401: Internal Improvements - The American System

In the 1820s, Henry Clay envisioned a bold new role for the federal government: building America’s infrastructure, strengthening its economy, and shaping the nation’s future. He called it the 'American System.' But was the Constitution willing to let Washington build?

In this premier episode of our new series, Marshall traces the battle over “Internal Improvements” from Clay and John Quincy Adams to Andrew Jackson and the rise of populist democracy. What began as a fight over roads, canals, and federal power soon became entangled with the deepest conflict in American politics: slavery. For the next three decades, Southern opposition would help derail the vision of a more economically activist federal government.

This episode begins a series exploring what Americans wanted their government to build, what they believed it had the power to build, and why those questions still haunt American politics.