It is not every day that a man of prestige, dignity, and modesty becomes a leader. On April 30, 1789, George Washington was inaugurated in New York City, the country’s current capital, and became the first President of the United States. As the newborn country’s first President, he had nobody’s mistakes to learn from but his very own. Every decision he made would set the path for his future successors. Establishing the first Cabinet, he appointed renowned leaders like Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton who would help him in his decisions that would set the stage for the government of the United States of America. Being the first of the American presidents, he faced many problems unique to him, such as establishing authority, fixing …show more content…
To help him, Washington appointed Alexander Hamilton as the Secretary of the Treasury. Hamilton develop an economic five-step plan to jumpstart America’s economy. The first step of the plan involved bonds. The bonds that were sold by the Continental Congress during the Revolutionary War were reissued and sold by Hamilton. In turn, speculators, usually from the rich upper class, bought the bonds from Hamilton in hopes of making more money, which helped raise money for the new government. The second step was the creation of new national debt, in which the federal government would assume the debts of the smaller state governments to help build credit, as well as establish more authority to the federal government (Miller). The third step in the plan was the creation of the Bank of the United States. A private corporation, it helped establish a national currency as well as allowing the government to regulate the national debt. The Whiskey Tax was the fourth step to Hamilton’s plan. It raised revenue because a great number of farmers distilled whiskey. Lastly, Hamilton had encouraged Americans to manufacture their own goods when he imposed a tariff (Foner 223). Those five steps are what lead to the boost in American economy during Washington’s …show more content…
He set many precedents during his time as president that are still effect more than two hundred years later. As the first of the American presidents, he established authority among the people when he quietly disbanded the whiskey Rebellion. His next major problem was dealing with the America’s national debt. To help, he appointed Alexander Hamilton as the Secretary of the Treasury, who issued a five-step plan to boost America’s economy. Lastly, when war broke out in Europe, Washington chose to remain neutral. With the help of Jay’s Treaty, he was able to avoid war completely. Though all presidents face similar problems during their terms, Washington’s were unique because they were the first. For a man who could have been king, President George Washington, with his prestigious, dignified, and modest self, would always be remembered as America’s first
In the book of His Excellency: George Washington by Joseph J. Ellis, the author introduces Washington, the Father of the United States, in a fresh portrait focused on the characters of Washington. This book is an impressive biography of Washington's remarkable dedication to the United States history. According to the author, George Washington is an omnipresent figure as he was growing up, described as the man in the moon who was aloof and silent. This book focuses on Washington's wartime service which became some of his major contributions to the United States, rather than merely telling the true story of Washington, its main thesis is focusing on analyzing his contributions and how his governorship had affected the American history. Washington's life is divided into three areas in this book.
George Washington was a courageous, caring person who ended up becoming the first President of the United States. The author of “How to Be Presidential”, Edward G Lengel, truly believed Washington was the man for the job, and shows his claims by explaining his life in chronological order. By doing so, he makes people believe Washington deserved to be the first President because of his courageous life. Lengel carefully put certain timelines in the story to explain Washington’s life into chronological order. This is first directly showed in paragraph four where Lengel writes, “...which he experienced at Fort Necessity and the Monongahela River in western Pennsylvania in 1754-55,...”.
Fourth, Alexander Hamilton played a detrimental role as the first Secretary of the Treasury. After, George Washington became the first President of the United States he appointed Hamilton as the nation’s first Secretary of the Treasury. Being the first of this title he became the “architect of the structure of the department.” Single-handedly, he created the position and helped to decide how much power this new position was able to wield. By designing this position, he gave America a leader in financial and economic issues relating to the government.
1790, Hamilton presented his plan to Congress. He proposed three steps to improve the nation’s finances. This included paying off all war debts, raising government revenues, and creating a national bank. The government put a excise tax on a luxury item, whisky. Settlers west of the Appalachian Mountains
Alexander Hamilton created many things from banks to newspapers that positively impacted the economy to make society better with a more efficient way of doing things. George Washington selected Alexander Hamilton to be the first Secretary of Treasury. Alexander Hamilton formulated fiscal policies and improved the financial stability. He helped With the financial problems and taxation during the Revolutionary War.
