Even though the United States was breaking away from a society based on class system, an elite group of men formed known as the Founding Fathers. These men were the wealthiest in America at the time and contained jobs such as merchants, planters, lawyers, and bankers. For example, George Washington owned tons of acres of land, Robert Morris was the foremost business and financial leader, and all of the men possessed a cosmopolitanism, which separated them from the masses. Alexander Hamilton described this conception well when he stated, "All communities divide themselves into the few and the many. The first are the rich and well-born, the other the masses of people.".
The Articles of Confederation established a firm league of friendship among the states; however, it did not contain crucial elements such as the power of Congress to levy taxes. Also, many problems erupted with the debtor class because they were paying off their debts with money worth less than what they were loaned and rebelling. In 1786 a rebellion erupted in Massachusetts led by Daniel Shays, which proposed a direct threat to the governing elite there. This galvanized the elite into action with the help of Hamilton and Madison. Also, the elites had a strong sense of nationalism and were concerned about America's weakness internationally. They wanted to assume a respectable role in the international community and exercise power in world affairs. .
The new Constitution had a huge impact on the elites of America. The power to levy taxes was given which enabled the national government to end its dependence upon states. Congress also had the power to "regulate commerce" and protect property and money by making bankruptcy laws and coining money. The Founding Fathers believed that giving Congress control over currency and credit in the United States would result in better protection of financial interests. Also, it provided for a strong military, appointed the president as commander-in-chief, and was supposed to protect its citizens against revolution.
