Revolution Against England
There was a split in popular opinion as to whether it was prudent or not to revolt against England. In Southern colonies independent workers and slave owners alike worried about arming the African Americans, wanting to keep their slave territories free and slave revolts to a minimum, thus making them hesitant to begin opposing England. In addition, at first, most Southerners remained loyal to the Crown, only taking the offensive once England threatened their hold over slaves by offering them freedom to fight against the colonists. Interestingly enough, many freed slaves initially supported the coup and fought on the American side, notably Crispus Attucks. Westerners also supported the rebellion, worried over the unsettled nature of the Native Americans and worried that the British could join them to attack the colonists encroaching on their land.
Religion
The dominant religious group, the Puritans, of pre-1700s America came up against great opposition from the newly forming religions of the 18th century. The Enlightenment, pairing science and religion, opened the spiritual world and it's discussion of God to a whole group of people, many of whom took their own, often less rigid, views of the lord above. Though the Puritans remained strong in their own right, groups such as the Quakers, Deists, and children of the Great Awakening began rebutting their strangle-hold on American soil.
The Nature of Man
Just as the nature of God was up for dispute in the 18th century, so was the innate nature of man himself. Was man basically good, or was man's core one of evil? This question came to the forefront when our founding fathers set about to put in place an appropriate form of government for the newly independent nation. Some believed that the evil in man was so basic, as to require a strong, detailed government which would watch closely over it's people, waiting for and expecting each to err and misstep at ever chance offered. Other argued that man tries to do good, and that the government should allow for this by giving many freedoms, which the people it governs will take pride in and wish to act in accordance with.
Racial Hatred In South
Interestingly enough, the constitution which was meant to unify all people in the newly freed Americas had a paradoxical effect on the African Americans. Worried that the "all men created equal" statement would aide in the emancipation and equal rights of blacks, many Southern slave owners sought a loophole in the system by declaring AA's as only 3/5ths of a person. While the north was compiling efforts to make former slaves equitable in rights to the white man, the states based on farming economics, mainly the southern ones, worked hard to keep the "man" down, so to speak.
Economic Depression of Farmers (About 1786)
A postwar depression effecting mostly farmers hit it's low in the summer of 1786 due to a shortage of currency, high taxes, nagging creditors, farm foreclosures, and bankruptcies. Though in August of this year the US government adopts a monetary coin- based system modeled around the Spanish one, angry representatives from struggling states gather in Massachusetts and demand a system of paper money to handle credit. Daniel Shay, in an attempt to prevent the jailing of bankrupted farmers amasses a mob to prevent Northampton Courts from holding session. What ensues over the next few months is known as Shay's Rebellion, and it prompts the US government to establish a mint, and later to form a stronger centralized government to prevent such future ordeals.
Federalists Vs. Non-Federalists after Revisions in 1787
A re-written Constitution based on people instead of God or king got the new nation up in arms when it was printed in all the newspapers across the states. The Federalists wanted a strong central government to handle all decisions at the highest level, not allowing for selective decision among states and smaller ruling factions. Non-Federalists could not have disagreed more, wanting the power of the people to be regionally based, each area ruling by laws more appropriate to their situation. In the end, with the ratifying of the Constitution, the government was centralized and Washington elected first president of the United States.
