Download What major economic, domestic, and foreign issues did President

George Washington’s Presidency
TOPIC 5 Lesson 1 (pages 268-278)
The United States Constitution was a direct cause of the Early Republic’s Formation.
George Washington
1. inauguration – ceremony in which the President officially takes the oath of office
2. precedent – An act or decision that sets an example for others to follow.
What major economic, domestic, and foreign issues did President Washington face?
3. List the precedents that George Washington set for the presidency.
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Be called “Mr. President”. (John Adams suggested “His Excellency” or His Highness.”)
He chose talented people, well known leaders, to run the executive departments
(President’s Cabinet)
Served only 2 terms in office
4. What were the executive departments that congress created in 1789?
 Secretary of War (Henry Knox)
 Secretary of State (Thomas Jefferson)
 Secretary of Treasury (Alexander Hamilton)
 Attorney General (Edmund Randolph)
5. The heads of these departments made up the president’s _______cabinet________.
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Secretary of State--- Thomas Jefferson
Secretary of the Treasury--- Alexander Hamilton
6. What was the Judiciary Act of 1789? What did it accomplish?
It set up the Supreme Court, with a chief justice and associate justices, as well as federal district
and circuit courts.
Supreme Court 1st Chief Justice – John Jay
7. National debt – total sum of money that a government owes to others
By 1789, the national debt totaled more than $52 million.
8. Why was it important for the United States to pay off its war debt?
9. What was Alexander Hamilton’s Plan to pay off the nation’s debt? (3-step plan)
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Pay of all war debts (raise money through taxes)
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Raise government revenues (promote protective tariffs)
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Create a national bank
10. Why did Hamilton think it was important to have a national bank, the Bank of the United States?
He believed that such a bank could help the economy of the new nation. It would create a
partnership between the federal government and American business.
11. What benefit did the protective tariff give the American economy?
The protective tariff placed a tax on imported
goods. It made the price of imported goods higher
than American made goods. It is supposed to
encourage Americans to buy American made goods
instead of higher priced foreign goods.
12. Why was the new nation’s capital built as a new city in the South? Hamilton wanted to pay off war debts
but many southern states had already paid off their debts and did not like idea of having to help northern
states pay theirs. He asked T. Jefferson to help him gain Southern support. They reached a compromise.
Southern states would give support of the plan if northerners agreed to place new nation’s capital in the
South. Location chosen was on Potomac River between Virginia and Maryland.
13. What did Washington’s actions in response to the Whiskey Rebellion show? Washington was prepared
to enforce the tax on whiskey and crush the Whiskey Rebellion. He feared that if he didn’t act it might
weaken and undermine the new government’s authority. Oct. 1794, an army of 13,000 soldiers put down the
uprising in western Pennsylvania. Washington had proved his point. He had shown that the government had
the power and the will to enforce its laws.
14. What is the major difference between the Whiskey Rebellion and Shays’ Rebellion?
Whiskey Rebellion – farmers protest over a tax on all liquor made and sold in the United States
Shays’ Rebellion – revolt in Massachusetts led by farmers in reaction to high taxes
15. Which American leader supported the French in the French Revolution? Thomas Jefferson continued to
support the French even after the revolution turned violent. (Reign of Terror – the revolutionaries beheaded
King Louis XVI and the queen)
16. Which American leaders supported the British in the French Revolution? Alexander Hamilton and John
Adams strongly disagreed with the use of violence.
17. Why did Washington choose neutrality? Hamilton and his supporters were able to persuade Washington
that France’s war was totally European in nature and was not the U.S.’ problem. Washington decided that
there was nothing to be gained in U.S. involved itself in this conflict. To avoid being drawn into the conflict,
Washington adopted a policy of neutrality – The United States would avoid taking sides in any European
conflict or becoming involved in any foreign war.
18. Foreign Policy – relations with the governments of other countries.
19. What did Washington’s Neutrality Proclamation state? The United States would not support or aid either
France or Britain in their European conflict.
20. Jay’s Treaty – In 1793 Britain captured more than 250 American ships trading in the French West Indies.
Washington knew U.S. was too weak to fight a war so he sent Chief Justice John Jay to Britain. He
negotiated a treaty for Britain to pay for damages to ships and Britain agreed to give up control of forts that
they still had in the west.
Americans had to pay debts that were still owed to British mercfhants.
It did nothing to protect the rights of neutral American ships.
21. What 2 warnings did Washington give to the people of the United States in his Farewell Address?
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He urged the nation’s leaders to remain neutral and “steer clear of permanent alliances with any
portion of the foreign world.”
He warned that agreements with foreign nations might work against U.S. interests.
He warned against political parties
22. Is Washington’s Farewell Address about foreign or domestic policy? Explain.