some today bemoan the strong hold that the two-party system has on American politics, but Ellis describes it as a positive development. What are the advantages and disadvantages of it? In your opinion, is there a better framework through which to engage in politics in the United States? 

Ellis writes that Jefferson did not want to even broach the subject of slavery during the Louisiana Territory purchase. This failure led to the Missouri Compromise in 1820. How did the Compromise deal with slavery in the western territory? Was it the best way or were there better alternatives? What role did this play in the outbreak of civil war 40 years later?

A 2019 recent book refers to the period of Reconstruction after the Civil War as a “second founding.” In particular, Amendments 13, 14, and 15 solved some of the problems of the original Constitution. What did these three amendments do and how did they align the United States more with republican values? What remained flawed about the American system of government that these amendments did not address? 

Ellis calls the American Revolution an “evolutionary revolution.” What does he mean by that? Consult Chapter 1 and the Constitution itself for evidence to use in your explanation. Then choose another major revolution, such as the French, Russian, or Chinese. What were their similarities and differences? Was the other revolution “evolutionary” or not? How did its consequences compare with those of the American Revolution?

Read the Articles of Confederation. Then research some of the problems they caused for governing. Choose one problem to explain at length. What happened and how were the Articles of Confederation ill equipped to handle it? How would the US Constitution later handle the same issue? Would it have a better or worse approach to the problem?

The Constitution never uses the words “slave” or “slavery,” yet the topic comes up twice in Article I and once in Article IV. Explain how each of these three areas state pertain to slavery and how they conflict with the spirit of the Revolution. Consult the Preamble to the Declaration of Independence and any other sources to help you answer this. Why didn’t the founders abolish slavery or institute a system of gradual emancipation when they drafted the Constitution in 1787?