Making of a Nation.docx

Making of a Nation.docx

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MakingofaNation

AmericanHistorySeries:

FromRevolutionaryWarHerotoPresident

ManyhistoriansbelievetherewouldneverhavebeenaUnitedStateswithoutGeorgeWashington.Transcriptofradiobroadcast:

02April2008

ANNOUNCER:

WelcometoTHEMAKINGOFANATION--AmericanhistoryinVOASpecialEnglish.

GeorgeWashingtonbyartistLaugier

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

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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.

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GeorgeWashingtonbyartistGeorgeDunlap

Washingtonwasabletocontrolpoliticaldisputesamongofficialsofthenewgovernment.Hewouldnotletsuchdisputesdamagethenation'sunity.

Washingtonoftenthoughtofthefuture.Hewantedthefirstgovernmenttotaketherightsteps.

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

VOICEONE:

Washingtonhadclear,firmideasaboutwhatwasrightandwhatwaswrong.Helovedjustice.Healsolovedtherepublicanformofgovernment.

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

Washingtonopposedrulebykingsanddictators.HewasshockedthatsomegoodpeopletalkedofhavingamonarchyinAmerica.Hewasevenmoreshockedthattheydidnotunderstandtheharmtheyweredoing.

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WashingtonwarnedthatthisloosetalkcouldleadtoanattempttoestablishamonarchyintheUnitedStates.Amonarchy,hesaid,wouldbeagreatvictoryfortheenemiesoftheUnitedStates.ItwouldprovethatAmericanscouldnotgovernthemselves.

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

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Theeighteenthcenturyhasbeendescribedastheageofreasonandunderstandingfortherightsofpeople.Washingtonwasamanofhistimes.Hesaidnoonecouldfeelagreaterinterestinthehappinessofmankindthanhedid.Hesaiditwashisgreatesthopethatthepoliciesofthattimewouldbringtoeveryonethoseblessingswhichshouldbetheirs.

WashingtonwasespeciallyhappyandproudthattheUnitedStateswouldprotectpeopleagainstoppressionfortheirreligiousbeliefs.

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

Washington'sfeelingsaboutracialoppressionwereasstrongashisfeelingsaboutreligiousoppression.True,heownedNegroslaves.Buthehatedslavery."Thereisnotamanalive,"heoncesaid,"whowishesmoretrulythanItoseeaplanapprovedtoendslavery."Byhisorder,allhisslaveswerefreedwhenhedied.

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GeorgeWashingtonatPrincetonbyartistCharlesWillsonPeale

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

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

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Washingtonaskedsomeofthenation'swisestandmostablementoserveinthenewgovernment.

ForSecretaryofState,hechoseThomasJefferson.Atthetime,JeffersonwasAmerica'srepresentativetoFrance.

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

TheinformationJeffersonbroughthomewouldprovevaluableifthesituationinFrancegotworse.WashingtonalsothoughtJefferson'sadvicewouldbeusefulingeneral,notjustonFrenchdevelopments.

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ForSecretaryoftheTreasury,WashingtonchoseAlexanderHamilton.HamiltonhadservedasoneofWashington'sassistantsduringtheRevolutionaryWar.

ForChiefJusticeoftheUnitedStates,hechoseJohnJay.JayhelpedwritetheFederalistPapers,whichareconsideredthebestexplanationoftheConstitutioneverwritten.TwodelegatestotheConstitutionalconventionwerenamedassociatejusticesoftheSupremeCourt:

JamesWilsonandJohnRutledge.

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

VOICEONE:

PresidentWashingtonnamedhisassistants,andtheCongressapprovedthem.Thepresidentwasreadytobeginworkonthenation'surgentproblems.Andthereweremany.

OneproblemwasSpain'scontrolofthelowerpartoftheMississippiRiver.Americanfarmersneededtousetherivertotransporttheircropstomarket.ButtheSpanishgovernorinLouisianaclosedtheMississippitoAmericanboats.

TherealsowereproblemswithBritain.TheUnitedStateshadnocommercialtreatywithBritain.AndBritainhadsentnorepresentativetothenewAmericangovernment.

Equallyurgentwerethenewnation'seconomicproblems.Twomajorissueshadtobesettled.OnewasrepaymentofloansmadetosupporttheAmericanarmyinthewarforindependence.Theotherwascreationofanationalmoneysystem.Bothissuesneededquickaction.

FindingsolutionswouldbethejobofPresidentWashington'streasurysecretary,AlexanderHamilton.AlexanderHamiltonwillbeourstorynextweek.

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ANNOUNCER:

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

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Thisisprogram#27ofTHEMAKINGOFANATION

AmericanHistorySeries:

TheImaginationofAlexanderHamilton

HamiltonwantedtomaketheUnitedStatesastrongandimportantnation.HewantedittobecometheequalofthepowerfulnationsofEurope.Transcriptofradiobroadcast:

09April2008

ANNOUNCER:

WelcometoTHEMAKINGOFANATION–AmericanhistoryinVOASpecialEnglish. TodaywebeginthestoryofAlexanderHamilton,oneofthenation'smostimportantearlypolicymakers.

ThefirstgovernmentoftheUnitedStateswasweak. Ithadmanydebtsandanemptytreasury.Itssupportfromthepeoplewasnotfirm.Therewassomequestionaboutitsfuture.Manywonderedifitwouldlast.

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

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