In 1789 the South and especially Virginia had been the impelling force in creating the nation. By 1815 the South and slaveholders still seemed to be in control of the national government. President Madison was a slaveholder. So too were Speaker of the House, Henry Clay, James Monroe, the secretary of state, and George W. Campbell, the secretary of the treasury. All Republican leaders of the House were slaveholders. In 1815 the United States had four missions in Europe: two of them were held by slaveholders. The chief justice of the United States was a slaveholder, as were a majority of the other members of the Court. Since 1789 three of the four presidents, two of the five vice-presidents, fourteen of the twenty-six presidents pro tempore the Senate, and five of the ten Speakers of the House had been slaveholders.
| Place | City | |
|---|---|---|
| Fort Morris State Historic Site | Midway | Earthwork fortification; building started in 1776 and it fell to the British in 1779. |
| Midway Church and Museum | Midway | Midway Church was burned during the war and rebuilt in 1792; the museum focuses on 18th and early 19th century life. |
| Savannah History Museum | Savannah | The 20,000 square foot museum stands on the site of the Battle of Savannah (1778). |
Empire of Liberty: A History of the Early Republic, 1789–1815 (2009)