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WelcometoTHEMAKINGOFANATION--AmericanhistoryinVOASpecialEnglish.

GeorgeWashingtonbyartistLaugier

TheUnitedStatesdeclareditsindependencefromBritainonJulyfourth,seventeenseventy-six.ThenewnationwasalooselyformedalliancegovernedundertheArticlesofConfederation.Allthischangedwhenanewplanofgovernment,theConstitution,wentintoeffectonMarchfourth,seventeeneighty-nine.Therewasmuchtobedonetomakeitwork.Themachineryofgovernmentwasuntested.Strongleadershipwasneeded.Today,HarryMonroeandKayGallanttellthestoryofAmerica'

sfirstpresident,GeorgeWashington.

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VOICETWO:

ManyhistoriansbelievetherewouldneverhavebeenaUnitedStateswithoutGeorgeWashington.HeledtheAmericanpeopletovictoryintheirwarforindependencefromBritain.Hekeptthenewnationunitedinthedangerousfirstyearsofitslife.

WashingtonhadastrangepowerovertheAmericanpeople.Hisnamestilldoes.Duringhislifetime,hewashonoredforhiscourageandwisdom.Afterhisdeathinseventeenninety-nine,hebecamealmostgod-like.Peopleforgotthathewashuman,thathehadfaultsandmademistakes.

Forwelloveronehundredyears,AmericansfounditdifficulttocriticizeGeorgeWashington.HerepresentedthespiritofAmerica--whatwasbestaboutthecountry.

VOICEONE:

RecenthistorianshavepaintedamorerealisticpictureofWashington.Theywriteabouthisweaknesses,aswellashisstrengths.Butthishasnotreducedhisgreatnessandimportanceinthemakingofthenation.

TheforceofWashington'

spersonality,andhisinfluence,wasextremelyimportantatthePhiladelphiaconventionthatwrotethenewConstitution.Hadhenotagreedtoattend,somesay,theconventionwouldnothavebeenheld.Later,asthefirstpresident,hegavethenewnationagoodstartinlife.

GeorgeWashingtonbyartistGeorgeDunlap

Washingtonwasabletocontrolpoliticaldisputesamongofficialsofthenewgovernment.Hewouldnotletsuchdisputesdamagethenation'

sunity.

Washingtonoftenthoughtofthefuture.Hewantedthefirstgovernmenttotaketherightsteps.

Hesaid,somethingsmaynotseemimportantinthebeginning,butlater,theymayhavebadpermanentresults.Itwouldbebetter,hefelt,tostarthisadministrationrightthantotrytocorrectmistakeslater…whenitmightbetoolatetodoso.Hehopedtoactinsuchawaythatfuturepresidentscouldcontinuetobuildonwhathebegan.

Washingtonhadclear,firmideasaboutwhatwasrightandwhatwaswrong.Helovedjustice.Healsolovedtherepublicanformofgovernment.

Somepeoplehaddifficultyseeingthispartoftheman.ForWashingtonlookedlikeanaristocrat.And,attimes,heseemedtoactlikeone.Heattendedmanyceremonies.Heoftenrodethroughthestreetsinacarriagepulledbysixhorses.Hiscriticscalledhim"

king."

Washingtonopposedrulebykingsanddictators.HewasshockedthatsomegoodpeopletalkedofhavingamonarchyinAmerica.Hewasevenmoreshockedthattheydidnotunderstandtheharmtheyweredoing.

WashingtonwarnedthatthisloosetalkcouldleadtoanattempttoestablishamonarchyintheUnitedStates.Amonarchy,hesaid,wouldbeagreatvictoryfortheenemiesoftheUnitedStates.ItwouldprovethatAmericanscouldnotgovernthemselves.

Aspresident,Washingtondecidedtodoeverythinginhispowertopreventthecountryfromeverbeingruledbyakingordictator.Hewantedthepeopletohaveasmuchself-governmentaspossible.Suchgovernment,Washingtonfelt,meantalifeofpersonalfreedomandequaljusticeforthepeople.

Theeighteenthcenturyhasbeendescribedastheageofreasonandunderstandingfortherightsofpeople.Washingtonwasamanofhistimes.Hesaidnoonecouldfeelagreaterinterestinthehappinessofmankindthanhedid.Hesaiditwashisgreatesthopethatthepoliciesofthattimewouldbringtoeveryonethoseblessingswhichshouldbetheirs.

WashingtonwasespeciallyhappyandproudthattheUnitedStateswouldprotectpeopleagainstoppressionfortheirreligiousbeliefs.

Hedidnotcarewhichgodpeopleworshipped.Hefeltthatreligiousfreedomwasarightofeveryperson.Goodmen,hesaid,arefoundallovertheworld.Theycanbefollowersofanyreligion…ornoreligionatall.

Washington'

sfeelingsaboutracialoppressionwereasstrongashisfeelingsaboutreligiousoppression.True,heownedNegroslaves.Buthehatedslavery."

Thereisnotamanalive,"

heoncesaid,"

whowishesmoretrulythanItoseeaplanapprovedtoendslavery."

Byhisorder,allhisslaveswerefreedwhenhedied.

