Steve+-+GW

Steve T.

George Washington Date of Birth: February 22, 1732 Date of Death: December 14, 1799 Political Party: None Date of Term(s) in Office: 1789-1797 Vice President: John Adams George Washington was, as a president, an A. He was the first President of the United States and of the time had no other to follow in so he can not truly be blamed for any mistakes he may have made. He is given an A due to his achievements as President as creating the image of what a president should be. That is no easy task. Also, during his presidency he established important treaties and policies that helped the young United States of America grow. George Washington’s goals were simple and straight forward. He wished to establish a good precedent for the power and roles of the president. He made sure not to be too strong or too weak in his duties as the executive branch. This goal was accomplished through his acts as president, as well as through his, behavior in office. He also accomplished this by establishing the two term limit on the presidency so that he would not be like a monarch. He showed that he had power as well when he summoned the militia of multiple states to put down the Whiskey Rebellion. To show that the president was strong, he was flashy with his carriage and dining, was showed he was weak by making sure he didn’t make a profit in the presidency. He had another goal of not going to war, especially when the nation was young. He accomplished this goal by setting the foreign policy of Neutrality during the conflicts with France and Britain. George Washington’s relation with Congress at some points was not as good as one would hope. George Washington had two main advisors, Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton. The two were had very different opinions on government matters. These two were the creators of the first two political systems known as the Federalist and the Democratic-Republicans. This was not what George Washington had wanted. He had not wanted a split Congress which he even denied in his farewell address. George Washington’s relations also were not well with Congress when he first asked for advice on a treaty with the Native Americans known as the Creeks. “But the senators argued over every little detail, and Washington went away muttering that he would never try this again” – Microsoft Corporation (wp) Washington also did not hand over all the documents over on Jay’s Treaty when the House of Representatives asked for it. Overall, George Washington didn’t have too much of a problem with Congress. He only vetoed two bills in his eight years as president. One of which was the Apportionment Bill, which was a bill that changed how the members of the House of Representatives were apportioned. This was of course against the Constitution. Washington with the aid of Alexander Hamilton did pass many other bills such as a bill to form a tariff on imported goods so that the government could have some money and the bill which established the national bank. He passed bills on the president’s cabinet. All in all George Washington did not have a problem with Congress and agreed the majority of the time with their bills. The most positive action that George Washington took with the best outcome is his signing of the Judiciary Act of 1789. This act was the most positive act in his presidency because the Judiciary Act of 1789 established the basic system of the Judicial Branch, which is still here today. It created the thirteen judicial districts that are used today. It also, created the federal courts and the jurisdiction they had. It gave the Supreme Court Appellate Jurisdiction over the state and federal courts. It also gave the Supreme Court original jurisdiction over matters that dealt with conflicts between states and with foreign disputes involving ambassadors and such. Many of these facts are due to the Judiciary Act of 1789 which Washington signed. Without this action the modern U.S. court system may not have been formed if it were vetoed. This is why the Judiciary Act of 1789 is perhaps the most positive thing that George Washington did during his presidency. The most negative thing that George Washington did during his presidency was the Battle of Fallen Timber. George Washington had been picking General Anthony Wayne to be in charge of the U.S.’s army. General Anthony Wayne went to war with a group of Native Americans led by Little Turtle. The battle was a win for General Anthony. The Native Americans lost less than 100 lives, but their land was destroyed by General Anthony. This was perhaps the worst act George Washington did during his presidency when he chose General Anthony Wayne to head the U.S. army. George Washington influenced the future of the presidential administration by being the one to set the precedents for the future presidents. One of the precedents that have affected the U.S. is that George Washington established the executive privilege when he decided not to turn over some information dealing with Jay’s Treaty. This precedent of executive privilege has allowed many presidents in history to make dramatic differences in history. Thomas Jefferson used an executive privilege when he didn’t know whether or not he had the power to accept the Louisiana Purchase. Now thanks to that use of executive privilege the U.S. doubled its size from before the purchase. Also, due to the use of executive privilege many presidents are able to keep some things secret. An example that shows how executive privilege can be bad is the Watergate Scandal with Richard Nixon. He had like Washington hid information from Congress. Nixon got in trouble due to the use of executive privilege and he had to resign from office. The effect of executive privilege which Washington established has affected the future of other presidential administrations. In conclusion, the country was better off at the end of his term because he showed the future presidents how to act like a president. He set many precedents. He also in a sense helped develop the judicial system that is still in effect today. He had a good relationship with Congress and his advisors, but showed that a president can use the power of veto if necessary. He allowed the U.S. to grow and develop due to his position of Neutrality. He accomplished his goals of setting the powers of presidents. He may have indirectly created the Federalist and Democratic-Republican party and selected a general that fought a Native American tribe but overall George Washington still deserves an A for his presidency for all that he has done to help America continue.

Washington Citation August 28, 2008

Work Cited "American President An Online Reference Resource George Washington." Miller Center Public Affairs. 2008. Univeristy of Virginia. 28 Aug. 2008 .

"George Washington." The White House. 28 Aug. 2008 .

Kennedy, David M., Lizabeth Cohen, and Thomas A. Bailey. American Pageant : Advanced Placement. 12th ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin College Division, 2001. Microsoft Corporation. "George Washington." Microsoft Encarta Online Encyclopedia. 2008. 28 Aug. 2008 . Net Industries. "Judiciary Act of (1789) - Further Readings." American Law Encyclopedia Vol 6. 2008. 28 Aug. 2008 .

Stertzer, Jennifer. "George Washington's Presidential Vetoes." The Papers of George Washington. 2008. University of Virginia. 28 Aug. 2008 .

Toledo Metroparks. "Welcome to the Battle of Fallen Timbers." The Battle of Fallen Timbers. 2008. 28 Aug. 2008 .