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RussellMohn
AP US I Per. 4
Januarv30. 1996
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GeorgeWashington'sAdministration
When GeorgeWashingtontook his inauguraloath in 1789, he becarnethe first Presidentof the
newly-formedUnited States. As the first President,every action, decision,and appearanceWashington
would makewould.becomea precedentfor firture presidentsto follow. In his adminisffationfrom 1?89to
1797,\Vashingtontook it upon himselfto set into actionthe new governmentas outlinedin the Constitution
of 1789. As a popular and respectedindividual,Washingtonwas electedunanimouslyfor both of his fuur
yeartermsin office. He wasthe mostprominentGeneralin the RevolutionaryWar andthe presidingofficial
of the ConstitutionalConvention(178|.
Washingtonfought bravely for independenbe.He witnessedthe
drafting of the ingeniouslyconstructedConstitution which could grraranteehappinessto the American
citizensif the governmentran smoothlyand effectively. If implementedproperly from the beginning the
Constitutioncould mendthe woundsthe country sufferedundet'the Articles of Confederation. Under the
Articles of Conffieratiorq the United Statesriskedbecomingdisunitedbecausetoo much power was in the
handsof the stategovemments.The Constitutionvestedmorepower in the federalgovernmentwhich was
to be led by the President. To correctly employthe orpresspowersvestedin the federalgovernmeritby the
Constitution,Washingtonneededeverybit of his understandingof the Constitution,backgroundknowledge,
and decision-makingcapabilities. Since decision-makingrequiresthe most difficult kind of thinking and
Washingtonwas his own worst critic, WashinSon found that being Presidentpresentd him with many
challenges.Although he did not really want to be Preside.nt,Washingtonproudly took it upon himselfto
demandrespectfrom the statesand abroadfor the new federalgovenrment.The $residentwould represent
the new fueral government. Accordingto Clinton RosJeter,the liresident'smain purposeis to makewise
decisions. Mr. Rossbterwrote that the presidentmakesdecisionsin nine major roles. For example,the
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presidenthas to make decisionsas a Chief Executive,Chief Administrator,Maneger of Economic Well-
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being, and tle Voice of Public Opinion. During his two terms in office, old and qew problemsfaced
Washingtonand demandedhim to act in different roles. For o<amplein domesticaffairs, the Whiskey
Rebellion(1794) demandedWashingtonto decidehow to act asChiefExecutive. Would he forcibly enforce
the Whiskeytax? Would he be too compassionate
to rebellionand not enforcethe law? Also in domestic
affairs as Chief Administrator,Washin5on had to selecthis cabinetof advisors. In foreign affairs,two of
the most importantroles Washingtonhad to take were Managerof EconomicWefl-being,and the Voice of
ftrblic Opinion. As Managerof Economiclilell$eing, he signedthe PinckneyTreaty. Washingtonsigned
th€ Jay Treaty sacrificinghis role as the Voice of Public Opinion. Washingtons decisionsin the four
problemssetprecedentsin the new governmentandhe$ed the country grow.
aforementioned
As leaderof the Executivebranchof government,the Presidenthadto act asa ChiefExecutive" As
Chief Executive,Washingtonenforcedand canied out the laws madeby the legislatureor alreadystatedin
the Constitution. Washington'smostvaliantdisplayof authorityin his role asChief Executivewas his swift,
decisive,andeffectivecalmingof the WhiskeyRebellion. The WhiskeyRebellionwas t}re indirect result of
the lack of economicstimulationin the statesunder the Articles of Confueration. Many backcountry
farmerssufferedgreat debtsafter the war becauseof the drop in businessat the war's end. Consequently,
the discomfortedfarmersrebelledin Shay'sRebellion(178G87) againsttaxes on land. Only sevenyears
later, the WhiskeyRebellionwas stagedby angryfarmersin Pennsylvania.The WhiskeyTax (1791) taxed
all liquor madeand sold in the U.S. Meny farmersgrew corn which was bulky and difficult to haul ovEr
backcountryroads(no railroadsthen). The corn would rot if it was not transportedimmediatelyafter being
harvested. Therefore,the farmersferrnentedtheir corn (and other grain$ and madewhiskey. Whiskey
would not spoil, was easilystoredand transportedin barrels,and sold for a rmrchhigher profit than corn.
