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__**Slavery and Its Legacy in North America**__

__**George Washington**__ Life: February 22, 1732 to December 14, 1799 Political Party: Federalist Term: First President of the United States, two terms (1789-1797) Vice President: John Adams, both terms

When rating our first president, it is hard to give a grade because he set the standard for all the other presidents to come. But after extensive researching I decided that George Washington deserved an A. As a leader, revolutionary, and president he set a very high standard for the following leaders of our nation.

Washington was the first to ever give an Inaugural Address to state the goals of his presidency. One of Washington's most famous goals was to seperate America from the English so we could grow and thrive as our own nation. Before his presidency, with the help of the French, he lead the Americans in a victory against England. The United States of America finally had it's independence. He helped to create the Bill of Rights giving the basic freedoms to the white man in America. The Bill of Rights didn't give rights to African slaves because in the American's mind, slaves weren't considered people. Although freedom for only the white man doesn't sound good in our world today, it was a step in the right direction to help create the freedom all citizens have today. Another way he helped to make America independent was by creating a government for the people. He was the first to create a cabinet system. Washington's cabinet consisted of four men. These men were used as more voices for the people. They assisted Washington with his duties and decision making. Washington succeeded in his goal; for America is thriving more everyday.

Although this is very rare for a president, Washington was above politics. He didn't look at his Congress as sides but rather, voices of the people. George Washington and his Congress had a very good relationship and he tried his hardest not to influence them because he wanted to know how they really felt about the important issues. Together they passed the Fugitive Slave Act of 1793. This allowed an owner to capture an escaped slave and by a judge, be authorized ownership again. Both Washington's Congress and Cabinet thought very highly of him. The only problem Washington had was with John Adams. They often ignored each other.

One of the most positive outcomes of Washington's presidency was simply the fact that he was the first president. He set a very high standard for everyone to follow and created things such as the cabinet and Inaugural Address that have stayed with us for hundreds of years. Another positive outcome of his presidency was the Bill of Rights. Creating rights for the American people gave us the freedom that we have today. America fought for years for the freedom it has and Washington intended to give his people the rights they deserved. My last great thing about Washington was that he didn't view people by their political parties. He saw everyone as just a voice that needed to be heard. It wasn't about who was on what side; it was about making as many people as he possibly could happy. I think Washington's most negative impact was his tolerance of slavery. Even though he wanted to get rid of his slaves and eventually did, he allowed the American people to owns slaves without saying anything. If he didn't believe in slavery, he shouldn't have tolerated it in his country.

I think the biggest contribution Washington had on America was his help in the creation of the Bill of Rights. It was his contribution to making America a free land, and not like England, that made America the place it is today. It protected man against "cruel and unusual punishment" and a fair trial in front of a judge. This insures that people get what they deserve and not what they don't. Also, you are innocent until proven guilty. It also ensures that the land you have is yours, which is very much like in England. You are also guaranteed religious freedom. This proved America very different from England. Washington was alway about giving people the rights they deserved. Even if in his time that didn't yet include slaves. It was a step in that direction.

As you can see, the A I gave Washington was obviously well deserved. He worked hard to make sure that his people had a voice and their views on what America should be came first. Also, he gave them the rights that they had never had before. He helped form America into the free, thriving nation that it is today by showing future presidents how to serve their country.

Bibliography: "George Washington | The White House." //The White House//. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Sept. 2011. < []> Paris, the Treaty of. "George Washington - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia." //Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia//. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Sept. 2011. < []> "United States Bill of Rights - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia." //Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia//. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Sept. 2011. < []>