Six Frigates

$18.95

By Ian Toll
Before the ink was dry on the U.S. Constitution, the establishment of a permanent military became the most divisive issue facing the new government.

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Before the ink was dry on the U.S. Constitution, the establishment of a permanent military became the most divisive issue facing the new government. The founders―particularly Jefferson, Madison, and Adams―debated fiercely. Would a standing army be the thin end of dictatorship? Would a navy protect from pirates or drain the treasury and provoke hostility? Britain alone had hundreds of powerful warships.