George Washington, the first president of America was successful in terms of establishing nationhood because everyone believed that he was the best choice for their country- he was, after all the “founding father” of the United States, and everyone knew of his efforts in gaining independence for America and saw him as the main person involved in creating the new nation. His belief that “there is no nation if there is division”, made him want to unite the different states, so that citizens of the United States of America saw themselves as Americans, not as people from different states. Washington was also successful in implementing a spirit of constitution. He put down the Whisky Rebellion in 1794, which was one of the few times when the federal government exercised military rule against citizens of the United States of America. He also established the Cabinet, a Secretary of State, a Secretary of War, and the first set of Judges among other things. By giving these people important places in the governance of the country, Washington was underlining the fact that America was a democratic country, and that he was not an autocrat. By introducing the first set of Judges, who could intervene when the constitution was challenged, Washington was saying that the power of the leader was in the hands of the ‘American people.’ However, taking all this into consideration, one can argue that Washington cannot be compared to other presidents because was the only unopposed, unanimous choice. He is remembered more for what he did before America gained independence, than for his efforts as the 1st president.
John Adams was not very successful as a president. His introduction of the Naturalization Act1, the Alien Act + the Alien Enemies Act2 and the Sedition Act3 in 1798- because of his fear of not being reelected at the end of his term- widened the tension between the Republicans and the Federalists, and resulted in a lesser sense of nationhood than before. Adams brought about more division in the country when he supported the north more than the south. Also, because Adams did not make an effort to bring the nation forward, no other states joined the United States under Adams’s rule and the country was breaking apart. In the midst of all these blunders, Adams lets Impressment- the “act of conscripting people to serve in the military or navy, usually by force and without notice”4- go on.
Adams did not do so well in terms of implementing a spirit of constitution either. He did not try to compromise for the best of everyone and instead sought after his own ends. In terms of domestic compromise, Adams did not compromise on the Virginia and Kentucky Resolution as he did not, as a federalist, approve of statehood and this goes against the constitution. Internationally, Adams does not find a way to resolve the issue between France and Britain by remaining neutral, instead he sees the British as more beneficial ally (because of British occupation of Canada. If he did come up with a treaty with both the British and the French which said that America would not get involved in any of their disputes, the U.S. could have avoided the war of 1812. Most of Adams’s actions were focused on increasing federal control - not much emphasis was placed on individual state rights, and by doing this he was angering the state rightists and also went against the fourth article of the constitution which “requires the United States to guarantee to each state a republican form of government”5.
Thomas Jefferson and James Madison were thought of as ‘able presidents’ because they came after John Adams who, as a president did an abysmal job. Unlike Adams, they were both states people, and saw themselves as Virginians rather than Americans. Thomas Jefferson did increase the idea of nationhood with the Louisiana Purchase because the Americans were given more territory to call their own; however, Jefferson was not sure if purchase constitutional. However, Jefferson denied citizenship to the Native Americans, and pushed them towards the west. James Madison did not try to compromise with the Federalists and instead, after the Hartford Convention announced that the Federalist Party was unpatriotic, thus failing to implement a spirit of constitution. By weakening the Federalist Party, Jefferson managed to prevent New England from seceding- which increased the sense that all the states were part of a collective nation. Jefferson was also the one to declare war against Britain in 1812, which was not for the best of the country and went against the constitution because by declaring war, the U.S was not protecting the states from invasion and violence (article four of the constitution). “Mr. Madison’s War” as the War of 1812 was called by New England Federalists was successful in implementing a spirit of constitution- there was a “growth of national identity and [a] huge surge of patriotism.6”
James Monroe is arguably the most successful revolutionary president in terms of implementing a spirit of constitution and establishing nationhood. He was the choice of all the Americans except one for re-election- he was the choice when they had a choice- unlike Washington. By coming up with the Missouri Compromise in 1818, Monroe instilled the spirit of the constitution- he compromised so that no one was overly upset and most people happy. Monroe worked with the opposition to resolve conflicts. When he became president, he went on a tour on New England, and met many Federalists. Even though the Federalist Party was dying in terms of popularity, Monroe, in compromising and spending time with the members of the party, showed that he was caring and that people that belonged to other parties were also part of the nation. The Oregon Dispute between the U.S and U.K was handled well by Monroe. Spain and Russia had given up their claim diplomatically and no violence was used. Had James Madison been in Monroe’s places, there would most likely have been a war. Monroe made sure, by compromising, that the best decision was made- one that benefited most people and harmed none. During Monroe presidential terms, territories were seen of as an integrated part of the country and Florida joined the United States. In 1823, Monroe came up the Monroe Doctrine, which said that America would not interfere in European disputes as long as they stayed out of the Americas. Any dispute that extended into the Americas would be seen of as hostile. By coming up with the Doctrine, Monroe was underlining the fact that America was an independent, sovereign nation that could take care of it self -this increased nationalism in the country. The Era of Good Feelings was a time when there was no political unhappiness that took place in the U.S7. People were happy with Monroe’s decisions and no one attacked him for his policies.
To be a president who is successful in terms of establishing nationhood and implementing a spirit of the constitution, one has to see themselves collectively as part of a nation. Monroe, unlike Jefferson and Madison, did not see himself as a man from some state, but as an American. John Adams saw himself solely as a federalist, not as an American. George Washington’s term was glorified by his role in the revolution and so cannot be described as the most successful. After analyzing the first five presidents, one can conclude that creating divisions is the key to an unsuccessful leadership term and that compromising is the better way of handling matters.
Thank you, very informational
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