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__George Washington__



//February 22nd, 1732 – December 14th, 1799 // //Terms of Office: April 30th, 1789 – March 4th, 1797 (Two terms) // //Vice President(s)- John Adams // //Political Party: Neutral (leaned toward Federalist) //   George Washington was both a patriotic and inspirational president. The only president to ever be unanimously elected by the Electoral College; George Washington set the high standard for all presidents to come. Under George Washington and his administration which included Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton and Henry Knox, the country saw many improvements in both its rights and political stability. These improvements included a Bill of Rights, giving individual freedoms to citizens, a national bank that was established and was known as the “Bank of the United States.” This bank helped the government regulate and distribute money, establish both a circuit and a federal court system and finally it helped introduce new foreign policy ideals dealing with neutrality towards foreign countries and conflicts. These accomplishments of George Washington could only constitute him a Presidential grade of an A plus. **__Goals of President: __**  George Washington had one major goal that he was ready to get out of the way when his presidency began. This goal was to include the addition of a Bill of Rights to accompany the Constitution. The American Constitution had faced much criticism from the Anti-Federalists for not including enough about individual freedoms. In fact, the Constitution was only ratified on the understanding that it would soon be amended to add the individual freedoms desired. Overseen by George Washington, the Bill of Rights navigated through Congress and the first ten amendments were passed in 1791. This was an important step for America as it guarantees many of the freedoms that we as citizens still enjoy today. Another goal of George Washington included many new stances on foreign policies; you can still see the effects of the decisions he made regarding these policies in America today. George Washington decided to take a neutral stance between Britain and France by not choosing a side so he was sure to not make any enemies during their period of recovery. This decision was outlined in Washington’s Neutral Proclamation document that proclaimed the Government of America was neutral in the widening conflict between the two countries and it also urged American citizens to remain neutral in the conflict. Also George Washington backed by Congress, created Federal and Circuit Courts (Civil Courts) that lead to many advances in stability in the colonies. The Judiciary Act established these courts as well as the Supreme Court which was run by the Chief Justice. This act further helped ensure that the rights of the people were secure and there was a protection against allowing the government to become too strong and thus become in a sense like a monarchy like the one they fought so hard to leave.
 * __Thesis: __**

**__President and Congress: __**  Although George Washington was neutral towards both parties, overall he leaned towards the Federalist Party which was the majority party in Congress at the time. During Washington’s Presidency many important acts had been passed, the most notable ones being the Judiciary Act, the Bank Act, and the Coinage Act. The first of the acts mentioned was the Judiciary Act which established both civil and federal courts as well as the Supreme Court. This was an important step towards ensuring the government was kept in check and not allowed to become as powerful as the monarchy they had just broken away from. The second act mentioned was the Bank Act which established a national bank in order to pay off deep government debts accumulated during the Revolutionary War. His last notable act passed was the Coinage Act. This act allowed the government to mint money and unite the colonies under one viable currency effectively creating a solution to another looming problem over the colonies.

**__President’s Administration: __**  After accepting the oath of office on the balcony overlooking Wall Street; Washington nervously began his unforgettable term as president. He first left his mark by establishing a Cabinet in order to aid with Governmental affairs. His cabinet included Thomas Jefferson: Secretary of State, Alexander Hamilton: Secretary of the Treasury and Henry Knox: Secretary of War. Although the idea of a Cabinet was not outlined in the constitution, this method proved to work well for Washington leading to many accomplishments during his terms as President. Alexander Hamilton: Secretary of Treasury, succeeded in the fact that he introduced the idea of the Bank of America which by itself proved to work well by establishing a sound credit rating after the huge debt the Americans owed after the Revolution War. Thomas Jefferson was an ideal ambassador to France, creating a stronger connection with a needed ally after such a brutal war. Washington’s last cabinet member, Henry Knox, was noted for attempting to create and maintain a militia to protect the Americas. George Washington’s administration had completed many strides in improving America; they also, however, had a “some what” negative effect on the newly established government. Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton’s disagreements toward the Bank of America among other things led to the division of two political parties creating much tension and argument in Congress. These arguments led to difficult relations between the Americas and the rest of Europe.

**__President’s After Effects: __** Without a doubt, George Washington and his Administration really shaped America for the future. One of the most impacting decisions made by Washington and his Administration was the decision to establish the Bank of America. When examining this decision, you can see the basis it set for what we are experiencing and seeing still today. Looking at the Bank of America it was, for the most part, a modern bank of today intended to repay debts and restore the Americas to a respectable credit rating. However, this decision might not have been such a good idea when thinking in the terms of long term goals; look at the failing banks of today. While at first the banks became prosperous and overloaded with stock holders, they were great at making advances towards relieving the Revolutionary War Debt. I think the system was great when considering the time it was made. It was working on the values of men with good intentions and using the bank for what it was intended. The Bank of America could be helping America now if not for the fact that the Forefathers did not make strict enough policies or keep a close enough watch on the bank and allowing it to transform into a business intent on greed and profit. No matter how the Bank of America’s creation is affecting us today, it still did change the economics of the world to come.

**__<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Conclusion __** <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Was the country better off without George Washington? Quite simply no, the frail and weak country we had established after the revolutionary war needed a strong and iconic person to lead it in the right direction. Between securing our peoples rights, keeping the government in check, and bringing political stability in both national and foreign affairs, it is painfully obvious George Washington deserved nothing more than an A plus for his courageous and noble actions of taking control of the government.

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**__Work Cited__** <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">"American President: George Washington." //Miller Center of Public Affairs//. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Jan. 2010. []. Cohen, Lizabeth, and Thomas A. Bailey David M. Kennedy. //The American Pageant, A History of the Republic (2002 12th Edition)//. 12th ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2002. Print. "George Washington - President of the United States (POTUS)." //POTUS -- Presidents of the United States//. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Jan. 2010. <http://www.potus.com/gwashington.html>. "George Washington - EnchantedLearning.com." //ENCHANTED LEARNING HOME PAGE//. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Jan. 2010. <http://www.enchantedlearning.com/history/us/pres/washington/>. " Thomas Jefferson ." //Supercomputing '94//. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Jan. 2010. <http://sc94.ameslab.gov/TOUR/tjefferson.html>.