President Washington | Major Events of Washington's Presidency

George Washington wasn't just the first president, he really invented what it meant to be president. Washington stepped into office with no guidebook, but in eight years, he left the legacy that impacted all future presidents. But just what exactly was that legacy? Well, that's the treasure we're out to discover. I'm Dan Luer and this is History for Humans. Before we get going, I just want to remind teachers and homeschool parents that there are lesson plans and resources that go with this episode on my website, historyforhumans.com. Now, our exploration question is, how did George Washington's presidency impact the country and future presidents? So, shovels out, because we got some history to dig. Of all the founders, there was really no other person more respected, revered, and admired in the United States than George Washington. He was the central hero of the American Revolution that kept the army fighting together despite losing most battles and suffering terrible hardships. Some military officers even tried to make Washington a king, but he refused. At war's end, he looked forward to returning to his quiet life at Mount Vernon. Years later, he was called upon again to serve his country and preside over the Constitutional Convention. In terms of ideas, he contributed little to the debate, but his presence alone gave the Constitution credibility and legitimacy. he was then unanimously elected to serve as the first president of the United States at his inauguration in New York City the nation's first capital swarms of supporters crowded outside as Washington took his oath of office to honor and uphold the Constitution crowds cheered and celebrated but Washington himself He feared he was not up to the task and could never live up to the impossible expectations placed on him. Worse yet, there was no example for him to follow. He would have to invent what it meant to be president. Though the Constitution outlines the responsibilities and powers of the president, it was just a document, a skeleton. Washington now needed to breathe air and pump blood into it. James Madison captured the moment stating, We are in a wilderness without a single footstep to guide us. Nearly every action that Washington took would set a precedent for future presidents. Maybe his most important task was to unify what was still a divided nation. Many still disagreed with the Constitution and most people still identified with their states. Virginians, New Jerseyans, and Massachusetts. But Washington toured across all the states as the central representative of America to help unify the citizenry. Washington established the tradition of how cabinet members would interact with the president. For the head of each cabinet office, Washington nominated advisors that would guide him and he made sure to include people with differing opinions. Alexander Hamilton the Treasury Secretary and Thomas Jefferson the Secretary of State couldn't have been more opposed to one another and they represented the major rifts across the country. Those rifts first erupted with Hamilton's financial plan that called for the national government to assume states debts and to create a Bank of the United States. Hamilton wanted a strong and powerful national government and assuming or absorbing state debts would not only make states more grateful and tied to the federal government but it would increase the authority of the federal government. This frightened Jefferson who favored states rights and feared a tyrannical federal government. Worse was the fight over the Bank of the United States. Jefferson argued a federal bank was unconstitutional and would lead to the wealthy and powerful corrupting the government. However, Hamilton was able to convince President Washington of the bank's constitutionality and its importance for a prosperous economy. Washington signed both the Assumption and the Bank Bill into law. This clash led to the formation of the first political parties in the country. Jeffersonians were the Democratic Republicans who favored a weak central government. While the Hamiltonians were the Federalist Party who favored a strong central government. Washington himself was much more of a Federalist but sought to remain independent because he believed that political parties would tear the nation apart and lead to civil war. Foreshadowing! Despite a growing divide in the country, Washington remained extremely popular and was elected to a second term where even greater troubles awaited. The next major rift came from overseas. The French Revolution set off wars across Europe and America was duty-bound to support the French due to the military alliance they signed during the American Revolution. The Jeffersonian Democratic-Republicans wanted to uphold this alliance with the French revolutionaries, while the Hamiltonians favored supporting the British. Being a young and fragile country, Washington feared any war would be far too costly. Instead, he issued his neutrality proclamation, keeping America out of the war. And for over 100 years, Americans took this policy to heart and avoided European conflicts and alliances. And then in 1974, an internal rebellion broke out threatening the Republic. And that brings us to our quiz flash from the past. Which of the following do you think was commonly used as currency in the 1790s? or mules. I bet that many of you guessed tea, but it was actually whiskey. You see, many western farmers depended on whiskey for their livelihoods and even used it as currency. That's why when the excise tax, which was part of Hamilton's financial plan, taxed whiskey, it enraged these farmers, leading to the whiskey rebellion. They responded the way Americans were known to handle matters of tax and tyranny. The American Yawp Collaborative textbook states that tax collectors were robbed and beaten, whipped and flogged, tarred and feathered, and tied up and left for dead. In response, Washington himself set off with 12,000 militiamen to put down the rebellion. With this show of force, they scattered the rebels without a single loss of life, and the new government had passed the first serious challenge to its authority. After leading the country during the revolution, the constitutional convention, and then as president for eight years, Washington was finally ready to retire to Mount Vernon. In an age of kings, Washington shocked the world when he stepped away from power by refusing to run for a third term. King George III stated he is the greatest character of the age. With this, Washington set the precedent of the two-term limit and voluntarily stepping down from office that all presidents followed until Franklin Roosevelt in 1940. Before stepping down he issued his farewell address leaving some guiding principles for the people and the nation. In it he warned against two festering dangers. To steer clear of military alliances with other nations, the other was to remain united as Americans and not divided into political parties that he stated agitates the community with ill-founded jealousies and false alarms, kindles the animosity of one part against another, foments occasionally riot and insurrection. Perfection, it opens the door to foreign influence and corruption. In the end, Washington held office long enough to ensure that the country would survive, but relinquished that power to ensure that the Republic would live. And remember that history is the light that guides us forward, so thanks for learning some today. This has been History for Humans.