George Washington was unanimously elected as the first President of the United States in 1789. He assembled the first cabinet and helped establish important precedents, such as a two-term presidency and the use of a cabinet of advisors. During his presidency, he issued a Neutrality Proclamation in response to the French Revolution and used a militia law to put down the Whiskey Rebellion in western Pennsylvania, establishing the power of the new federal government.

1. George Washington
The First President
Our First Government

3. Washington’s Election
1789: George Washington unanimously wins
the first Presidential Election!
Inauguration: Washington becomes President,
and takes his “Oath of Office” in New York City

5. First Cabinet
Cabinet: A group of advisors
Secretary of State: Thomas Jefferson [VA]
Secretary of Treasury: Alexander Hamilton
[NY]
Secretary of War: Henry Knox [MA]
Postmaster General: Samuel Osgood [MA]
Attorney General: Edmund Randolph [VA]

6. Judiciary Act
1789
Creates Federal Court System & Supreme
Court
John Jay [NY]: 1st Chief Justice

8. French Revolution1789
Lower Class/Peasants revolt against King
Louis XV& Queen Marie Antoinette
Problems: Taxes, Freedoms, Liberty and
Awful Leadership.
French rebels ask Americans for help

9. Protective Tariff
1789
New Tax: Placed on foreign goods [imports]
To raise money for the government
To help American businesses

10. Census
1790
Census Report: An accurate count of all the
people living in the United States
Decides how many representatives each state
will have

12. Alexander Hamilton
Secretary of the Treasury
New Economic Plan
Report on Public Credit: Created to fix the
debt, and get the country on the right track
Bank of the United States [1791]: All taxes
collected, money issued, loans made and bills
paid through this one bank

14. New Capital
Washington D.C. created in 1791
Compromise between Alexander Hamilton &
James Madison.
Economic Plan passed=Capital moved to
District of Columbia [SOUTH]

16. Off With Her Head!!
1793
French Queen Marie Antoinette is killed
[beheaded] by the French Peasants.

17. Neutrality Proclamation
1793
War & violence in France
Neutrality: Do NOT get involved in foreign
affairs [wars, etc...]
Young nation needs to get stronger,
Washington says NO to France

18. Whiskey Rebellion
1794
Militia Law of 1792: Washington uses this law
to stop a tax rebellion in Pennsylvania.
1st Test of new government power
Uses Army to enforce the nations laws

19. Jay’s Treaty
1795: To avoid war, treaty was created.
American ships were being seized by
England.
Many people disliked the treaty, thought it was
weak. Washington needed the country to
patient, to young to fight another war

20. Pinckney’s Treaty
1796: Defined boundaries between the U.S. &
Spain
Gave America the rights to use the Mississippi
River

21. Washington’s
Precedents
Precedent: Something that is followed like a
law, but is not a law.
Cabinet of Advisors
2-term Presidency
Foreign Policy [Neutrality Proclamation]
Militia Law

22. END