Unit 5-A New Country

Lesson 24:

Washington’s Presidency

Review

• The United States had won independence from England and created their first government. After eight years of being governed by the Articles of Confederation, the leaders of the nation created a new, stronger central government. Now that the government was in place, the nation needed to elect their new leaders.

Election of George Washington• George Washington had looked forward to a

quiet, retired life following the Constitutional Convention.

• On April 6, 1789 he was elected by the citizens as the first president of the United States under the Constitution.

• On April 30, 1789 Washington had his presidential inauguration in New York City, the nation’s capital of the time.

First President of the United States

Washington’s Inauguration• Washington was quickly led to the

balcony of Federal Hall, after being introduced to the House of Representatives and Senate.

• People of New York had lined the streets since daylight, waiting to see the first president sworn into office.

• Video of Washington's Inauguration

Why George Washington?• People of the United States were suspicious

of the newly created government, especially the office of president.

• Many people were afraid the president would try to become king.

• The people trusted George Washington, and believed his leadership had made them victorious in the Revolutionary War.

Establishing Traditions• Washington was aware of the difficulties he

faced, and knew that the traditions he created as the first president would shape the future of the nation.

• The first precedent, or tradition, he established was how the people were to address him.

• It was finally decided by Washington that he would be addressed as “Mr. President.”

The First Congress

• The Constitution gave Congress the power to create executive departments, but did not say if the department heads would report to the president or to Congress.

• In the summer of 1789, Congress set up three departments that would report to the president.

Executive Departments• The State Department would handle relations with

foreign nations.• The Treasury Department would deal with financial

matters.• The nation’s defense would be handled by the War

Department.• Congress created the offices of the attorney general

and postmaster general to handle the government’s legal affairs and to direct the postal service.

Presidential Cabinet

• The three executive departments and attorney general would meet with the president regularly, and become known as the cabinet.

• The president is allowed to choose the department heads, or secretaries, and the Senate would approve the appointment.

First Secretary of StateThomas Jefferson

First Secretary of the TreasuryAlexander Hamilton

First Secretary of WarHenry Knox

First Attorney GeneralEdmund Randolph

Judiciary Act

• The Constitution briefly mentioned a supreme court, but left the details about the courts to Congress.

• There were arguments in Congress about whether the courts should have a uniform, national legal system or state courts.

• The two sides arguing compromised and created the Judiciary Act of 1789.

Judiciary Act of 1789

• Congress created a federal court system with 13 district courts and three circuit courts to serve the country.

• State courts would remain, but the federal courts had the power to reverse state decisions.

• The Supreme Court would be the final authority on many issues.

First Chief Justice of the Supreme Court

John Jay

The Bill of Rights

• The next task for Congress was to fulfill the promise of a bill of rights being added to the Constitution made during the fight for ratification of the Constitution.

• James Madison introduced 12 amendments during the first session of Congress.

The Bill of Rights

• Congress passed all 12 amendments, but the states only ratified 10 of them.

• In December 1791, these 10 amendments were added to the Constitution and became known as the Bill of Rights.

• The purpose of the Bill of Rights is protect the rights of individual liberty and rights of persons accused of crimes.

National Debt• Washington rarely proposed new laws,

and almost always approved bills that Congress passed.

• He focused on foreign affairs and the military, leaving economic policies to his secretary of treasury, Alexander Hamilton.

• The national debt, or amount of money the government owed, was growing.

Hamilton’s Economic Plan• Hamilton stated that the new government

should pay the millions of dollars of debt owed by the Confederation government to other countries and to individual American citizens.

• He also argued that the national government should pay for war debts of the individual states, giving the states an interest in the success of the new national government.

Opposition to Hamilton’s Plan• Congress agreed to pay off the money owed to

other countries, but there were strong protests about paying off debt to American citizens.

• The government borrowed money from the people during the Revolutionary War by selling bonds.

• Bonds are paper notes that promise to repay the money in a certain amount of time.

Opposition to Hamilton’s Plan• Many of the original bond owners grew

impatient and sold their bonds for less than their value.

• Speculators, people who risk money to attempt to make a larger profit, had purchased most of the bonds from the original owners.

• The original owners would feel betrayed by the government, while the new bond owners profited.

Opposition to Hamilton’s Plan

• The Southern states opposed the plan because they had less debt than the Northern states.

• During the war, Southern states had borrowed less money, and felt that they would be paying more than their share under this plan.

Compromise• In order to gain Southern support for his

plan, Hamilton agreed to a proposal to move the nation’s capital city into the South.

• A district would be created between Virginia and Maryland along the Potomac River, which would become Washington, D.C.

• In return, the Southern states supported Hamilton’s economic plan.

Washington, D.C.

National Bank• Hamilton proposed an idea to create a

national bank where private investors and the government would own the bank’s stock.

• Many in Congress believed the creation of a national bank would benefit the wealthy and was unconstitutional.

• Washington agreed with Hamilton and signed the bill to make the bank.

Tariffs• Hamilton believed that the development

of manufacturing would help strengthen the economy of America.

• He proposed a tariff, or a tax on imports, to encourage people to buy American products.

• The tariff would protect industry in America from foreign competitors.

Tariffs• Southerners opposed the tariffs because

they had little industry and were afraid that foreign nations would respond by not buying raw materials from the agricultural South.

• Congress supported some low tariffs to help raise money instead of protecting industry.

• Tariffs produced 90% of the national government’s income by the 1790’s.

Taxes• Hamilton’s economic plan also concerned the

creation of national taxes to help pay off interest from the national debt.