The Whiskey Tax threatenedthe farmers' whiskey market. When the tax collectors came around, the
farmersrebelledin a violent fashion. The news of the Whiskey Rebelliontraveled quickly Washington
answeredthe rebellionasserli\deyby "rtly,:,9
severalstatemilitias. The statemilitias showedtheir respect
for Washington'spower by sendingtheii'rnilitias. Washingon showedhis own dedicationto carryingout
the law becausehe actually went with the militiameninto Pennsylvania.The rebels scatteredwhen they
heardthe troops were coming. The rebellionwas disbandedwithout a shotbeingfired. Washingtonproved
that the new govemmentcould act firmly and zuccessfullyin the case of crisis. Washington'sactions
bolsteredfaith in the new governmentandfaith in his role as an enforcerof the laws. Whenthe offendersin
the rebellioncarneto trial, Washingtonpardorredthern showinghis merciful nature. Washington'sactions
showed the American citizens that he was to be taken seriously,but he would not be oppressiveor
merciless.Washingtonenforcedthe lawsin an excellentmarmeras seenin the WhiskeyRebellion.
The first administrationof the new govemmentalso demonstratedWashington'sdeft decisionmaking capabilities. As Chief Administrator,Washingtonhad to appoint officials, like judges and cabinet
members.Washingtonwould be held accountablefor his appointments;thereforg he soughtpoliticianswho
were politically able,intelligent,ande4perignced.Washingtonwantedhis administrationto be zuccessfulin
pleasmgthe peopleand gainingrespectfor the office of President.Under the Arricles of Confederation,the
domesticpolicy of the Presidenthad not existedbecausetherewas no President. Therewere no officials to
be appointedbecausemost of the important decision.makingwas done in the state garremm€nts. The
problemsarosewhen stateshad conflicting interests. For example,the North wantedprotectivetariffs on
imports from Fnglandto protect the growing manufacturingbusiness.However,the Southdid not want to
pay extra high pricesfor manufacturedgoodsthey neededfrom England Who could decidewhich interests
were more important? The creationof the executivebranchin the Constitutionvestedsomeof that power (
throughvetoing or signingbills) in the President.Washingtonwisely decidedto ,crdlie departmentswhlo!
would advisehim. He appointedAlexanderHamilton asthe $ecretaryof Treasury,ThomasJeffersonasthe
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Secretaryof Statq Henry Knox as the Secretaryof War, EdmundRandolphas the Attomey General,and
Samuel Osgood as t}te Postmaster General. Washinglon purposely appointed men from different
backgroundsandpolitical views. For examplqHamilfon was an aristocraticFederalistfrom New York, and
from Virginia. Randolph,also a Virginian, proposedthe Virginia
Jeffersonwas a Democratic-Republican
Planwhich becamethe modelfor the Constitutionand the.reforeunderstoodthe detailsof the Constitution.
HenryKnox wasfrom Massachusetts
which showedWashingtons considerationfor differing interestsin the
small and large states. Washingtonwanted different points of view from his advisors so his legislative
decisionswould not favor anyone. Washingtonlistenedto his cahinetmembersin legislativedecisionsand
rarely revealedhis own opinions. He did not meddlewith Congressbecausehe felt his responsibfitywas
concentratd in the making of executivedecisions. He set a prccedentof not directly participatingin the
Congress.Yet, legislativedecisionswere still in his hands. Washingtonpreferredto work with his galinet
than with Congress. As Chief Adrninistrator,Washingtondemonstratedexcellentdecision-makingabilities
whenhe appointedablepoliticiansfrom diversebackgroundsto headhis departments.The rangeof advice
enabledWashingtonto makejust decisions.Washington'scabinethelpedhim greatlymakewise decisionsin
foreign affairs.
In foreign policy, Was.liyton had to contendwith the fever of revolution that the United States
seeminglygave to Europe. Two years after the American Revolution, France plunged into its own
revolution The Frenchpeoplewanted a dernocraticgove.rnment;
they were disgustedwith their monarch,
Louis XVI. Unequaltaxation causedthe middle and lower classesto call for a guaranteeof rights like the
American Constitution. Afraid that the revolution might spreadtlroughout Europe, Britain, Austria,
Prussi4 the Netherlandgand Spainsent armiesto zutrduethe revolutionariesin France. Sinceboth France
and Englandwere closeeconomicand political partnerswith the U.S., the U.S. was almostpulled into the
war betweentlem. Washingtondeclaredthat the U.S. would remain neutral; however, American ships
continuedtrade with the French in the West Indies. The angeredBritish attacked American ships and
capturedAmericanshipsand sailors. The British impressnentof Americanmerchantsangeredthe American
public. In 1793, Chief Justice John Jay went to England to work out a treaty. The original plan of
withholding Americannzutrality and preszuringEnglandby making treaties with Sweden,Denmadq and
Russiafell through when Denmark and Swedenoffered the U.S. membershipin an allianceof neutrals.
