...Precedents Set By George Washington As the first President of the United States of America, George Washington was aware that many of his actions would be regarded as precedents, meaning that many of the decisions he made in his presidency would inform the decisions of future Presidents. This week, we will focus on three precedents that Washington established (listed below). For the assignment this week, write a 500-750 word essay which addresses each of the questions below. Note: Do not simply make a list of your answers—weave your explanations into the form of an essay •Washington created the first Presidential Cabinet ◦Who was on the Cabinet, and what Departments did they represent?Who is on the current Presidential Cabinet, and what Departments do they represent? ◦What is similar, and what differences can you find in the way these Cabinets wereassembled and the Departments the members represent? •Washington was the first President to leave office after two terms ◦Did he specifically intend for future presidents to be limited to two terms? ◦Who were the presidents who tried for third terms? ◦Who was the successful one? •Washington was the first to establish foreign policy, issuing the Proclamation ofNeutrality ◦What situation or situations did this proclamation address? ◦What agency advises the President on foreign policy today? ◦What is the role of this agency? As always, be sure to identify any direct quotations you draw from a source by identifying...
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...George Washington was the first president of the United States. The position of president was formed when the Constitution of the United States was written and ratified in 1789. Prior to this, the United States government was run based on the Articles of Confederation which hadn’t been working well. It included a weakened central government with very little executive power. The Constitution defined the role of president and included checks and balances for a stronger federal system. It did not however include too many specifics on how a president should carry out his role. As part of this first presidency, George Washington established three important precedents which included a maximum of two terms for a president, a presidential cabinet of his supporters and giving a farewell address at the end of his presidency....
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...as King George III of England granted the colonists their independence to be a new and free nation. However, great challenges still laid ahead for the new citizens of the United States, ones that would still be debated to this day. In the midst of this turmoil, one man led the polarized nation through the battles that won them their independence and the crucial decisions afterward that would forever affect the entire course of history. George Washington was agreeably the most influential individual that impacted the history of the United States. Washington led an army of farmers to victory against the British military, the strongest...
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...George Washington, being the first President, not only guided the United States the eight years he was President, but founded the way for future presidents to follow. He is widely noted as the most famous President, as we still abide by his rules and conduct today. George Washington believed in running the country as an "elected president", not an elected "monarch".Of the forty-four Presidents that we have had, each has followed the strict precedents that Washington set for his prized country. Of the eight precedents that he set total, four have surfaced as most vital to the success of the country, at least in my eyes. The organization of the Executive Branch was the first hurdle conquered by Washington and his administration. While the Constitution established the Executive Branch, it did not lay down the guidelines of how it should be ran. The Presidential Cabinet was formed under the Executive Branch and it was based on three different principles. The three principles are, appointing the best people under him as possible, using the cabinet as a group of advisors, and creating a department of defense and having the Attorney General assist the Administration in handling legal matters. All three of these principles still apply to how the government is ran today. Foreign Policy has been an ongoing positive attribution to society as trade provides stabilization in the economy. Washington believed that the United States should have free trade with other countries and that the expansion...
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...Fast Facts on George Washington * Born: February 22, 1732 Pope’s Creek, Virginia * Children: no natural children (Adopted the children of Martha Custis) *Grandfather by marriage of Confederate General Robert E. Lee * Military Service: Commander General, Revolutionary War * Profession: Surveyor/Planter * Political Party: Federalist * Home State: Virginia * Political Offices: Chairman of Constitutional Convention * Died: December 14, 1799 (Age- 670 Last Words: “I die hard, but I am not afraid to go. “Tis well.” Buried: Mount Vernon, Virginia * Term of Office: April 30, 1789 – March 3, 1797 * Number Of Terms Elected: 2 Terms * Nickname: “Father of Our country” * First Lady: Martha Dandridge Custis * George Washington quote: “I walk on untrodden ground. There is scarcely any part of me conduct which may not hereafter be drawn into precedent.” * Major Events While In Office: * Elected to first term with a unanimous electoral vote. (1789) * First United States census(1790) * District of Columbia Established(1791) * States Entering Union While in Office: * Vermont(1791) * Kentucky(1792) * Tennessee(1796) Childhood and Education Washington was born on February 22, 1732. He lost his father at age 11 and his half-brother, Lawrence, took over that role. Washington’s mother was protective and demanding, keeping him from joining the British Navy as Lawrence wanted. Lawrence owned Mount Vernon...
