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=George Washington= President of the United States of America (April 30, 1789- March 4, 1797) Born- February 22, 1732 Died- December 14, 1799 (age 67)

Vice President
John Adams (1789-1797)

Political Party
Nonpartisan

=Overview of Presidency= George Washington. Considered by many to be the father of our country and the man that started it all. Revered by even Thomas Jefferson, he was easily one of the most important and influential presidents in the history of the  United States. While it would be rude to grade a man that had to set the standards, I would dare to say that George Washington would easily receive an A in his efforts as president, and he helped established a country that still stands today. It is hard to point out any major goals in the presidency of George Washington, mainly due to the fact that the country was just getting started. No one in the country had any idea what was going to happen, and George Washington’s job as the first president was to establish a system that would in essence run itself once he left. And that it did. The system is still running even to this day, with minimal changes made along the way, to help it run more efficiently. He never presented a list of goals and initiatives, the way modern candidates would during their race for office. Since he had no competition, and never even ran, but merely accepted the position, he never had to prove to anyone he was capable of running the country. From his leadership position in the revolution, he gave people the assurance they needed that he could run the country effectively. Washington did, however, pledge in his inaugural address that “no local prejudices or attachments, no separate views nor party animosities, will misdirect the comprehensive and equal eye which ought to watch over this great assemblage of communities and interests, so, on another, that the foundation of our national policy will be laid in the pure and immutable principles of private morality, and the preeminence of free government be exemplified by all the attributes which can win the affections of its citizens and command the respect of the world.” If these may be addressed as goals and/or promises, I would say that he took the most impartial stance possible, and being against political parties, he let no boundaries define his decision making. Washington’s relationship with Congress was arguably the best of any president, and can be attributed to the fact that many politicians in Congress were not affiliated with any political party. The role of political parties only started to come into prominence late into Washington’s term. Whether or not political parties were prominent, many Americans, especially those in the government, were united by the goal to start a new nation and to get it up and running. These factors helped in the passing and drafting of many important laws, and even the Bill of Rights, during Washington’s presidency. Such laws passed were The Judiciary Act of 1789, which established the Judiciary branch of the federal government and the role of US Attorney General, the Bank Act of 1791, which established the First Bank of the United States, the Naval Act of 1794, which established the US Navy, and the Naturalization Act of 1790, which established the first rules of being granted US citizenship. Almost as a thanks to Congress for working so closely with him, he only vetoed two pieces of legislation, which included the Apportionment Bill, which Thomas Jefferson and Edmund Randolph advised was unconstitutional.

Washington made many wonderful decisions in his career as president, but one that stands out is Washington’s negotiations with Britain in the treaty known as Jay’s Treaty, named after key negotiator John Jay. It settled most of the leftover issues from the Revolutionary War, and avoided war with Britain, something the newly formed states could not afford. He was able to negotiate compensation for the US merchant ships that were seized during the revolution, and negotiated most favored nation status with Britain, which cut off trade with France due to Britain’s trade regulations with France. This fact however, can lead to some people saying that this was the worst decision made by Washington, as it separated Thomas Jefferson and James Madison from Washington and Hamilton’s viewpoints, and was one of the first examples of partisanship in the newly formed United States. It is, however, safe to say that this decision was a good one, as it also cleared up the boundary between the US and Canada, and Britain withdrew their forces from the United States by the intended withdraw date.

But not all decisions posed good outcomes. The Whiskey Tax imposed in 1791 angered many Americans, and increased tension between Americans and Washington. It especially angered many western Pennsylvania farmers, who rebelled in what has become known as the Whiskey Rebellion. Washington quickly thwarted the effort by personally commanding an army of 13,000 in a march to western Pennsylvania. This proved that the new government could protect itself, and in some ways helped Americans believe in their government. The act was repealed in 1803 though, after much trouble enforcing it.

Almost all the actions of Washington’s administration left a lasting effect on America, if only because he was the first president, and it was his job to establish a country that would continue running after his death. Some substantial efforts that should be noted would be the First Bank of the United States, which established a national bank to pay off the countries debt, and one currency within the country. The formation of the first Presidential Cabinet took place under George Washington, as well as the formation of the Judiciary and Executive branches, both of which stand today.

All in all, America was by far better off after the presidency of George Washington. Without him, our country would have still been struggling to get past its post-war struggles, and may have even gone to war with England again. Since even his most negative actions with the Whiskey Rebellion instilled confidence in America, Washington should receive an A rating in his efforts as first president of the United States.