George Washington’s Presidency
How the President was Elected
• There were up to 8 candidates when the country first
started.
• The candidate that got the most votes was elected
President
• The runner-up, 2nd place, was elected vice-president
Question: What is the flaw in having the 2nd place
finisher as vice-president?
Inaugurated
• Definition – to be
sworn into and
officially take office.
• An inauguration is
a formal ceremony
to mark the
beginning of a
leader's term of
office.
Precedent
• An action or decision that can be used later on as an
example for a similar decision or to justify a similar
action
• Everything George Washington did set a precedent.
Question: Why did everything George Washington do
set a precedent? Why would future presidents follow
the precedent Washington set?
Presidential Cabinets
• Original Washington had 3 cabinets
• Secretary of War – protect America (Henry Knox)
• Secretary of State – work with foreign countries to make
America stronger (Thomas Jefferson)
• Treasury Secretary – Pay off America’s debt and make
America financially stable (Alexander Hamilton)
• Cabinets are people who help the President run the
county
• Currently we have 15 cabinets
Economic Problems
• America was severely in debt from the Revolutionary War.
• The economy was in a deep recession, similar to today,
because of the war debt.
• America must pay off its war debt or Washington feared
foreign countries would no longer trade with us.
• Trade = Money
Question: Would you trade with
someone who owed you money?
Hamilton’s Financial Plan
•
Hamilton, Treasury Secretary, came up with a plan
to pay off America’s debt.
1. Paying off war debt
2. Raising Government Revenue - Taxes
3. Creating a National Bank
Question: Is Hamilton on any American Currency (money)?
National Bank
• A bank makes money using money people have in
their bank accounts and then by loaning money to
other people and collecting interest.
• Hamilton said that a National Bank was necessary to
make the country financially stable and was possible
using implied powers in the constitution
• Jefferson said that since the Federal Government was
not given the power of a National Bank in the
constitution enumerated powers it was not legal.
Question: Why would disputes happen often over the
constitution in the beginning of our country?
Disagreements over the Constitution
• The constitution is an outline of our government.
• It does not go into specific details about how each branch
of government should be run on a day to day basis.
• The politicians under Washington had to figure out what
they could and could not do under the constitution.
• With the various beliefs the politicians had, disagreements
happened.
Question: What is something that would help to solve these
disputes (hint they were used to convince the American
public the Constitution was a good idea)?
The Whiskey
Rebellion
• American’s have a deep history of protesting when they disagree
•
•
•
•
with the government.
Washington put a tax on Whiskey but not on the raw ingredients
for Whiskey.
Pennsylvania farmers formed a rebellion and were tarring and
feathering the tax collectors.
Washington wanted to prove the new American Government
was much stronger then the previous government so he sent in
the entire US Army to put down the rebellion.
The rebellion quickly dispersed as the Army approached without
a shot being fired.
SW-WS
• The Whiskey Rebellion was of major significance to America.
• Washington had proved that the Constitution was much
stronger than the Articles of Confederation.
• This made American’s have more confidence in the young
country.
• SHAY’S WEAK – WHISKEY STRONG
The Indians
• The Indians were giving American’s problems in the
Northwest Territory.
• Britain was inspiring the Indians to attack the American’s living
in the Northwest Territory.
• The Indians believed that the British would help them fight.
They did not.
• The Indians were defeated and America was free to expand
into the Northwest without having to worry about fighting the
Indians.
Question: Why wouldn’t the British help the Indians after
inspiring them to fight the American’s?
Britain vs. France
• Britain and France had been fighting for some time when the
French asked America for help.
• Some wanted us to help the French as they helped us in our
revolution.
• Some wanted us to help Britain as they were our number 1
trading partner.
• Washington thought that the US should remain neutral and
not help either side. This is because he felt by choosing sides
we would lose a valuable trading partner.
Impressment of Sailors
• Besides the British inspiring the Indians to fight us in the Northwest Territory the
British were also impressing sailors.
• This means that any American ships that were going to France would be stolen,
their goods taken to Britain, and the sailors would be forced to join the British
Navy.
•
•
•
•
The capturing and enslaving of American sailors made American’s very mad.
It also made it less likely that sailors would be willing to sail to France.
We needed to trade with France for financial reasons.
Eventually this would lead to the War of 1812.
Washington’s Farewell Address
•
•
Washington left office with a Farwell
Address, setting a precedent still continued
today.
Washington warned the country of 3
things:
1. A President should not serve for more than
2.
3.
two terms.
America should remain neutral in all foreign
affairs.
America should not only have two political
parties (we need to be united)
Question: Why would Washington warn about
political parties?
• Washington’s Farewell
AddressJanuary 28
Agenda• Create your own Farewell Address as George Washington.
HW- Finish Chapter 9 Section 3 Worksheet (Parts A and B)
Farewell Address
• Whiskey Rebellion
Directions:
Use the following ideas
and any others to better
demonstrate what
Washington did for the
country. Make sure to use
the notes from yesterday
as well as the information
given today:
• Industrial Economy
• Dealing with the Native
Americans
• National Bank
• Cabinet
• The ideas of unity and
neutrality.
• Your vision for the future.