The new republic began in 1781 with the ratification of the Articles of Confederation and transitioned to the United States Constitution in 1788. In 1789, the first federal government was elected. Over the next 15 years, significant changes occurred, including the adoption of the Bill of Rights in 1791, followed by two additional amendments in 1795 and 1804. The United States expanded its territory in 1803 with the Louisiana Purchase from France. Despite some states beginning to eliminate slavery in the 1780s, the issue remained unresolved as most Americans focused on government modifications. The constitutional convention delegates avoided addressing slavery, with the terms "slavery" or "slave" absent from the document. Some abolitionists, including Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Alexander Hamilton, and Benjamin Rush, attempted to raise the issue, but their efforts were unsuccessful. It wasn't until the end of the Civil War that slavery was abolished. This period also saw the Supreme Court's authority strengthened when Chief Justice John Marshall ruled in Marbury v. Madison in 1803, asserting the judiciary's role in interpreting the Constitution. New institutions emerged, such as the Bank of the United States, which the Court approved. George Washington became the first president to sign an executive order, while James Monroe issued the first signing statement, outlining his legislative intentions.
