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What were the major domestic and foreign problems

facing the nation during the presidency of George Washington?

Essential Question

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• Washington was inaugurated in NY – Set precedents on how to run our country

• Congress set up departments within the branch

• Constitution did not establish names or limit number of departments

• Washington set up first three departments in summer 1789

• Washington appointed the department leaders who became his advisors

Handle relations

with other

nations/foreign

affairs

1st Secretary

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Handle relations

with other

nations/foreign

affairs

Current Secretary

Deal with national

financial matters

1st Secretary

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Deal with national

financial matters

Current Secretary

1st Secretary

Provide for

national

defense

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Provide for

national

defense

Current

Secretary

President’s legal

advisor &

responsible for

enforcement of

national laws

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President’s legal

advisor &

responsible for

enforcement of

national laws

Current – Loretta Lynch

• Became known as the President’s “Cabinet”

• Constitution does not say the President must use them to advise him on decisions – Washington used these men to make critical national decisions

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Departments of the President’s Cabinet • Agriculture

• Commerce – Trade/sales & purchases

• Defense (formerly War)

• Education

• Energy

• Health & Human Services – Protects health & offer

those services to Americans

• State

• Transportation

• Veteran Affairs – Works for veterans of

America

• Homeland Security – Protects America & its people

• Housing & Urban Development – Home ownership &

community growth

• Justice – Enforce law

• Labor – Welfare of job seekers

• Interior – Protects natural & cultural

heritage of U.S.A.

• Treasury

Government

in Action • Judiciary Act of

1789 – Create a federal

court system

• Supreme Court

assigned 6 justices – John Jay appointed

as Chief Justice

• 3 courts of appeals

• District court in

each state

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• Began the year of Washington’s inauguration, 1789 – Originally seen as a good

thing in America

• By 1793, the Revolution turned bloody

• Many Americans were offended by the violence, attacks on religion, disregard of individual liberties

• Britain went to war with France in 1793

SUSTAIN NEUTRALITY • French wanted us to

help in war with Britain – They were our allies in

the Revolution

• Washington encouraged neutrality

– Discouraged American involvement

• Proclamation of Neutrality – Prohibited Americans

fighting in overseas war

– Barred warships in American ports

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American Treaties • Washington sent John Jay,

chief justice of the Supreme Court, to England to negotiate a treaty

• Jay’s Treaty – British withdraw from America, pay

damages, & allow some ships to trade in the Caribbean

• Many Americans wanted trade with British West Indies, which it did not open

• Thomas Pinckney negotiated a treaty with Spain

• Pinckney’s Treaty – Spain granted Americans right to

travel freely on Mississippi R. and to store good in New Orleans without paying a tax; settled boundary dispute

#1: Pay off all war debt

• Combine all state debts

into a single national

debt…$52 million

– Many Southern states had

repaid their debt

• Replace old bonds issued

by the national government

with new bonds. Paying off

all the loans would

reestablish the United

States’ credit

Hamilton presented a 3 step program to improve finances

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• Hamilton felt industry (manufacturing) would make economy stronger

– Proposed a tariff to encourage American products

– South had little industry & opposed the tariff

• Congress should approve many new taxes – A new whiskey tax was proposed

– New taxes would give govt. new financial powers

– Would ensure a steady flow of income to the government

#2: Raise government revenue

#3: National bank that would serve many purposes

Bank would give

government a safe

place to keep

money

Businesses would be

helped through loans

Bank would issue bank

notes (paper money used

as currency)

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• Hamilton believed in a

loose interpretation of

the constitution

• A very broad and flexible

view of power

• Doing what is “necessary

and proper”

• Thomas Jefferson and

James Madison Argued

for a strict

interpretation of the

Constitution

• If Constitution does not

mention it, the

government cannot do it.

Elastic Clause

Reserve Clause 10th Amendment

Compromise for approval • To get his plan approved,

Hamilton created a

compromise with

Thomas Jefferson.

• Jefferson would support

Hamilton’s financial plan

if Hamilton would

support moving the

nation’s capital to the

South

• Created a new Southern

capital called City of

Washington, District of

Columbia

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Compromise creates a Capital

The Whiskey Tax • Hamilton tries to

increase revenue for the U.S. Government

• Tax on all distilled spirits passes Congress in 1791

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Whiskey Rebellion • From

Pennsylvania to Georgia western farmers refuse to pay tax

• Tax collectors were attacked

Rebellion Location

Rebellion in the western part of the state

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End of Rebellion • Federal troops

sent to break up rebellion

• Insurgents arrested

• Washington offers pardons in exchange for oaths of loyalty to the government

Why is it important?

• Proved that the federal government under the new Constitution had power

• Washington was willing to use military force to enforce federal law