Compromise of 1790

Okay kiddo, imagine you and your friend are playing with toys. Your friend really wants to play with your favorite toy, but you also want to keep playing with it too. You could decide to share the toy and take turns playing with it, or you could decide to give the toy to your friend in exchange for something else you want, like a different toy. This is kind of like what happened in the Compromise of 1790.

Back then, America was a pretty new country and there were some big arguments between the different states about how taxes should be paid and how much power the federal government should have. Alexander Hamilton, a man who had a lot of influence in the government, wanted the federal government to have more power and to take over some of the state's debts. Some of the southern states, like Virginia and North Carolina, didn't like this idea because they had already paid off their debts and they didn't think it was fair for other states to get help from the government.

So, like you and your friend with the toys, the government leaders had to come to a compromise. They agreed that the federal government would take over the state debts, but they also agreed to move the nation's capital (the place where the government meets) to somewhere in the southern states, near Virginia. This made the southern states happy because it would help their economy and give them more power in the government, while also allowing the federal government to have more control.

Overall, it was kind of like a give and take, where both sides had to make some compromises in order to make things work. Just like how sometimes you have to share your toys or give one away to get something else you want.