Question

1. tom mckean, like other lads of sixteen, ran away from home in 1776 to serve in the continental army. he was with washington’s troops at valley forge. a slight limp - he lost two toes from frostbite - serves to remind him of that long, hard winter. but his time in the hospital changed his life. an officer in the next bed in more peaceful times, a professor of english, taught tom to read as a means of whiling away the time. tom was an apt pupil. his first primer was the only book the professor had with him: thomas paine’s common sense. tom continued his own education when he was mustered out of the army. in the last ten years he has traveled and spent time in every state, making his living as a journalist. he is well aware of the problems facing the american colonies. he sees the “spanish - indian conspiracy” as a great threat to american growth, and the revolt of daniel shays as the beginning of the end for stable government. is tom mckean a federalist, anti - federalist or undecided? list reasons for your choice.

Explanation:

Federalists believed in a strong central government. Tom McKean saw the problems facing the American state (like the "Spanish - Indian Conspiracy" and Shays' Rebellion). Shays' Rebellion highlighted the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation (a weak central government). A Federalist would likely view these as threats that a strong central government (as proposed by Federalists) could better handle.

Answer:

Tom McKean is a Federalist. Reasons: He witnessed the problems (Shays' Rebellion, "Spanish - Indian Conspiracy") that a weak central government (under the Articles of Confederation) could not effectively deal with. Federalists advocated for a strong central government to address such issues for the growth and stability of the nation.