Washington Heads the New

Government

Chapter 6.1

MAIN IDEA: President Washington

transformed the ideas of the Constitution into a real government.

WHY IT MATTERS NOW: The Cabinet, an institution Washington created, is still a key element in every presidential administration.

BIG IDEAS

Washington as President

• He did not want to be the president

• Voted in unanimously

• Took on the task of creating a government based on Enlightenment

The Judiciary Act of 1789

“Supreme Law of the Land”– rule states unconstitutional

Chief Justices; 5 Federal Judges 3 Federal court 13 District courts

The New Government

The Executive Branch

When Washington took office it was only him and the Vice President

Congress created 3 executive Departments 1. Department of State 2. Department Treasury 3. Department of War

Washington Choose department heads for each; these men became known as his Cabinet

The New Government

The National Bank

• Alexander Hamilton supported the idea of a nation wide banking system

• The Bank of the United States would issue paper money, handle taxes, and monitor government funding

• Many opposed this idea, like James Madison, fearing that this would link the government and wealthy business owners to closely

The District of Columbia

• In order to win over the support of many southerners with his banking plan Hamilton proposed moving the Capital to a Southern City

• The Capital was moved from NYC to the District of Columbia– located between Maryland and Virginia

First Political Parties

Democratic-Republicans

“Jefferson’s Republicans

Actually more similar to modern Democrats

Strong State government

Federalists

Hamilton Strong Central

Government

The Two-party system that was established

continued after Washington left office In 1789 congress passed the protective

tariff in order to tax all goods produced in Europe– states did not like this.

Secretary Hamilton passed an excise tax (tax on the product’s manufacture/sale/distribution) on the sale and distribution of Whiskey– this lead to an outbreak

Divisions Develop

The Whiskey Rebellion

• Farmers in Western PA and along the Appalachian MTS hated Hamilton's tax and threatened to leave the Union

• Hamilton used this opportunity to show the power of the federal government by useing 15,000 federal militia to stop the rebellion