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...Out of our first five presidents, George Washington deserves the title of “America’s Greatest Founding Father” because of his contributions to the United States and possessing of personal qualities that we would expect from our leaders. George Washington was our first president and led good examples for what a true leader should have. Other presidents who were elected into officer throughout the years after his terms, took the example he set & saw him as a role model for how a president should act. With many well known historic events taking place with the greatest, george washington, you can truly see how he is our most important founding father. George Washington had the characteristics of a leader. He was our first president with leading our country for a two term time...
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...John Adams, a devoted republican and staunch advocate for balanced government, played a pivotal role in shaping the Yankee Revolution. His commitment to the concept of a balance of strength within governments and amongst countries was foundational to maintaining liberty and American independence. Adams's diplomatic efforts, particularly in Europe, showcased his strategic use of American trade to preserve a delicate equilibrium between France and Britain, reflecting his republican outlook on worldwide members of the family. notwithstanding grappling with issues about American virtue, Adams's unwavering determination to ideas of liberty and his intellectual contributions, such as "A Defence of the Constitutions," solidified his legacy as a key...
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...George Washington “The basis of our political system is the right of the people to make and to alter their constitutions of government (www.brainyquote.com).” This quote is about how our government had made the political system and the system was not set up in the right way. George Washington was born February 22, 1732 in Westmoreland County, Virginia. He had passed away on December 14, 1799 because of a throat infection. When he was younger he was taught at home by tutors or in local private schools and he had finished formal school about the age of 15 went to college at William and Mary and got his Surveyor’s License.His parents are Augustine Washington and Mary Ball and he had nine siblings.He had helped his family out on the plantation...
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...Latrisha Whetsell GP210 American Government I Instructor Tom Kelly Week 7 Assignment Precedents Set By George Washington May 19,2015 1. Washington created the first Presidential Cabinet. Who was on the Cabinet, and what Departments did they represent? Who is on the Cabinet today, and what Departments do they represent? George Washington had only 4 cabinet members which were Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson, Secretary of Treasury Alexander Hamilton, Secretary of War Henry Knox, and Attorney General Edmund Randolph. The current cabinet members consist of 15 which are Secretary of State | John Kerry | Secretary of the Treasury | Jacob Lew | Secretary of Defense | Ashton B. Carter | Attorney General | Loretta Lynch | Secretary of the Interior | Sally Jewell | Secretary of Agriculture | Tom J. Vilsack | Secretary of Commerce | Penny Pritzker | Secretary of Labor | Thomas E. Perez | Secretary of Health and Human Services | Sylvia Mathews Burwell | Secretary of Housing and Urban Development | Julián Castro | Secretary of Transportation | Anthony Foxx | Secretary of Energy | Ernest Moniz | Secretary of Education | Are Duncan | Secretary of Veterans Affairs | Robert McDonald | Secretary of Homeland Security | Jeh Johnson | 2. Washington was the first President to leave office after two terms. Did he specifically intend for future presidents to be limited to two terms? Who were the four presidents who...
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...Washington’s Farewell Address George Washington decided that he was done with being president in 1796 . Washington had many important decisions to make and had immense pressure to set good examples for a young and fragile nation. He had to set precedents for how the nation’s government would run and how they would deal with foreign affairs. Washington had many different and new experiences as president, and those experiences led him to warn America of three things not to do. His three warnings in his farewell address were creating political parties, staying debt free, and doing only your job in government. In his farewell address, George Washington warned about creating political parties. When he advised Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson, he could see that they had opposing views on how to run the new country. He thought that political parties would lead to division in the United States, according to this quote: ”It is justly so, for it is the main pillar in the edifice of your real independence…” Washington could tell that opposing views could lead to division, and could cause the nation to implode, or leave it vulnerable to attack. The newly formed nation was too fragile to break apart again....
