The story of the US is, in many ways, remarkable. It achieved independence against the odds, its constitution has lasted more than two centuries and its democracy has weathered war, economic depression, social upheaval and political change. But reflection on American history rarely settles into simple celebration.

From the beginning, the US was an experiment rather than an inheritance. It was built on the idea that free people could govern themselves through constitutional institutions. And because of that, Americans have repeatedly wondered whether the experiment was in danger of failing.

In some cases, fears proved exaggerated. In others, they were justified. But taken together, these moments reveal that fear of constitutional failure has been a recurring theme throughout US history. As the US approaches its 250th anniversary, several events stand out as moments of constitutional peril.

1. Tensions with France

The first major test of the constitution arrived soon after its signing in 1787. Eleven years later, in 1798, the formal alliance between the US and France was replaced with intense mutual hostility and paranoia as tensions grew over diplomatic insults and French attacks on American shipping. Congress passed the Alien and Sedition Acts as a response to external threats and domestic instability.

But critics saw something different: a government using fear to suppress dissent. The Sedition Act made certain criticisms of federal officials a crime, with newspapers and political opponents becoming targets of prosecution. For a nation that had recently fought a revolution in the name of liberty, this episode exposed an uncomfortable reality that constitutional rights could not........

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