1. America’s First Leader: The Washington Presidency

2. I. Precedent Setter Following the ratification of the Constitution, George Washington was elected our nation’s first president. Since he was our first president, he is known as a precedent setter.

3. Some of these processes are: Being called “Mr. President” Having a two-term President Forming a Presidential Cabinet Enforcing the role of the Executive Branch Displaying how the Executive Branch and Legislative Branch will work together.

4. II. The Cabinet A. One of Washington’s first jobs as President was to fill out his cabinet. A cabinet is a group of federal leaders who head the major departments of the executive branch who help advise the President.

5. President Washington selected prominent Americans to fill these new posts. Some of these new posts included: Attorney General- the nations chief law officer and legal advisor. Led by Edmund Randolph Secretary of War- who gave the status of the nation’s armed forces. Led by Henry Knox Department of State- which handles relations with foreign nations. Led by Thomas Jefferson Secretary of Treasury- which handles the government’s funds. Led by Alexander Hamilton

6. III. The National Bank One of the first problems that faced the new government was how to pull our country out of debt. In order to do this, a system of banking was created raise money for our country. The system of banking was proposed by Alexander Hamilton. His strategy called for a set of financial risks that would hopefully turn into future profits.

7. A. This set of risks included: A tariff on all imported goods. A new tax on whiskey. Also, to pay back lenders, or people the country borrowed from, a system of interest was introduced to pay them back a little at a time. In order to keep track of the money that was raised and paid back, the Bank of the United States was created in 1791.

8. Controversy Thomas Jefferson - who argued that the creation of the bank was a violation of the Constitution because nowhere in the Constitution did it grant the power of the government to create a national back. This interpretation of the Constitution is called a strict interpretation because he believed that the government should not do anything that the Constitution did not specifically say it could do. Alexander Hamilton - the creator of this bank, argued that the bank was constitutional because nowhere in the Constitution did it say that the government could not create a national bank. This interpretation of the Constitution is called a loose interpretation, because he believed that the government could do anything that the Constitution did not say it could not do.

9. The Winner! The Bank of the United States was decided to be constitutional because of the elastic clause, which said that the government had the power to “make all laws which shall be necessary and proper” to make the government change with the times.

10. The Whiskey Rebellion A huge uprising occurred in Pennsylvania over the whiskey tax. This item was critical to the economy of the United States. It was one of the only products that farmers could make with corn that could be transported to market without spoiling. It was even used, as a form of currency, much like tobacco leaves in Virginia. Farmers felt that this tax was unjust and was another example in how the government was trying to get rich off the poor farmers of the country, much like Shay’s Rebellion. The rebels closed courts and attacked tax collectors.

11. Whiskey Rebellion (cont.) In the summer of 1794, Washington gathered an army of over 12,000 men. Led by General “Light Horse Harry” Lee and accompanied by Alexander Hamilton, the rebellion was soon dissolved. Washington’s tough response had demonstrated to American citizens and to the world that the young American government was committed to enforcing its laws.

12. V. Washington’s Farewell Address In 1796, President Washington refused to be nominated for a third term. He felt that if he was elected President for a third term, he would impede on the democratic process of the Presidency. So in 1796, Washington’s Vice-President John Adams became our nation’s second President with Thomas Jefferson as his vice president.

13. Washington’s Farewell Address (cont.) Becoming involved with other nations- Because of our country’s youth and weakness, Washington offered a policy of Isolationism, in which the United States would remain neutral in all foreign policies. He also warned the country against political parties, because he feared that they would dominate the government and put one party’s philosophy against another’s.