A History Primer For America's 250th Birthday

Over the past weekend, numerous No-Kings Rallies were conducted nationwide.  They were aimed mostly at President Donald Trump's constitutionally questionable assertions of executive authority, and this has angered many of his supporters. But if truth be told, Americans have long been very leery of executive overreach.  They also resented people who, once elected, make it a career. 

In the Articles of Confederation that existed before we actually ratified the Constitution, there was no executive branch of government and no federal courts. States' rights, echoes of which can still be heard today, was the guiding principle. Delegates to Congress were limited to three years in office. 

We quickly learned that we did actually need an executive branch but were still suspicious of the tyranny that could result from a strong national government. Hence the Constitution. When George Washington was elected (unanimously) as the first President, he actually highlighted and underlined all mentions of his office. After his inauguration, he made it a point to visit every member of Congress instead of having them come to him and swear their loyalty. He also made it a point to leave his office every day at about 4 pm for a brief walk to demonstrate that he is just like everyone else. 

And so things remained until Andrew Jackson was elected President. He was the first to push the authority of the executive branch, ignoring acts of Congress and the courts when they acted contrary to his agenda. He even called for some of his critics to be "Houstinized" (assaulted). He was a populist who despised effete intellectuals like John Quincy Adams.

After Jackson, the power of the Executive branch continued to grow under different Presidents, especially during times of crisis. 

If you'd like an overview of our history from the beginning to present, I highly recommend a series of lectures from Yale University professors David Blight, Joanne Freeman and Beverly Gage called America at 250.  A course syllabus is included. You can view the lectures online as well.