How Did George Washington Establish His Government

It is not every day that a man of prestige, dignity, and modesty becomes a leader. On April 30, 1789, George Washington was inaugurated in New York City, the country’s current capital, and became the first President of the United States. As the newborn country’s first President, he had nobody’s mistakes to learn from but his very own. Every decision he made would set the path for his future successors. Establishing the first Cabinet, he appointed renowned leaders like Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton who would help him in his decisions that would set the stage for the government of the United States of America. Being the first of the American presidents, he faced many problems unique to him, such as establishing authority, fixing

To help him, Washington appointed Alexander Hamilton as the Secretary of the Treasury. Hamilton develop an economic five-step plan to jumpstart America’s economy. The first step of the plan involved bonds. The bonds that were sold by the Continental Congress during the Revolutionary War were reissued and sold by Hamilton. In turn, speculators, usually from the rich upper class, bought the bonds from Hamilton in hopes of making more money, which helped raise money for the new government. The second step was the creation of new national debt, in which the federal government would assume the debts of the smaller state governments to help build credit, as well as establish more authority to the federal government (Miller). The third step in the plan was the creation of the Bank of the United States. A private corporation, it helped establish a national currency as well as allowing the government to regulate the national debt. The Whiskey Tax was the fourth step to Hamilton’s plan. It raised revenue because a great number of farmers distilled whiskey. Lastly, Hamilton had encouraged Americans to manufacture their own goods when he imposed a tariff (Foner 223). Those five steps are what lead to the boost in American economy during Washington’s

He set many precedents during his time as president that are still effect more than two hundred years later. As the first of the American presidents, he established authority among the people when he quietly disbanded the whiskey Rebellion. His next major problem was dealing with the America’s national debt. To help, he appointed Alexander Hamilton as the Secretary of the Treasury, who issued a five-step plan to boost America’s economy. Lastly, when war broke out in Europe, Washington chose to remain neutral. With the help of Jay’s Treaty, he was able to avoid war completely. Though all presidents face similar problems during their terms, Washington’s were unique because they were the first. For a man who could have been king, President George Washington, with his prestigious, dignified, and modest self, would always be remembered as America’s first