Washington’s Presidency Washington’s Presidency was a time when the Executive Branch set many precedents that defined how the national government under the new Constitution would be formed. Washington set up a Presidential Cabinet, or group of secretaries who would oversee the operations of the government and advise the President about how their various departments should be run. Washington’s department secretaries were Alexander Hamilton, Treasury; Thomas Jefferson, State; and Henry Knox, War. Edmond Randolph became his Attorney General.

Washington’s Presidency The first major problem facing the Washington administration was how to deal with the debts incurred by the states and the nation from the Revolution. Hamilton proposed paying off all the debts of the states and the nation with money procured through taxes. His first notion was to tax imports. The new power of the federal government provided the national government the power to collect taxes. Hamilton also called for the creation of a national bank. This led to deep disagreements between Jefferson and Hamilton. These disagreements, in turn, became the basis of political parties in America.

Washington’s Presidency Jefferson and Hamilton Hamilton believed the federal government had the power to create a national bank. His claim was based on the Article I, Section 8, Clause 18 which stated that Congress had the power to enact legislation necessary and proper to provide for the function of the federal government. Jefferson, on the other hand, was suspicious of an overly-powerful federal government. He believed the federal government should have no powers granted to it that were not specifically stated in the Constitution. Hamilton’s position came to be known as a ‘loose’ interpretation of the Constitution. Jefferson’s position came to be known as a ‘strict’ interpretation of the Constitution.

Washington’s Presidency Jefferson and Hamilton Hamilton’s call for a tax on imported goods, known as a tariff, did not pass Congress. Other taxes proposed by Hamilton, and the national bank, did pass Congress. However, the disagreements between Hamilton and Jefferson eventually drove them to lead two separate groups that became political parties. The Federalists followed Hamilton’s view and the Democratic – Republicans or Jeffersonian Democrats followed Jefferson.

Washington’s Presidency Jefferson and Hamilton Washington faced a very important decision when corn farmers in Pennsylvania resisted the new tax on corn whiskey. Washington considered the matter serious enough that he should lead a federal army to force the tax to be paid. Washington believed that if the farmers were allowed to willingly rebel against the Constitution, the validity of the new government would be called in to question.

Washington’s Presidency Jefferson and Hamilton

In the growing conflict between Britain and France the Democratic – Republicans tended to support the French while the Federalists supported the British.

Washington’s Presidency Precedent Washington decided not to seek a third term in office. This set an important precedent that continued until the 1940s when Franklin Roosevelt ran for a third and then a fourth term. Now Presidents are limited to two terms by the 22 nd Amendment that was passed in 1951.

Washington’s Presidency Precedent Washington also stated that the United States should not become involved in European matters. These two decisions set precedents that carried on in the United States for many years.

The Adams Presidency Challenges In the election of 1796 John Adams was elected President and Thomas Jefferson Vice President. At that time the President was the winner of the national election and the Vice President was the second runner up. Thus Americans elected a Federalist President and a Democratic – Republican Vice President.

The Adams Presidency Challenges At the same time, the British were continuing to support the American Indians in what was called the Northwest Territory. Today we refer to this area as the lower Great Lakes and Ohio region. Washington had sent troops into the region to attack the American Indians who had been supported by the British.

The Adams Presidency Challenges At the Battle of Fallen Timbers, the American troops gained a decisive victory and the resulting Treaty of Greenville forced the American Indians to give up lands from the Ohio River north to Lake Erie. As a result, the Adams years were filled with interest in American expansion into the region.

The Adams Presidency Challenges At the same time the French Revolution was under way. Americans’ feelings about the French Revolution changed time and again. Eventually most Americans began to feel that the French Revolution had gone wrong.

The Adams Presidency Challenges At the same time the British were impressing, or forcing into military service, sailors taken from American ships. This led to great feelings of anger against the British.

The Adams Presidency the XYZ Affair As Adams was seeking to negotiate a neutral peace with France he sent three people to meet with the French. The French agents were so secretive that their names were never known. They were simply called agents X, Y, and Z. The agents demanded the payment of a bribe before negotiating with the Americans.

The Adams Presidency the XYZ Affair The amount of the bribe was so high that the Americans refused to pay it. The expression, ‘millions for defense but not one sixpence for tribute’ came from this negotiation. It came to mean that Americans would defend themselves but not be forced into subjugation by the payment of money to foreign governments.

The Adams Presidency the XYZ Affair The XYZ Affair led many Americans to lose all feelings of protection for France. Many of the Federalists called for war. The size of the military increased greatly under Adams and there were plenty of conflicts between American and French ships but it never came to open war. Finally, Napoleon, the dictator of France, agreed to stop seizing American ships.

The Jefferson Presidency National Expansion In the Election of 1800 the Vice President, Thomas Jefferson, ran against the President, John Adams. Aaron Burr became the Vice President. The election ended the Federalist era and the passage of the 12 th Amendment to change the manner in which Presidents are chosen dates from that election.

The Jefferson Presidency National Expansion Jefferson is best remembered for the Louisiana Purchase.