Name ______________________________________
Date ______________
US History: Unit 1, Lesson 15 – The First Presidency
LEARNING TARGET: I can explore the reasoning behind Washington’s Proclamation of
Neutrality and can discuss whether neutrality is a wise foreign policy.
IMAGE ANALYSIS: Examine the image on the screen. In the table below, record three
observations or inferences about the image and develop one question.
OBSERVATIONS OR INFERENCES
Lesson 1.15
Key Terminology
1. Presidential Cabinet
2. Unwritten Constitution
3. Proclamation of
Neutrality
4. Washington’s Farewell
Address
5.
QUESTION
1.
2.
3.
VIDEO ANALYSIS: Watch the video and record three observations or inferences and one question.
OBSERVATIONS OR INFERENCES
QUESTION
1.
2.
3.
CLOSE READING: After reading the passage, answer the multiple choice questions on the following page.
GEORGE WASHINGTON AND THE FIRST PRESIDENCY
NOTES
As the first president, Washington faced the task of building an executive branch to help him
make policies and carry out the laws passed by Congress. In 1789, when Washington took
office, the executive branch of government consisted of only two officials, the president and the
vice-president. To help these leaders govern, Congress created three executive departments: the
Department of State, to deal with foreign affairs; the Department of War, to handle military
matters; and the Department of the Treasury, to manage finances. To head these departments,
Washington chose capable leaders he knew and trusted. He picked Thomas Jefferson as
secretary of state and Alexander Hamilton as secretary of the treasury.
These department heads soon became the president’s chief advisers, or Cabinet. Although the What is the cabinet?
practice of having a cabinet of advisors is not written in the Constitution, every president since
1789 has followed Washington’s precedent (example). The Presidential Cabinet is considered to
be part of the Unwritten Constitution – the political practices and traditions we continue to
follow, even though they are not specifically written in the Constitution. (Other examples of the
Unwritten Constitution include political parties, Congressional committees, and even the
Supreme Court’s power of judicial review).
Would you have supported
One of the greatest challenges of Washington’s Presidency was the French Revolution. Most
Americans initially supported the French Revolution because, like the American Revolution, it the French Revolution?
was inspired by the ideal of republican rule. Heartened by the American struggle against royal
tyranny, the French set out to create a government based on the will of the people. The alliance
between France and the U.S., created by the Treaty of 1778, served as an additional bond
between the two nations. Whether or not the U.S. should support the French Revolution and
the French war against England was one of the most important foreign policy questions that the
young nation faced.
Because of their alliance with the U.S., the French expected American help. The American
reaction tended to split along party lines. Democratic-Republicans, such as Thomas Jefferson,
wanted to honor the 1778 treaty and support France. Federalists, such as Alexander Hamilton, Why did Washington want
the U.S. to stay neutral?
wanted to back the British. President Washington took a middle position. In response to the
conflict, Washington issued a proclamation of neutrality, a statement that the U.S. would not
support either side in the conflict. Washington believed that entering a foreign war was not in
the young nation’s best interest, and he echoed this sentiment when we left the presidency after
two terms (which was another precedent set by Washington). In his farewell address,
Washington warned America to “steer clear of permanent alliances” with other nations and to
avoid foreign conflicts. Washington believed that America needed time to develop its economic
and military strength and that involvement in foreign wars could endanger America’s safety.
PRACTICE REGENTS QUESTIONS:
1) The unwritten constitution is best defined as the
1. amendments to the United States Constitution
2. powers that the Constitution reserves for the states
3. powers that the Constitution denies to Congress and
to the states
4. practices of the government that are based on
custom and tradition
3) President George Washington’s principal reason for
issuing the Proclamation of Neutrality (1793) was to
1. repay France for help in the Revolutionary War
2. protect United States interests in the Caribbean area
3. safeguard the newly won independence
4. punish the British for failing to withdraw from
American territory
2) President George Washington set a precedent for all
future presidents by
1. creating a cabinet of advisors
2. appointing a career soldier to be Secretary of War
3. choosing a friend to be Chief Justice of the Supreme
Court
4. campaigning actively for the office
4) In his Farewell Address, President George Washington
advised the nation to avoid permanent alliances because
he believed that the United States
1. had no need for the products or markets of Europe
2. would risk its security by involvement in European
affairs
3. possessed military power superior to other nations
4. needed to limit European immigration
VIDEO ANALYSIS: Watch the video and record three observations or inferences and one question.
OBSERVATIONS OR INFERENCES
QUESTION
1.
2.
3.
WRITTEN RESPONSE / DISCUSSION: Respond to the prompt below with at least one complete paragraph.
Since the end of World War II, America has been increasingly involved in foreign affairs and international conflicts. Do
you think that America should take such an active role in world affairs, or should we return to Washington’s advice and
try to avoid any foreign “entanglements”?
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