27 January 2011

THE ELUSIVE REPUBLIC

The period spanning the American Revolution and the War of 1812 was marked by a controversial, difficult, and painful effort to define the terms of a flourishing economy in the United States. Drew McCoy’s, The Elusive Republic discusses the ideological origins upon which many eighteenth century thinkers developed their rationale for America’s “young” economy. During a time in which Europe was a dominating force and America was still in its infancy, the political economy in Jeffersonian America struggled to define itself as an independent republic and not just a replica of its oppressor. England had grown to be an old, corrupt, and overpopulated land where, “the people who cloathe the whole world are in rags themselves.” (McCoy 47) Seeing its counterpart in such a state of decay, Revolutionaries in America forged a commitment to republicanism that would soon lead to an ongoing public debate over superior ideologies. The two conflicting visions that spurred the post-war vision of a republican America was that of developing across space, which was supported by Benjamin Franklin, James Madison, and Thomas Jefferson, and that of Alexander Hamilton’s vision of developing through time. As America progressed through its post-war stages, it was evident that one vision had surpassed the other in dominating the economy. According to Madison, “…The United States might be forced into manufacturing as an alternative source of employment even in the presence of open land.” (McCoy 257) This ultimately reinforced the Hamiltonian view that the real disposition of human nature was toward luxury and away from classical virtue.

As civilization began to slowly develop, Americans were blessed (or cursed) with being able to oversee the commercial revolution that had transcended in Europe. The rise of flourishing international