5 The New Country

CHAPTER 5 The New Country Being the assistant to George Washington was an important job. But Alexander was frustrated because General Washington was so protective of him. He wanted Alexander away from the battlefield, where he might get hurt. But Alexander dreamed of being a war hero. Finally he became so impatient that he actually quit his job as Washington's assistant! He and Eliza moved into a house on the east bank of the Hudson River, just opposite from Washington's headquarters. Alexander continued to pester Washington to send him into battle.

Finally, Alexander got his wish. General Washington gave him command of a small unit of men. Alexander was ready to fight. Eliza returned to Albany. She was expecting their first child. And Alexander couldn't stop thinking about the future.

What would happen when the country finally won its independence? He had many ideas. At that time, the thirteen American colonies worked independently of one another. The war was the first thing that had really united them all. The American government in 1781—the Continental Congress—was organized under what was called the Articles of Confederation. Alexander thought that if America was going to be an independent nation, it would need a strong central government. That way the states could all work together. He thought the government should have a bank of its own that could lend and borrow money for the new country. He studied the banking systems of other countries, like Great Britain, to plan a system of money and banking for America.

The Articles of Confederation The Articles of Confederation was an agreement among all thirteen colonies to act as one nation in order to fight the Revolutionary War. It also helped to streamline the way the colonies dealt with the foreign governments of other countries. It was the first model of government for the United States. But there were many things the Articles did not cover, such as the establishment of taxes and laws. In many ways, the Articles of Confederation did not create a central government, because the individual colonies still kept all their power.

In October 1781, Alexander was sent to Yorktown, Virginia. There he and Lafayette met up with General Washington. The British commander, General Cornwallis, had stationed his troops nearby. On the night of October 14, Alexander led his men on a charge against the British troops. The Continental Army won. Cornwallis's surrender to General Washington signaled that the British had given up. Although the war went on for two more years, the battle at Yorktown is usually seen as

the turning point—the beginning of the end—for British rule in America. Alexander was a hero. He was also a father! Eliza had a son named Philip on January 22, 1782. Alexander couldn't wait to get home to be with them. The family all lived in the Schuyler mansion in Albany with Eliza's parents. The Schuyler mansion Alexander then devoted himself to studying law and soon earned a license to be a lawyer in New York. Often he worked with Aaron Burr, who had also become a lawyer. Alexander