The New Government

Essential Questions Who were the new leaders selected by President Washington? What challenges did Washington's government face? What details were involved in planning the capitol city? Ch. 5-4, P. 165

Key Terms Inauguration Cabinet Domestic affairs Administration Precedent

The Washington Administration Washington was elected unanimously by 69 electors from 11 states in 1788. (RI and NC hadn't ratified yet, and the NY legislature was deadlocked.) He took the oath of office at his inauguration in the Capitol, New York City. His Vice President was John Adams of Massachusetts. Immediately, Washington began selecting officials to head the departments of the executive branch, also known as the Cabinet.

The Washington Administration Secretary of State, Thomas Jefferson. -Governor of Virginia -Delegate to Continental Congress -Author of the Declaration of Independence -Ambassador to France -Architect, farmer, inventor, mathematician, scientist, archaeologist, and violinist who read six languages. -Believed smaller, local government was best. Experience in France made him a suitable Secretary of State.

The Washington Administration Secretary of Treasury, Alexander Hamilton. -Served under Washington in the Revolution. -Led a volunteer battalion at Yorktown, White Plains and Trenton. -Intellectually Brilliant - attended King’s College as a “private student.” -New Yorker. -Federalist who believed that a powerful government in the right hands could do great things. Belief in the power of government made him suitable to run the largest department, the treasury.

The Washington Administration Secretary of War, Henry Knox. -Born and raised in Boston. -Attended Boston Latin until his father’s death sent him to work as a bookseller. -Witnessed the Boston Massacre, attempting to defuse the situation by getting the soldiers to leave. -Supported financially the Sons of Liberty. -Served under Washington as chief of artillery in the Revolution.

The Washington Administration Attorney General, Edmund Randolph. -Governor of Virginia in 1786. -Delegate to the Annapolis and Philadelphia Conventions. -Took future Chief Justice John Marshall on as a young lawyer into his practice; left him in charge when he was elected. -As a lawyer, he had handled numerous legal issues for George Washington, including the purchase and sale of western lands.

New Challenges Most of the challenges faced by Washington in his first term involved setting precedents – establishing examples, rules, and traditions that would be followed for generations to come. -What to call the President? -How would Congress and the President work together? -What would be the role of the Cabinet? -What would be the role of the First Lady? -How would the President be treated by the people and Congress?

Building the Capitol The Capitol was moved to Philadelphia in 1790. Congress established a 10-square-mile stretch of land on the Potomac river to be the capitol city. It was named “District of Columbia,” and became “Washington, DC,” after Washington's death in 1799.

Building the Capitol The capitol city was surveyed by Benjamin Banneker, an African-American mathematician and inventor. The city was designed by Pierre-Charles l'Enfant, a French architect. L'Enfant created an European-style capitol city, with wide, sweeping boulevards and marble buildings in the Roman style. It would be 10 years before a President would live there.