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US History: Colonial Era to the Present · Module 4 of 15

The Early Republic

The new nation's first decades: precedents, parties, and expanding territory.

In this module
  1. Washington's Presidency
  2. Rise of Political Parties
  3. The Louisiana Purchase & Westward Exploration
  4. The War of 1812
  5. Check yourself

Washington's Presidency

  • George Washington, the first president, set many precedents, including serving only two terms and forming the first Cabinet.
  • His Farewell Address warned against long-term foreign alliances and the dangers of political parties.
Worked example

What precedent did Washington set by stepping down after two terms?

Solution. He established the tradition — later a constitutional amendment — that presidents voluntarily leave office after two terms, avoiding a monarch-like permanent rule.

Rise of Political Parties

  • Alexander Hamilton's Federalists favored a strong central government, a national bank, and closer ties with Britain; Thomas Jefferson's Democratic-Republicans favored states' rights, an agrarian economy, and sympathy toward France.
Worked example

What was the main disagreement between Hamilton's Federalists and Jefferson's Democratic-Republicans?

Solution. Federalists wanted a strong, active central government (including a national bank) favoring commerce and cities, while Democratic-Republicans wanted more power left to the states and an economy based on independent farmers.

The Louisiana Purchase & Westward Exploration

  • In 1803, President Jefferson purchased the Louisiana Territory from France, roughly doubling the size of the United States.
  • The Lewis and Clark Expedition (1804–06) explored this new territory and the Pacific Northwest.
Worked example

Why was the Louisiana Purchase significant for the young United States?

Solution. It roughly doubled the size of the country, gave the US full control of the Mississippi River and the port of New Orleans, and opened vast new lands for westward expansion.

The War of 1812

  • The War of 1812, fought between the US and Britain, arose partly from British interference with American shipping and impressment of American sailors.
  • The war ended in a stalemate (Treaty of Ghent, 1814) but boosted American nationalism and confirmed US independence from European entanglement.
Worked example

What was one major cause of the War of 1812?

Solution. British impressment of American sailors (forcing them into British naval service) and interference with American trade and shipping.

Check yourself

2 of this module's 5 quiz questions. Pick your answers, then check them in the app, with an explanation for every question.

1. What precedent did George Washington set regarding presidential terms?

2. Which political party favored a strong central government and a national bank?

Check my answers, free