As a result of the Treaty of Paris of 1783, the new nation controlled all of North America from the Atlantic

Ocean to the Mississippi River between Canada and Florida. Canada, to the north, remained British
territory. Great Britain returned Florida to Spain, and Spain continued to control the area west of the
Mississippi River.
The original 13 colonies made up the first 13 states of the United States. Eventually, the American land
west of the Appalachian Mountains was divided into territories.
The American people began setting up a new system of government as soon as they declared their
independence. Each of the new states had its own constitution before the American Revolution ended. The
state constitutions gave the people certain liberties, usually including freedom of speech, religion, and the
press. In 1781, the states set up a federal government under laws called the Articles of Confederation.
Creating the Constitution. In 1787, delegates from every state except Rhode Island met in Philadelphia to
consider revisions to the Articles of Confederation. The delegates agreed to write an entirely new
Constitution. The delegates debated long and hard over the contents of the Constitution. Some of them
wanted a document that gave much power to the federal government. Others wanted to protect the rights of
the states and called for a weak central government. Delegates from large states claimed their states should
have greater representation in Congress than the small states. But small-state delegates demanded equal
representation in Congress. The delegates finally reached agreement on a new Constitution on Sept. 17,
1787.
CONVENTION OF 1800 tacitly detached the United States from its alliance with France at the price of
American claims for damages resulting from French actions against U.S. commerce since the beginnings
of the French revolutionary wars. The convention ended a naval war between the two countries that had
developed from France's resentment over John Jay's Treaty (1794) with England. American attempts to
seek rapprochement in 1797 led to the insulting xyz affair, in which the French foreign minister, Charles
Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord, refused to receive the American commissioners until they paid bribes.
The unexpected militance of the American response prompted the French to reopen negotiations.
President John Adams sent another mission to secure indemnities for spoliations and an annulment of the
alliance. After more than a year of negotiations, the final French terms posed problems for the
commissioners: if the alliance was terminated, so would American claims be—indemnities would be
considered only if the treaties were still in force. The commissioners agreed to defer both indemnities and
treaties, a deferment that in effect meant abandonment of both. The convention thus ended the Quasi-War
between France and the United States with mutual restoration of captured naval vessels and liberalization
of the treatment of American ships in French ports.
At the start of its history, the United States faced severe financial problems. But before long, the skill of its
leaders and the spirit and hard work of its people put the country on a sound economic footing. Early
America also faced threats from powerful European nations. ut masterful diplomacy by Washington and
other leaders guided the country through its early years in peace. The peace ended with the War of 1812,
in which the United States and Great Britain fought again. After the war, America focused its attention on
its development, and entered a period of bustling economic growth.
The War of 1812 James Madison succeeded Jefferson as president in 1809. France soon promised to end
its interference with American shipping, but Britain did not. Also, people believed the British were
encouraging Indians to attack American pioneers moving westward. For these reasons, many Americans
demanded war against Britain. They were led by members of Congress from the West and South called
War Hawks. Other Americans, especially New Englanders, opposed the War Hawks' demand. But on June
18, 1812, at Madison's request, Congress declared war on Britain and the War of 1812 had begun. Neither
side gained much advantage early in the war. But on Aug. 24, 1814, British troops captured Washington,
D.C., and burned the Capitol and other government buildings. This British action made Americans realize
their nation's survival was at stake. Large numbers of American volunteers rushed into service, and helped
stop the British offensive. The Treaty of Ghent of Dec. 24, 1814, officially ended the War of 1812. Neither
side won the war and little was gained from the struggle.