1. The Beginning of the American Government
Presentation created by Robert Martinez
Primary Content Source: America’s History (Henretta, Brody, Dumenil)
Images as cited.

2. The Constitution expanded the dimensions of American political life
The Constitution expanded the dimensions of American political life. Previously voters had elected local and state officials, now, they chose national leaders as well.
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3. The Federalists swept the election of 1788, winning forty-four seats in the first House of Representatives; only eight Anti-federalists won election.
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Of 1789
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5. As expected, members of the Electoral College chose George Washington as president, John Adams received the second highest number of electoral votes, and he became vice president.

6. Once the military savior of his country, Washington now became its political father. At fifty-seven, the first president was a man with great personal dignity.

7. Recognizing that he would he would be setting precedents for his successors, Washington proceeded cautiously.

8. Washington adopted many of the administrative practices of the Confederation and asked Congress to reestablish the existing executive departments: Foreign Affairs (State), Finance (Treasury), and War.

9. He did introduce one important innovation: The Constitution specified that the president needed the consent of the Senate to appoint major officials, but Washington insisted that only he, not the Senate, could remove them, ensuring the president’s control over the executive branch.

10. To head the Department of State, Washington chose Thomas Jefferson
To head the Department of State, Washington chose Thomas Jefferson. For Secretary of Treasury, he turned to Alexander Hamilton.

11. Then the new president designated Jefferson, Hamilton, and Secretary of War Henry Knox as his cabinet.

12. The Constitution had created a supreme court but left a Congress the task of establishing the rest of the national court system.

13. Because the Federalists wanted strong national institutions, they enacted the far-reaching Judiciary Act in The act established a federal district court in each state and provided three circuit courts to hear appeals from the districts, with the Supreme Court having the final say.

14. The Judiciary Act also allowed appeals to the Supreme Court of federal legal issues that arose in the courts of various states.

15. This provision ensured that national judges would have the final say on the meaning of the Constitution.

16. The Federalists kept their promise to add a declaration of rights to the Constitution. James Madison, now a member of the House of Representatives, submitted a list of nineteen amendments to the first Congress.
James
Madison

17. Ten were approved by Congress and ratified by the states in 1791
Ten were approved by Congress and ratified by the states in These ten amendments, known as the Bill of Rights, safeguard fundamental personal rights, including freedom of speech and religion, and mandate trial by jury and other legal procedures that protect individual citizens.

18. By easing Anti-federalists’ concerns about an oppressive national government, the amendments secured the legitimacy of the Constitution.

19. However, they did not resolve the core issue of federalism, the proper balance between national and state power. That issue would divide the nation until the Civil War.