The time period during the 18th century had many influential people that changed American history. However, the three people known to be George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and Abigail Adams made remarkable changes that would be remembered even till today. George Washington's presidency created traditions and established precedents that would be carried out through our government today and the presidents, also Benjamin Franklin would be a dominant figure to the colonies as well as Abigail Adams who would strive for women's rights. During George Washington’s administration, he set our nation on a path that has withstanded for over two hundred years, and lasted longer than any other republic in history.
Hamilton believed that wealthy Americans would provide political support to the government and his plan in general would help pay off the debt to merchants who they owed most of their debt to. However, the debt would have to be paid by through taxes by the American people. Hamilton thought money and wealthy Americans would solve all of their problems concerning debt, and that in result would secure the government. Unfortunately, most Americans were not the wealthy
“The purpose of this volume is to examine the events that led to the transformation of George Washington from a twenty-one-year-old appointed major in the Virginia militia to the commander in chief of the American forces (xv).” Vickery does so chiefly by studying and looking at the battles Washington’s armies fought. The titles of each chapter of this book reflect this focus, and the author walks the reader over the history of this great man; showing Washington’s strengths, weaknesses, good decisions and poor. He an imperfect man, nonetheless loved his country and was devoted to the cause of her liberty, despite the cost. George Washington a great man who had countless writings regarding his life and the careers that he occupied throughout his lifespan.
The need for a national bank was very much so necessary. Hamilton also convinced president Washington to sign the bank bill by his lengthy report that stated: “This criterion is the end, to which the measure relates as a mean. If the end be clearly comprehended withan any specified powers, collecting taxes and regulating the currency, and if the measure have an obvious relation to that end, and is not forbidden by any particular provision of the constitution, it may safely be deemed to come with the compass of national authority.”
He knew that the debts of this country would prevent that show of strength as a country. Hamilton believed when a country is strong they are less likely to be over thrown by another country because they are seen as weak. His plan was to make the US responsible. It must pay off its debts. When a country is responsible the country can borrow money, and establish good credit.
The campaign for the Constitution was a long one and during it Hamilton, along with John Jay and James Madison, took up the pseudonym “Publius” and wrote essays to newspapers across the nation, encouraging the public to vote in favor of ratifying the Constitution. In all, there were eighty-five essays that came to be known as “The Federalist Papers.” John Jay wrote two, Madison wrote thirty-two, and Hamilton wrote all of the remaining fifty-one. The most well known essay of the collection was Federalist No. 84, written by Hamilton, which first proposed the addition of the Bill of Rights to the Constitution in ensure the rights of the states were honored (Foner Web; Witten Web; Hamilton Print). After the Constitution was ratified in 1787 and George Washington was elected as President in 1789, Hamilton was appointed as his Secretary of the Treasury, making him the first to hold the position.
Alexander Hamilton stepped up with a solution that not many favored but was approved of anyway. The first step was to start the first National Credit. His idea also included funded at par, which meant to have the Federal government pay off the debts, then to include a convincing case to for assumption. New taxes were set in place to help pay for debts like tariffs and excise of revenue. Once the first Bank of the United States was created by Congress in 1791, it opened up stock options for public purchased.
Jared Nielsen Constitution Final George Washington George Washington was the first President of the United States of America. He was a great leader and he had a firm belief that the United States must insist on its national identity, strength, and dignity. His object, he wrote, was to keep the country “free from political connections with every other country, to see them independent of all, and under the influence of none.” According to Stephen Knott a professor at the U.S. Naval War College, Lawrence, George's beloved half-brother and mentor, had commanded a local militia in the area near the Washington family home.
George Washington was president of the Continental Army amid the American Revolutionary War and served two terms as the principal U.S. president, from 1789 to 1797. The child of a prosperous grower, Washington was brought up in provincial Virginia. As a young fellow, he filled in as a surveyor at that point battled in the French and Indian War. Amid the American Revolution, he drove the pilgrim powers to triumph over the British and turned into a national legend. In 1787, he was chosen leader of the tradition that composed the U.S. Constitution.
Hamilton wanted to create public credit with a treasury system, a national bank, a mint, and increase manufacturing which would help unify the country. On the other hand, there was Jefferson, who opposed a strong central government. He argued that the “wealthy would gain at the expense of ordinary Americans and that Hamilton’s political economy would corrupt the morality of citizens and undermine the social conditions essential to republican government”(Powerpoint). The country would opt for an approach closer to Hamilton’s views. One of the first acts was the National Banking Act.