Washingtonrejectedthe offer, The British did not feel pressuredby the threat of a U.S. alliancewith
France,andthey offeredJaylittle. The Jay Treatyrestatedthe Treaty of Parisin two \rypys.Fkst, it stated
that the British would surrenderNorthwest trading postsfor the co;rtinuanceof the fur trade. Second,t}re
British alsoagreedto payfor the stolenU. S. shipsin exchangefo1
$evolutionary War debtsowed to Britistr
creditors. The British re-fusedto comp€ilsatefor slavescapturedduring the war. Most importantly,ge
Bdtish also refusedto guaranteethe tenninationof impressmentof Americanmerchants.The termsof the
treaty f.ostereddiscontentin Congresswhich reflectedthe outra-gedvoice of the public. Americansrightly
believedthey wereguing up more thanEnglandin the treaty. Already9,000 Americanmer*afts hadbeen
taken by British sailarsclaimingthe Americanswere British deserters. The Americanscould not standto
havethe impressmentpolicy continued. Despitethe angerand displeasure,Washingtonsignedthe Treaty,
thus preventingwar with the United States' best economicpartne,r,England. Washingtonsac11$ged
his
obligationas Voice of Fublic Opinion to bolster his position as Managerof EconomicWell-being. In the
job wh€n he signedthe JayTreatywith England.
role of Voice of PublicOpinion,Washingtondid a pqp_,r
Washin5on $trengthened
his foreign policy through the PinckneyTreaty with Spain. After the Jay
Treaty with England,Spainthought the U"S. was favoring the British; therefore,to preveflt a disruptionin
the balanceof power, Spainstrengthenedits friendshipwith the U.S by agreeingto a very generoustreaty
negotiatedby ThomasPinckney. The Treaty was drafted in 1795, two years after the Jay Treaty. The
Treaty lessenedthe economictensionsin Kentucky and Tennesseewhich almost causedthem to secede
underthe Articles of Confueration. The Americansin Kentucky and Tennessee
had one major trade route,
the MississippiRiver, becausethey were surrdundedby mountains. At the time, Spain controlled the
Mississippi and ruled the Florida-New Orleans region. Bribes frorn the Spanish almost caused the
Americansin KentuckyandTennessee
to secede.If the Americanscould not trade on the Mississippi,their
economiclifeline would be severed. The secessionistmovementand econornicinstability were obliterated
with the signing of the Pinckney Treaty. The Pinckney Treaty provided for free navigation of the
Mississippi,permissionfor Americantradersto depositgoodsin New Orleans,acknowledgmentof the U.S.
southernboundaryat the 3lst parallel and the westernboundaryas the Mississrppi,and the preventionof
lndian invasionsin eachother's territories. The Treaty was unanimouslyacceptedby the Senatein 1796.
As Manager of EconomicWell-being Washingtondid an excellentjob in the approval of the Pinckney
Treaty. Having the Mississippias a free trade route provided economicstimulationin the surrounding
states. The cropsof the greatplainsand Ohio Valley andfurs from the mountainousareascould be shipped
down the Mississippi. In the future, the Mississippiwould also play a major economicrole as more people
settled westward. Not only did Washingtonhelp the present economicsituation of the U.S., he also
providedan importanteconomicresourcefor thefirture"
GeorgeWashingtonset positive precedentsand made excellentdecisionsas the first President.
Washingtonbroughtwith him to the Presidencyin-depthunderstandingof how the new Constitutionshould
be implemented. He knew he would be the first example for all succeeding,rliresidentsto follow.
Consequently,he tried his best to make wise clecisions.In the roles he fiilfilled, namely-ChiefExecutive,
Chief Administrator,Voice of Itrblic Opinioa andManagerof EconomicWell$eing Washingtonnradewell
justified decisions. As Chid Executive, Chief Administrator, and Manager of Economic Well-being,
Washingtonmadeexcellentchoices. As Chief Executive he quelledthe l{hiskey Rebellionpeaceablyyet
swiftly andresolutely. His executivetemperamentwas not harshbecausehe pardonedthe offenders. In the
selectionofhis cabinet,he dernonstratedhis dedicationtojust and able caunselingby selectingastuteyet
diversemen. The PinckneyTreaty exemplifiedWashington'sexcellentmanagingof economicaffairs with
foreip countries. However in dealingwith the Jay Treaty, Washingtonpoorly representedthe Voice of
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PtlHicOeinim"OntheotU**ld,hprerencdwa1s[1hF'.ryIslrdwhichcouHhnvee&tlcdefieEffib{sfu
disagerin thegrowingUnitd $tstes.Ifi tbr€eout of thefour aforementimod
is$ues,
Washington
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fulfilld bis rols asPresident
erd hdp€dgdn reryectfor thenewtyfcrmingftdsrstgsv€nxmst. Orfinell
Wtshirytonwasanexg4eg.t-d#sm.&ak€r.IIe lookedat nrarrysidesof thecootroversies,
andhe always
hed a wdljtlffi
r6&sst fm his decisions. As a pocitiveroh modd tnd fuough hie preeedamts,
W*hingtoah€lpeal
thenewgovenrneffto a goodstaxterd pavedtheunayfor tle oextltesideffi.
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