Ch.9, Sec.

1 Washingtons
Presidency
Washington Takes Office
- on April 30, 1789, at Federal Hall in New York City, George
Washington was inaugurated as the first president of the
United States
- John Adams was sworn in as vice-president the same day
- after a lengthy debate in Congress, it was finally agreed
upon that the person occupying the executive office would be
called Mr. President

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Presidency
Setting Up the Courts
- in 1789, Congress passed the Federal Judiciary Act, which
created the federal Supreme Court

- Washington appointed John

Jay as the first Supreme Court
Justice

Ch.9, Sec.1 Washingtons

Presidency
Washingtons Cabinet
- the Constitution also gave Congress the task of creating
departments to help the president lead the nation
- Washington had the task of appointing department heads
which would make up his cabinet
Secretary of War: Henry Knox
Secretary of State: Thomas Jefferson
Secretary of the Treasury: Alexander Hamilton
Attorney General: Edmund Randolph

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Presidency
Economic Problems
- by 1789, the United States had accrued a national debt of 52
million dollars
- Hamilton hoped the federal government would be stronger
than the state governments and he sought support through
the nations wealthy merchants and manufacturers
- by paying back the debt to them and the countries
(France, Spain, The Netherlands) we had borrowed money
from to fund the War of Independence, Hamilton was
confident the world would support the U.S.

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Presidency
Hamiltons Financial Plan
- by 1790, Hamilton presented his plan to Congress:
1. all war debts would be paid off
2. raise government revenues
3. create a national bank
- Southern states didnt have any debt, so they didnt support
the plan, but a compromise was made if the new national
capital was placed in the South (Washington, D.C.)

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Presidency
- Hamilton felt tariffs would raise plenty of revenue for the
national government by taxing foreign goods
- Hamilton also wanted to create a strong
national bank so money could be issued
and money could be stored
Interpreting the Constitution
- Madison & Jefferson were worried the
bank would give the federal government
too much power, but Hamiltons plan was
chosen by Washington in 1791

Alexander Hamilton