Ch. 6 - President Washington

Ch. 6 - President Washington

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The First President

• So we know that the Constitution created an election system - people vote for who they want to represent them!

• For the president, each state chooses representatives for the Electoral College. Those people vote for the President.

• Of course, everyone in there voted to GW! He seemed perfect for the job, right? But why? Who can tell me some of his qualifications?

• But how do you think GW felt as he's about to the America's very first President? How would you feel about leading a new country?

• He was nervous. He wrote, "My Countrymen will expect too much of me."

• What is he saying? What was his worry?

• He knew that he would be setting an example for all other Presidents after him.

• So he acted with thought and care. Or did he?

Washington's Government

• 1789 GW goes to New York City and was welcomed as a hero. He was there for the inauguration = official ceremony to make someone President

• Guess what? Since then, every President after him has promised the same thing.

• So now GW is President! Here we go...

• First of all, he doesn't do it alone. He chose people to help him = Secretaries

• Thomas Jefferson - Secretary of State = decides how America acted towards other countries

• Alexander Hamilton - Secretary of Treasury = takes care of America's money

• Henry Knox - Secretary of War = in charge of protecting America

• Wait, where have we heard of Henry Knox again?

• He fought with GW in the Revolutionary War! He helped drag cannons from New York to Boston, so GW trusted him.

• Edmund Randolph - Attorney General = makes sure laws are obeyed

• Those people would help GW and became his Cabinet = group chosen to help President run his Branch. What Branch again?

• Cabinet would meet GW's house to give him advice.

• Guess what again?

• Every President since GW has had a Cabinet also!

Arguments in the Cabinet

• Having people giving you advice is nice, but what can happen?

• Arguments! What if they give you different advice?

• TJ and Hamilton often disagreed. Hamilton wanted a strong central gov. = support trade and manufacturing.

• TJ wanted to limit gov. so that it couldn't take away states' rights = support farming instead of trade

• Both people had followers that thought the same way they did. Those people formed their own parties - political party = group of people who share similar ideas about gov.

• Jefferson = Democratic-Republican Party

• Hamilton = Federalist Party

• Hamilton - wanted a national bank - America wealthier and stronger

• TJ - against bank - gov. didn't have the power to create a bank

• In the end, GW took Hamilton's advice and started a national bank = controls America's money - people can have savings accounts

• banks give you loans - but you have to pay interest = money paid to borrow money

• Example: You borrow $500 to get a bike, but the bank says you have to pay them back $600.

• Sometimes TJ and Hamilton compromised...

• Jefferson got his way of building America's capital on the Potomac River between Virginia and Maryland.

• capital = city where the gov. meets

• Hamilton got his way with how America would pay its war debts

• GW chose the exact location of the capital.

• Andrew Ellicott and Benjamin Banneker helped measure the land. Pierre L'Enfant designed the city.

• They started building in 1792 and named the city Washington, of course.

• 8 years pass

• GW is about to retire, and he gives a speech to America.

• Any ideas of what he would say after being President for 8 years?

• Don't make political parties! They divide people.

• Stay out of wars between other countries. (France was fighting Britain at this time and GW stayed out of it.)

• GW might always be remembered as a hero. But what about the Presidents after him. Will they take his advice? Stay tuned...