George Washington was unanimously elected as the first President of the United States. His first cabinet included Alexander Hamilton as Treasury Secretary, Henry Knox as Secretary of War, and Thomas Jefferson as Secretary of State. Hamilton proposed an ambitious financial plan including assuming states' debts and establishing a national bank, which increased tensions between the Federalists led by Hamilton and the Republicans led by Jefferson. This helped establish the beginnings of the first American political parties. Washington's presidency also dealt with foreign policy issues and securing the frontier lands.