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...George Washington was not just the president during his lifetime. He was General and commander-in-chief during the colonial armies during the American Revolution. Washington had impacted many lives before becoming president and changing the way things were ran in the White House. His family background was very rich, but lost it all during the Puritan revolution and when his grandfather migrated to Virginia in 1657. He was a very special president to American history. Washington did not get elected after a president he started the whole presidency. He served from 1789 to 1797. He was chosen unanimously at the Constitution Convention. John Adams was the vice president for Washington, of course he was the first one. Washington was intelligent, so he wanted to be surrounded by some of the most capable people. Therefore, he appointed Alexander Hamilton as Secretary of Treasury and Thomas Jefferson as Secretary of State. The both men helped him do stuff during his two terms like a...
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...The first president of the United States, George Washington, established the course for all future presidents; and as Dennis Mahoney writes, “Everything he did set a precedent, not only for America but for the world, because his position as a republican chief executive was unique” (Mahoney 2860). And unique his presidency was with all of his accomplishments. He raised money, dealt with international concerns and brought people together. First off, when Washington took office “the federal treasury was virtually empty” (Tindall and Shi 210); therefore Washington brilliantly released James Madison and Alexander Hamilton to figure out the best possible solution to pay off debt and raise capitol to protect the nation’s interests. Even though, Washington...
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...George Washington was a great man of example. The legacy he left behind has yet to be matched. From his fear of God and self-control to his experiences as leader of an unlikely army and first president of the United States, He has emerged a great example to quote, admire and to learn from. No wonder why some have named him “The Father of His Country.” He was not always considered worthy of such a title. Biographies of his life show us that he was just a man like us. He still made mistakes and had errors. Despite this, he had the ability to learn, adapt and succeed. Leading the Continental Army, Washington was not the most experience general the Continental Congress had to choose from. Washington even admitted that in his opinion, he was not qualified to be the Commander and Chief of the Army. Nevertheless, he learned how to be a general by choosing more experienced generals to advise him. He retired thinking that he was done with public service for his lifetime. He retired an American hero. He retired defeating the World Power in their best game. His hair had even grown grey in the process and he was not in the same intimidating physical shape as he was when the war started, but he was not done. He was elected president unanimously. He was the first ever president this nation has had. He, just as in his unanimous Commander and Chief election, admitted that he was not qualified to be America’s first president. But he learned, adapted and succeeded. He knew that precedents...
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...George Washington once said, “Example, whether it be good or bad, has a powerful influence.” George Washington lived by this quote, especially when he became president. When he became the first president of the new country, the United States of America, he knew that he would be an example for all the future presidents, so he needed to be a respectable example, because he knew it would be a powerful influence on the history of our country. As a result of George Washington being the first president, being one of the founding fathers of the United States, and setting a prodigious example for future presidents, George Washington is a famous man. Some people, however, think George Washington should not have a prestigious place in history because...
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...Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation was written by Joseph J. Ellis and published by Vintage Books in February 2002. According to josephellishistorian.com and mtholyoke.edu, Joseph J. Ellis is a very accomplished historian, author, and professor, currently teaching in the Leadership Studies Program at Williams College. He studied at Yale University (Ph.D., M.Phil., M.A.) and College of William and Mary (B.A.). Specializing in the history of the American Revolution, Presidents and the roots of American foreign policy. His works include American Sphinx, His Excellency: George Washington and Revolutionary Summer: The Birth of American Independence. As well as essays and book reviews that appear in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Chicago Tribune, The Los Angeles Times, The New Republic, and The New Yorker. Founding Brothers is a Pulitzer Prize winning book that discusses the prominent men in the political atmosphere of America after the Constitutional Convention and the issues that they faced. The book starts off with the infamous duel between Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton on July 11, 1804. The outcome of this duel is that Burr shoots Hamilton and...
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