Also, Washington, being a general, was very observant of material conditions throughout the nation, particularly infrastructure.
Unlike Jefferson, Washington travelled extensively, for business and pleasure, and saw many pockets of America that Jefferson did not see. He held a particular fascination with the American interior, which was still largely a frontier region at the time. He saw huge commercial potential in the resources of the more fertile West. However, he also noted a lack of ambition and work ethic among the inhabitants. He attributed this to the abundance of land and fertility of the soil.
Thus, the American interior would have to become "Americanized" with the values of industry and self-sufficiency before it could realize its full potential.
The Role of Beliefs in Internal Improvement Projects
The first generation of American internal improvement works was shaped almost exclusively by the monied gentry, a particularly talented and self-confident class of leaders. These men planned their public projects on a large scale over a long-term.
Washington envisioned a "…channel of commerce between Great Britain and the American interior. To realize this vision, he emphasized the construction of roads, canals, and bridges," most notably the Potomac River Canal.
These internal improvements were also meant to achieve another goal, the interconnectedness of the Republic. The transportation infrastructure was partly meant to prevent the individual states from becoming insular and neglectful of the larger republic. The planners desired the exchange of ideas and experiences as much as the exchange of goods.
The cost and scale of the projects envisioned by Washington required a strong federal government. This could only be granted through the consent of the individual states. At the Constitutional Convention, many states were reluctant to empower the federal congress in the areas of trade, finance, and foreign policy.
Washington himself was disappointed with the resulting Constitution, blaming it on the short-sightedness of the states.
The Role of Jefferson's Beliefs in Internal Improvement Projects
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