Washington's leadership brought legitimacy to the presidency in several key ways: 1) As the unanimous choice for first president, he established the presidency as a respected office. 2) He established important precedents such as the cabinet and federal judiciary that defined the branches of government. 3) Through difficult challenges at home and abroad like the Whiskey Rebellion, he demonstrated the authority of the federal government and preserved the young nation's unity.

1. Washington:
Our First President

2. Objectives:Objectives:
1) Analyze how the U.S. confronted the
difficult task of forming a new government
2) List and Explain how the political ideas of
Hamilton and Jefferson differed
3) Describe how Washington’s leadership
brought legitimacy to the presidency

3. Washington: The Obvious Choice
 President chosen by “electors”
named by state legislatures
 Each elector had two ballots
 Washington  unanimous
choice on 1st
ballot
 Under this system 
 winner = President
 Second = V.P. (it was Adams with
34 electoral votes)

4. Washington’s challengesWashington’s challenges
► Everything Washington did was a “first”Everything Washington did was a “first”
► ““We are in a wilderness without a singleWe are in a wilderness without a single
footstep to guide us.”footstep to guide us.” – Washington– Washington
► U.S. at the time easy preyU.S. at the time easy prey
 U.S. armyU.S. army  less than 700 officers andless than 700 officers and
soldiers; no navysoldiers; no navy

5. Washington Needs HelpWashington Needs Help
1.1. Washington creates ExecutiveWashington creates Executive
positionspositions
 Becomes first “Cabinet”Becomes first “Cabinet”
1.1. Washington brings clarity to theWashington brings clarity to the
Judicial BranchJudicial Branch
 Judiciary Act of 1789Judiciary Act of 1789

6. The First “Cabinet”
• Secretary of State: Thomas Jefferson
• Secretary of the Treasury: Alexander Hamilton
• Secretary of War: Henry Knox
• Attorney General: Edmund Randolph

7. Judiciary Act of 1789
• Provided more details about Judicial Branch
• 6 Supreme Court justices (John Jay is first Chief Justice) (#s
went up over time)
• Other lower federal courts
• Affirmed “supremacy clause” of Constitution (Article 6,
Section 2):
• states could appeal to a federal court if constitutional issues were
raised

8. Check for understanding
•How did Washington confront the difficult
task of running a new government?

9. Division in
Washington’s Cabinet
Hamilton VS. Jefferson
 Deep philosophical differences
 Both men greatly respected by Washington
 Become leaders of first political parties in US 
 Jefferson  Democratic-Republicans
 Hamilton  Federalists
 2 party system becomes well-entrenched after just a few
years
 Despite Washington’s pleas to avoid partisanship in
private and public comments (ex. Farewell Address)

10. Hamilton vs.
Jefferson
• Strong Federal Gov’t
• Fear of “mob” rule
• Republic led by “elite”
• “loose” interpretation
• Economy  shipping /
manufacturing
• Assumption  B.U.S.
• Favors “creditors”
• Supporters:
• Merchants / manufacturers /
landowners / investors /
lawyers / clergy
• Strong State Gov’t
• Fear of “absolute” rule
• Democracy “virtuous”
• “strict” interpretation
• Economy  agriculture /
farming
• NO B.U.S.
• Favors “debtors”
• Supporters:
• “plain people”
• Farmers / trades people

11. Check for understanding
• Give at least 3 examples of how Hamilton and
Jefferson differed.

12. Bank of the United
States• Hamilton wanted a national
Bank of the United States to
issue paper money and handle
tax receipts and other
government funds
• A problem 
• not called for directly in
Constitution
• Debate 
• strict vs. loose interpretation
(Article I, Section 8) – “elastic
clause”
• Hamilton gets his Bank, by…

13. Our Nation’s Capital
• Philadelphia
• In 1789, it’s New York City (then back to Philly)
• Plans made to create a new city
• Centrally located to appeal to Northerners and Southerners:
the District of Columbia
• Built on a swamp along Potomac River between Maryland
and Virginia
• Pierre L’Enfant and Benjamin Banneker (African American)
 engineers (designers)
• Becomes nation’s capital in 1800 (Adams the first president
to live in White House – the “President’s House”)
• To this day, unique relationship to U.S.; not a state

14. Washington faces Obstacles
at Home & Abroad
1.French Revolution
2.Jays Treaty
3.Pinckney’s Treaty
4.Whiskey Rebellion
5.Natives

15. Meanwhile, in Europe…
• French Revolution begins (1789)
• Jefferson (Democratic-Republicans)
• Strong supporter of France
• Hamilton (Federalists)
• Support Great Britain
• Washington decides in 1793 to remain
neutral
• Declaration of Neutrality
• Jefferson soon resigns from Cabinet

16. Jay’s Treaty
The Jay TreatyThe Jay Treaty (1794)(1794)
Between U.S. and Great Britain afterBetween U.S. and Great Britain after
Battle of Fallen Timbers;Battle of Fallen Timbers;
many Americans angry with detailsmany Americans angry with details 
no assurance that Americansno assurance that Americans
could not be “pressed” into servicecould not be “pressed” into service
in British navyin British navy
British allowed to continue furBritish allowed to continue fur
trade along Canadian bordertrade along Canadian border
BUT Britain did agree to leaveBUT Britain did agree to leave
Northwest territory andNorthwest territory and war hadwar had
been avertedbeen averted

17. Pinckney’s Treaty
• Treaty of San Lorenzo
• Americans gain right to access Mississippi River & New
Orleans
• Resolved territorial disputes between Spain and U.S.
http://education-
portal.com/academy/lesson
/the-french-revolution-jay-
treaty-and-treaty-of-san-
lorenzo.html#lesson

18. The Whiskey Rebellion
• The federal government needed
money
• The 1st
federal tax on Americans 
excise tax on distilleries (alcohol
producers)
• Farmers in Western Pennsylvania
distilled corn into whiskey; more
profitable & practical
• Some attacked tax collectors and
many refused to pay the tax
• In 1794. Washington called up 15,000
militiamen and personally led them in
show of force  rebellion ended with
no loss of life

19. War with Native Americans, Britain?
• American settlers  move west of the Appalachian Mountains into
lands U.S. “won” in American Revolution in Northwest Territory
• Native Americans disagree that their lands were “won” by anyone and
resist
• Native Americans successful at first but eventually suffer great losses
at Battle of Fallen Timbers in 1794
http://education-
portal.com/academy/lesson/the
-whiskey-rebellion-and-battle-
of-fallen-timbers.html#lesson

20. Check for understanding
•Describe how Washington’s leadership
brought legitimacy to the presidency

21. Goodbye George 
• Washington Farewell Address 1796
• "The unity of government...is a main pillar in the edifice of your real
independence...of your tranquility at home, your peace abroad; of your safety;
of your prosperity; of that very liberty which you so highly prize."
• "It serves to distract the Public Councils, and enfeeble the Public
Administration....agitates the Community with ill-founded jealousies and false
alarms; kindles the animosity of one....against another....it opens the door to
foreign influence and corruption...”
• "Where is the security for property, for reputation, for life, if the sense of
religious obligation desert the oaths, which are the instruments of investigation
in Courts of Justice?"
• "It is our true policy to steer clear of permanent alliances with any portion of
the foreign world..."
• "...avoid the necessity of those overgrown military establishments, which,
under any form of government, are inauspicious to liberty, and which are to be
regarded as particularly hostile to Republican Liberty.“
• ".......the name of American, which belongs to you, in your national capacity,
must always exalt the just pride of Patriotism..."