Assignment One, The Washington  Presidency

NOTE >> There will be quite a bit of reading associated with this assignment. Don't put it off.

Essential Questions

1. How did the precedents set by George Washington shape the United States of America?

2. How did the conflicts between Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton affect the policies of George Washington’s administration?

3. How did George Washington’s policy of neutrality help America avoid war with European nations?

4. How George Washington’s response to the Whiskey Rebellion differ from the national response to Shays’ Rebellion? What message did this send regarding the new government?

Description 

The first president of the United States set a powerful example for those who followed. He created precedents, or strong standard examples, that set the course for America for the next century.

The Constitution organized the national government, but just what that government would look like was, in many ways, left to George Washington.

He brought in advisers, or a Cabinet, to help him run the new nation. Often the members of his Cabinet disagreed - strongly.

At the same time Europe was again being torn by war. How would this affect America?

This is the story of creating a nation.

George Washington had served has the general of the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War. He had also served as the President of the Constitutional Convention that drafted the United States Constitution in Philadelphia in 1787. 

When he began serving as the first President of the United States in 1789, there was essentially no government of which to assume control. Under the Articles of Confederation, the business of government was run by the Confederation Congress, and the national government was so weak and scattered that it had very, very little form.

George Washington set about to design a nation. The examples he set--known as precedents--shaped the United States for more than a century. Indeed, Presidents today still follow some of the precedents set by George Washington.

In this lesson we will look at the challenges he faced and some of the things he did that set the United States on its national path.

Objectives

Students will identify and describe the steps Washington took to create a new and effective national government. 

Instructions

For this assignment, you need to create simple, accurate, answers to the topic
questions shown in the printed copy. 

Online Files for this Assignment

Click here for the handout about George Washington. For this lesson, we will focus on pages 6-9.

Textbook Chapter 13, The Washington Presidency

Click here for some great tips about writing a three paragraph essay.

Click here to view the PDF file of the Washington Presidency timeline we used in class.

Click here to view the PowerPoint we used in class about the Washington Presidency.

Click here to view the PowerPoint about the major events in the Washington administration.

Here is the link to the video we used in class about the Whiskey Rebellion.

Here is the link to the PowerPoint about events in the Washington Presidency we created in the classes on 3/09.

Here is the link to the PowerPoint about decisions and challenges Washington faced as President.

Here is the link to the PDF file we used in class about some of the questions George Washington faced in his presidency.

Whiskey Rebellion, One

Washington's Precedents, One

Jefferson vs. Hamilton, One

Click here to view the PowerPoint about other issues facing Washington and the Jefferson-Hamilton conflicts.

Click here to open a printed copy of the assignment.