America

1
Americas First President

• George Washington set many precedents while in
  office
• Watch the following film clip and identify the
  precedents set

2
George Washingtons
Presidency(1789 1797)
3
What precedents were set during Washingtons
Administration?

• Washington named a cabinet of advisors
• Jefferson was named Secretary of State
• Hamilton was appointed Secretary of the Treasury
• Knox became Secretary of War
• Randolph was named Attorney General

4
Congress passed the Judiciary Act of
1789

• Created 13 Federal District Courts
• Created 3 Circuit Courts of Appeal
• Supreme Court would have 1 Chief Justice and 5
  Associate Justices
• Allowed state court decisions to be appealed to
  federal court when constitutional issues were
  raised.
• Gave the Supreme Court the power to issue a
  writ of mandamus (power to order government
  official to perform duties)

5
Hamilton helped develop a financial plan for the
new nation

• Federal assumption of the state debt and full
  payment of all debt
• Creation of a Bank of the United States
• Protective tariffs to encourage American
  industries
• Excise taxes to raise money (excise tax on
  whiskey)

6
Controversy Resolved through Compromise

• Some states objected to the Federal governments
  plan to assume payment of the state debt
• In a compromise, the states agreed to the
  repayment of the debt in exchange for relocating
  the nations capital from New York City
  temporarily to Philadelphia and then to the
  current location in the District of Columbia

7
The Whiskey Rebellion

• Farmers in western Pennsylvania refused to pay
  the excise tax on Whiskey
• Washington accompanied the troops into
  Pennsylvania to stop the rebellion and collect
  the tax by force if necessary
• The rebellion collapsed when troops arrived

8
Compare Shays Rebellion and the Whiskey Rebellion

• During Shays Rebellion the national government
  did not have the power to stop the rebellion
• (no national army, no national executive)

• The Whiskey Rebellion demonstrated that the new
  government under the Constitution did have the
  power to enforce its laws, with force if necessary

9
Differing Political Opinions
Views on Government

• Hamilton
• Strong central govt
• Govt by the rich, the well-born, and the able

• Jefferson
• Strong state govt
• Limit power of national govt
• The Common Man

10
Funding debts (National State)

• Hamilton
• Full payment of federal state debt
• Establish good credit

• Jefferson
• Pay only national debt
• Dont interfere with state rights

11
Bank of the United States

• Hamilton
• Support BUS
• Use the elastic clause to stretch money related
  powers
• loose interpretation

• Jefferson
• Opposed BUS
• Not in Constitution
• Would favor wealthy
• Strict interpretation

12
Excise Tax on Whiskey

• Hamilton
• Support tax
• Raise money to pay debt

• Jefferson
• Opposed tax
• Would hurt common farmers incomes

13
Basis of the Economy

• Hamilton
• Industry

• Jefferson
• Agriculture

14
Protective Tariff

• Hamilton
• Supported
• would protect American industries from foreign
  competition

• Jefferson
• Opposed
• would raise prices and wouldnt benefit common man

15
Response to the French Revolution

• Hamilton
• Support British value of trade
• Avoid too much democracy

• Jefferson
• Support French we inspired ideas of democracy

16
Political Party most closely associated with

• Hamilton
• Federalist

• Jefferson
• Democratic-Republican

17
Washington set precedents in foreign policy

• Issued the Proclamation of Neutrality in 1793
  during the ongoing French Revolution
• Neutrality and Isolation become the basis of U.S.
  Foreign Policy for the next 150 years

18
Washingtons Foreign Policy (continued)

• Treaties signed with England and Spain were
  intended to maintain peace for the United States
• Jays Treaty with Britain did little to remove
  British troops from U.S. soil but kept the U.S.
  out of war
• Pinckneys Treaty with Spain established the
  right of the U.S. to use the Mississippi River
  and right of deposit at New Orleans

19
Foreign Policy

• Miami Confederacy
• Use of military force to break the Native
  American power and allow westward expansion and
  settlement

20
Washingtons Foreign Policy (continued)

• Washingtons Farewell Address warned the country
  of 2 concerns
• Avoid political parties they tend to divide the
  country
• Avoid entangling alliances short term,
  temporary alliances are better for the country

21
The 2-term Presidency

• Washington set the precedent of serving only 2
  terms and then retiring
• This precedent was followed by every President up
  to FDR, who was elected for 4 terms in office
• In 1951, the 22nd Amendment to the U.S
  Constitution made the 2-term Presidency a part of
  the written Constitution

22
American History Portraits of Power (video
clip)
23
Why do you think historians rate Washington a
great President?