What George Washington Actually Did as President

George Washington began his presidency in April 1789, tasked with organizing a new nation under the Constitution. He faced challenges such as massive debt, unsettled territories, conflicts with Native Americans, complex foreign relations with Britain and France, and growing political divisions. This video explores his successes and failures during these formative years.

Many aspects of the presidency were undefined in 1789, allowing Washington to set important traditions. He delivered an inaugural speech and preferred the title 'Mr. President'. He appointed the first cabinet, including John Adams as Vice President (who found his role ambiguous), Henry Knox as Secretary of War, Thomas Jefferson as Secretary of State, and Alexander Hamilton as Secretary of the Treasury. Washington also significantly shaped the judiciary through the Judiciary Act of 1789, appointing John Jay as the first Chief Justice and establishing lower district courts.

A major concern was the lack of clear protection for individual rights in the Constitution. Washington agreed with critics and called for basic rights to be fortified. Despite some opposition, James Madison and Thomas Jefferson largely championed the Bill of Rights, which was introduced to Congress in September 1789. Comprising 10 amendments, it protected freedoms like speech, religion, fair trial, and the right to bear arms, and was ratified by December 1791.

Washington oversaw the admission of three new states: Vermont (1791), Kentucky (1792), and Tennessee (1796). However, the Northwest Territories saw significant failures. Native American tribes, backed by the British, fiercely resisted American settlers. Early military campaigns led by General Josiah Harmer and Major General Arthur St. Clair resulted in devastating defeats for the US Army, particularly St. Clair's Defeat in 1791, which was proportionaly the worst defeat the US Army has ever suffered in a major battle. These failures prompted congressional investigation, expanded the army, increased military pay, and led to the Militia Acts.

Washington's choice of Alexander Hamilton as Treasury Secretary proved highly successful. Hamilton consolidated national debt, issued government bonds, implemented tariffs and taxes, and established the US Mint. His economic reforms expanded federal power, angering Southern states. The Compromise of 1790 moved the capital southward to the Potomac River (later Washington D.C.) in exchange for Southern support of Hamilton's plans. Hamilton's crowning achievement was the Bank of the United States, chartered in 1791, which managed debt, issued loans, and regulated currency, despite critics deeming it unconstitutional.

Washington generally supported Hamilton's strong federal government approach, contrasting with Thomas Jefferson's vision of a limited federal government and strong states' rights. Hamilton founded the Federalist Party in 1789, and Jefferson and Madison responded with the Democratic-Republican Party in 1791. These parties clashed on most major issues, including Hamilton's economic reforms and the French Revolution, which Federalists viewed as destructive and Democratic-Republicans as inspiring. Jefferson resigned as Secretary of State in 1793 due to these divisions but continued to organize opposition.

Hamilton's controversial whiskey tax of 1791 led to the Whiskey Rebellion in rural Pennsylvania in 1794. Washington, determined to show the new government's strength, personally led a militia of 13,000 men to suppress the rebellion, which quickly dispersed. This strong response contrasted with the federal government's weakness during Shays' Rebellion. Concurrently, the US achieved a decisive victory in the Northwest Indian War at the Battle of Fallen Timbers in 1794, leading to the Treaty of Greenville (1795) and US control over the Northwest Territory. These events demonstrated the federal government's newfound effectiveness.

Washington navigated complex foreign relations. Despite Jefferson's desire to support the French Revolution, Washington opted for neutrality when the French Revolutionary Wars erupted with Britain in 1792. Citing the invalidity of the 1778 Franco-American Alliance (due to the French monarchy's overthrow) and recognizing the importance of trade with Britain, Washington issued the Neutrality Proclamation of 1793. He also sent John Jay to negotiate Jay's Treaty with Britain in 1794, securing British evacuation from the Northwest, and Pinkney's Treaty with Spain in 1795, settling disputes over Mississippi navigation and borders.

By the end of his second term in 1796, Washington had established a robust government. Despite calls for him to remain in office, he chose to step down, setting the precedent of a two-term limit for the presidency. He left behind a functional system, though one increasingly marked by bitter political divisions between Federalists and Democratic-Republicans, setting the stage for the contentious presidential election between John Adams and Thomas Jefferson.