Washington’s Presidency

Washington’s Presidency

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​ALL CAPS = WRITE IT

​How’d he get elected?

• Constitution ratified in 1789​

• ​11 of 13 states send delegates to the first Electoral College (Rhode Island and North Carolina hadn’t ratified Constitution yet)

  • ​ELECTORS: PEOPLE CHOSEN BY STATES TO VOTE FOR PRESIDENT

  • ​ELECTORAL COLLEGE: MEETING OF ALL ELECTORS TO VOTE FOR PRESIDENT

• ​WASHINGTON WAS CHOSEN UNANIMOUSLY

  • ​JOHN ADAMS RECEIVED 2ND MOST VOTES AND NAMED VP

Multiple Choice

What is the Electoral College

• The #1 team in College Football this year

• The best Political Science school in the country

• A meeting of all Presidential Electors to vote on the President

​What now?

• ​EVERYTHING WASHINGTON DOES ESTABLISHES A PRECEDENT

  • ​PRECEDENT: AN ACTION THAT SERVES AS AN EXAMPLE FOR THE FUTURE.

• ​Washington’s Presidency sets an example for the role for future Presidents.

Multiple Choice

What is a precedent?

• The leader of the United States’ executive branch.

• LeBron James

• An example for future

• A made up US History word.

​Who Helped?

• ​The Constitution says the President can receive help from the heads of Executive Departments, but doesn’t name them.

• ​WASHINGTON CREATES 4 DEPARTMENTS, WITH THE HEADS BEING CALLED THE SECRETARY OF _______

  • ​WAR DEPARTMENT: OVERSEES NATION’S DEFENSE (HENRY KNOX)

  • ​STATE DEPARTMENT: HANDLES RELATIONS WITH OTHER COUNTRIES (THOMAS JEFFERSON)

  • ​TREASURY DEPARTMENT: HANDLES NATION’S FINANCES

  • ​ATTORNEY GENERAL: ADVISES ON LEGAL MATTERS. HEAD PROSECUTOR (EDMOND RANDOLPH)

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is NOT one of the first executive departments?

• Treasury Department

• State Department

• Defense Department

• Attorney General

​What Precedents did Washington set?

• JUDICIARY ACT OF 1789: CREATES THE NATION’S COURT SYSTEM

• WASHINGTON NAMES JOHN JAY FIRST CHIEF JUSTICE

  • People were not all fans of Jay, hanged and burned him in effigy because ​

  • ​Also named 4 associate justices, now there are 9 Justices total.

​Precedents Continued

• ​NORTHWEST ORDINANCE OF 1789 ESTABLISHED HOW NEW STATES COULD ENTER THE COUNTRY

  • ​Government would send a governor and judges to watch over territory

  • ​Once state had 5k inhabitants (male) they could elect own government leaders

  • ​Once self sufficient, could apply for statehood

Poll

Do you think the Judiciary Act or the Northwest Ordinance was more important?

• Judiciary Act of 1789

• Northwest Ordinance of 1789

​("Enter, me")

​Jefferson vs. Hamilton, Fight!

​Jefferson & Hamilton Argue Over Everything?

• ​HAMILTON AND JEFFERSON HAD OPPOSITE VIEW POINTS ON ALMOST EVERYTHING

  • ​JEFFERSON: STRICT INTERPRETATION OF CONSTITUTION

    • ​Unless Constitution says it, it can’t be done.

  • ​HAMILTON: LOOSE INTERPRETATION OF CONSTIUTION

    • ​ELASTIC CLAUSE GIVES FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ABILITY TO DO ANYTHING NECESSARY AND PROPER.

​Hamilton’s Financial Plan

• ​As Secretary of Treasury, Hamilton wanted to create a strong financial system, and needed several things

  1. ​FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ASSUMES STATE DEBTS

     1. ​Would make States more unified

  2. ​HIGH TARIFFS ON IMPORTS (TARIFFS ARE TAXES ON GOODS)

     1. ​Would make American made products more competitive, keep money here.

  3. ​CREATE A NATIONAL BANK

     1. ​Government could control inflation, regulate the new banking industry, people would be borrowing from the country.

​Jefferson Argues Back

• ​THOUGHT A NATIONAL BANK WAS UNCONSTITUTIONAL.

• ​SOUTHERN STATES (like Jefferson’s home in Virginia) HAD LESS DEBT THAN THE NORTH.

  • ​War was fought mostly in the North.

• ​THOUGHT THAT BANKS WOULD TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE POOR AND FARMERS.

​What Gives? Compromise

• ​Hamilton, Jefferson, and Senator James Madison come to an agreement.

• ​HAMILTON’S PLAN WOULD PASS, IN RETURN, NEW CAPITAL WOULD BE BUILT IN “THE SOUTH”.

  • ​Washington, D.C. sits on land made up of Virginia and Maryland (Maryland backed out of deal).

Multiple Choice

Who had a Strict Interpretation of the Constitution?

• Thomas Jefferson

• Alexander Hamilton

Multiple Choice

What compromise settled the Financial Crisis

• The Great Compromise

• The 3/5 Compromise

• Hamilton gets his financial plan, South gets the capital.

​The French Revolution

• ​Inspired by the American Revolution, FRANCE OVERTHREW THEIR MONARCHY AND STARTED A NEW GOVERNMENT.

  • ​This caused other monarchies in Europe to want to help the French monarchy.

• ​JEFFERSON WANTED TO HELP THE FRENCH LIKE THEY HELPED OUR REVOLUTION.

• ​HAMILTON WANTED TO STAY OUT OF IT TO HELP THE BRITISH, OUR #1 TRADING PARTNER.

• ​WASHINGTON CHOSE NEUTRALITY: TOOK NO SIDE

  • ​Didn't think the country or military were in a position to engage in another war.

Poll

Who would you have sided with?

• The British

• The French

• Neither

​Whiskey Rebellion

• ​FEDERALISTS PASSED TAX ON WHISKEY

  • ​Whiskey is made from grain, at the time grown in the former Middle Colonies. Many there were Anti-Federalists, and Federalists passed the taxes.

• ​FARMERS IN PENNSYLVANIA OPENLY REBELLED, NOT PAYING TAX

  • ​Thought they'd have the same outcome as Shay's Rebellion.

• ​WASHINGTON LED TROOPS TO PA HIMSELF, AND REBELS FLED W/O A FIGHT.

​First President's Last Precedents

• ​RETIRED AFTER SECOND TERM, NO PRESIDENT WOULD SERVE MORE FOR 150 YEARS

  • ​Did not want to become a King and wanted to move the country to its next leaders.

• ​GAVE A FAREWELL ADDRESS (Written by Hamilton in part)

  • ​URGED AMERICA TO STAY NEUTRAL

  • ​URGED AGAINST POLITICAL PARTIES FORMING

    • ​Had already started happening, stay tuned until next time...

Multiple Select

What were Washington's last precedents and President? (CHOOSE ALL THAT APPLY)

• He gave a farewell address

• He stepped down after serving 2 terms.

• He threw an elaborate political party and invited all citizens

• All of the above.

Open Ended

Of all of George Washington's actions as America's first president, what do you think was most important?