GeorgeWashingtonatPrincetonbyartistCharlesWillsonPeale

Fromthebeginning,GeorgeWashingtonwascarefultoestablishagoodworkingrelationshipwiththeCongress.HedidnotattempttotakeawayanypowersgiventotheCongressbytheConstitution.Byhisactions,heconfirmedtheseparationofpowersofthethreebranchesofthegovernment,asproposedintheConstitution.

TheCongress,too,wasreadytocooperate.ItdidnotattempttotakeawayanypowersgiventothepresidentbytheConstitution.TheCongress,forexample,agreedthatPresidentWashingtonhadtherighttoappointhisassistants.ButCongresskepttherighttoapprovethem.

Washingtonaskedsomeofthenation'

swisestandmostablementoserveinthenewgovernment.

ForSecretaryofState,hechoseThomasJefferson.Atthetime,JeffersonwasAmerica'

srepresentativetoFrance.

WhileCongresswasconsideringJefferson'

snomination,WashingtonheardofthreateningeventsinFrance.HelearnedthatamobhadcapturedtheoldprisoncalledtheBastille.Washingtonwasworried.TheUnitedStateshaddependedonFranceforhelpduringitswarforindependence.AnditstillneededFrenchhelp.AcrisisinFrancecouldbebadforAmerica.

TheinformationJeffersonbroughthomewouldprovevaluableifthesituationinFrancegotworse.WashingtonalsothoughtJefferson'

sadvicewouldbeusefulingeneral,notjustonFrenchdevelopments.

ForSecretaryoftheTreasury,WashingtonchoseAlexanderHamilton.HamiltonhadservedasoneofWashington'

sassistantsduringtheRevolutionaryWar.

ForChiefJusticeoftheUnitedStates,hechoseJohnJay.JayhelpedwritetheFederalistPapers,whichareconsideredthebestexplanationoftheConstitutioneverwritten.TwodelegatestotheConstitutionalconventionwerenamedassociatejusticesoftheSupremeCourt:

JamesWilsonandJohnRutledge.

ForAttorneyGeneral,WashingtonwantedagoodlawyerandsomeonewhosupportedtheConstitution.HechoseEdmundRandolphofVirginia.ItwasRandolphwhoproposedtheVirginiaPlantothePhiladelphiaconvention.TheplanbecamethebasisforthenationalConstitution.Randolphrefusedtosignthedocument,becausehedidnotbelieveitcouldbeapproved.ButheworkedlatertohelpwinVirginia'

sapprovaloftheConstitution.

PresidentWashingtonnamedhisassistants,andtheCongressapprovedthem.Thepresidentwasreadytobeginworkonthenation'

surgentproblems.Andthereweremany.

OneproblemwasSpain'

scontrolofthelowerpartoftheMississippiRiver.Americanfarmersneededtousetherivertotransporttheircropstomarket.ButtheSpanishgovernorinLouisianaclosedtheMississippitoAmericanboats.

TherealsowereproblemswithBritain.TheUnitedStateshadnocommercialtreatywithBritain.AndBritainhadsentnorepresentativetothenewAmericangovernment.

Equallyurgentwerethenewnation'

seconomicproblems.Twomajorissueshadtobesettled.OnewasrepaymentofloansmadetosupporttheAmericanarmyinthewarforindependence.Theotherwascreationofanationalmoneysystem.Bothissuesneededquickaction.

FindingsolutionswouldbethejobofPresidentWashington'

streasurysecretary,AlexanderHamilton.AlexanderHamiltonwillbeourstorynextweek.

OurprogramwaswrittenbyHaroldBraverman.ThenarratorswereHarryMonroeandKayGallant.JoinusagainnextweekforTHEMAKINGOFANATION,anAmericanhistoryseriesinVOASpecialEnglish.Ourprogramsareonlinewithtranscripts,MP3sandpodcastsat.Youcanalsolearnaboutthehistoryoftheseriesitself.THEMAKINGOFANATIONwasfirstbroadcastinnineteensixty-nine,tenyearsafterVOAstartedSpecialEnglish.

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Thisisprogram#27ofTHEMAKINGOFANATION

TheImaginationofAlexanderHamilton

HamiltonwantedtomaketheUnitedStatesastrongandimportantnation.HewantedittobecometheequalofthepowerfulnationsofEurope.Transcriptofradiobroadcast:

09April2008

WelcometoTHEMAKINGOFANATION–AmericanhistoryinVOASpecialEnglish. 

TodaywebeginthestoryofAlexanderHamilton,oneofthenation'

smostimportantearlypolicymakers.

ThefirstgovernmentoftheUnitedStateswasweak. 

Ithadmanydebtsandanemptytreasury.Itssupportfromthepeoplewasnotfirm.Therewassomequestionaboutitsfuture.Manywonderedifitwouldlast.

Inafewyears,however,therewasachange.Thischangewasproducedinlargepartbytheenergyandimaginationofoneman,AlexanderHamilton.HamiltonwantedtomaketheUnitedStatesastrongandimportantnation.HewantedittobecometheequalofthepowerfulnationsofEurope. 

HereareShirleyGriffithandFrankOliverwithourstory. 

VO