• Congress approved a variety of taxes, including one on whiskey distilled in the United States.

• Hamilton’s economic plan split the nation into groups for and against the new economic structure of America.

Whiskey Rebellion• The tax on whiskey upset many farmers

throughout America because they had to pay a tax on the whiskey made from their surplus corn.

• Many backcountry farmers lived by bartering, or trading whiskey and other items for goods they needed.

• These farmers did not usually have cash, leaving them no way to pay the tax on their whiskey.

Whiskey Rebellion• The farmers took action when the federal

government made stronger attempts to collect the tax.

• A large group of farmers from western Pennsylvania attacked tax collectors with swords, guns, and pitchforks, while also burning down buildings.

• This protest surprised the leaders of government.

Whiskey Rebellion

Response to the Whiskey Rebellion• Washington and his cabinet decided to send the

army to stop the rebellion.

• As soon as the army crossed the Appalachian Mountains, the rebellion ended.

• Washington’s actions showed the citizens that if they wanted to change a law, they would have to do so peacefully, and that the government would use force when necessary to maintain social order.

Struggles with the Native Americans• The Native Americans that lived in the area

between the Appalachian Mountains and the Mississippi River believed that the United States did not have authority over them.

• On many occasions they would ask England or Spain to help them in their cause against America, which both countries were willing to do in order to prevent America from settling the region.

Struggles with the Native Americans

• Hoping to avoid issues with European nations over the Northwest Territory, Washington signed treaties with the Native Americans.

• The American settlers ignored the treaties and continued to move on lands that were promised to the Native Americans.

• Fighting occurred between the two groups.

Struggles with the Native Americans

• Washington sent an army to restore order to the region, but they were badly defeated by the Miami people led by their chief, Little Turtle.

• More than 600 soldiers were killed.

• Many Americans believed that an alliance with France would help defeat the Spanish, British, and Native Americans in the West.

Little Turtle

British Move to the West• Hearing about possible involvement of the

French, the British who still had forts in the region made a push to control the West.

• They urged the Native Americans to destroy any American settlements west of the Appalachians.

• The British also began building a new fort in Ohio.

Battle of Fallen Timbers• When the Native Americans demanded that all

settlers north of the Ohio River leave the territory, George Washington responded by sending another army led by Anthony Wayne to challenge the natives.

• In August 1794 Wayne’s army defeated more than 1,000 Native Americans led by the Shawnee chief Blue Jacket near present-day Toledo, Ohio.

Battle of Fallen Timbers

Results of Fallen Timbers• After the defeat at Fallen Timbers, the

Native Americans realized there was little hope of keeping their lands.

• In 1795, the Native Americans agreed to give up most of the land in present-day Ohio to the United States by signing the Treaty of Greenville.

Conflict in Europe• In the 1790’s France was dealing with a

revolution of its own, using many of the same ideas used in the American Revolution.

• When the French Revolution became bloody, the king, queen and thousands of citizens were executed by revolutionary leaders. Americans were divided on whether to support the revolt in France or not.

French Revolution

France vs. England

• France and England went to war with each other again in 1793.

• Some Americans sided with France, especially those in the South, believing it would drive the British out of North America.

• Others favored the British, especially manufacturers and merchants who traded with the British.

Proclamation of Neutrality

• In April 1793, the French sent a diplomat to the United States in an attempt to recruit Americans to attack British ships.

• Washington discouraged Americans from becoming involved when he issued his Proclamation of Neutrality.

• Neutrality means to not take sides in a conflict between others.

Proclamation of Neutrality

• The proclamation prohibited American citizens from fighting in the war and banned French and British ships from American ports.

• Angered by French attacks at sea, the British began to capture American ships that traded with the French.

Impressment

• The British also began to stop American merchant ships and force their crews to join the British navy.

• This impressment angered the Americans greatly, and along with the conflict in the West, put the United States closer to a war with England.

Jay’s Treaty• Attempting to make peace with England,

Washington sent the chief justice of the Supreme Court, John Jay, to England to negotiate a treaty.

• Because the British realized they couldn’t afford to fight the French and Americans, and the fact that America was England’s best trade partner, they were willing to listen to Jay’s proposals.

Jay’s Treaty

• The British agreed to leave American lands, pay for damages to American ships they captured, and to allow American ships to trade with the British colonies in the Caribbean.

• It also included provisions to settle debts from before 1776.

Jay’s Treaty• Many Americans protested the treaty

because it did not deal with the impressment of sailors and did not mention stopping the capturing of American ships trading with France.

• Even though Washington did not support the whole treaty, he signed it knowing that it could prevent a war with England.

Pinckney’s Treaty• Following Jay’s Treaty, Spain felt

threatened by the fact that the United States and England could work together against the Spanish Empire in America.

• Thomas Pinckney was sent to Spain to negotiate a treaty that would give the Americans free use of the Mississippi River and the right to trade at New Orleans.

Thomas Pinckney

Washington’s Farewell

• Washington announced in September, 1796, that he would not seek a third term as president, which set another precedent, or tradition, of presidents only serving two terms.

• In his “Farewell Address”, Washington discussed his negative feelings about the growth of political parties splitting the nation and on how America should avoid permanent alliances.

Review• George Washington was trusted by the

people of America, which led to him becoming the first president of the United States. Washington concerned himself with military and foreign affairs, while allowing his cabinet to focus on other issues, such as the economy. Washington avoided foreign conflict by taking a stand of neutrality.

Assignments

• Answer the four review questions for this lesson.

• Read Washington’s Inaugural Address.

You will have a Unit 5 test after you complete Lesson 32