The states had been dependent on England but wanted no more of it. They had bee in fact 13 independent republics, and they wanted no more of that either. No on knew how the new Constitution would work or how it would effect the freedom o the states. Washington was determined to build a real federal government for th United States.
The new government was launched April 30, 1789, when Washingto took his oath as president in New York City, the first national capital. In 179 the nation reelected him to a second term. Washington appointed John Jay a chief justice of the Supreme Court, Edmund Randolph attorney general, Thoma Jefferson Secretary of State. General Henry Knox Secretary of War, and Alexande Hamilton took over the Department of the Treasury. He avoided persona favoritism in his appointments. George organized his Cabinet into an executiv council in basically the same structure as it is today.
He proceeded with th Cabinet and Congress cautiously at the beginning of his presidency. Th government was new and relationships were strained and unsure. Both th administration and the legislature were trying the waters of sentiment, testin its own power. One of the first problems he took up was national defense. “To be prepared for war is one of the most effective means of preservin peace,” he said. Another problem was national finance. The government unde the Articles of Confederation was unable to govern largely because it lacked th power to tax. The Constitution gave this power to certain kinds of property.
Money was soon paid into the treasury, and bills were settled. Congress eve agreed to assume debts incurred by the individual states during the Revolution. The tasks Washington were credited for were a result of his relationship wit the government he was involved in creating. Througout his presidency Georg established the use of the cabinet, and how to use the governments power withou overstepping its bounds. George Washington remains a critcal part of America history, because he set the precedent for the presidency.
The point remains, i Washington would have made any critical mistakes we may not have the governmen we have today, there may not have been another president. We owe our success a a country partly to George Washington, for Gods sake he implemente Thanksgiving Day as a national holiday.
