Washington Quiz Flashcards
What is Precedent?
An example that becomes standard practice
Precedent #1
GW accepted a salary = Congress convinced him to take $25,000
Precedent #2
GW served only 2 terms = Constitution didn’t set term limit and GW refused a third term
Precedent #3
Created the Presidential Cabinet = Secretary of State : Thomas Jefferson Secretary of War : Henry Knox Secretary of Treasury : Alexander Hamilton Attorney General : Edmond Randolph
Precedent #4
Referred to as “Mr. President” = Refused “His Excellency” like a king
Precedent #5
Handles Domestic Conflicts with Force = GW stopped whiskey rebellion with an army
Precedent #6
Established Policy of Neutrality in Foreign Affairs = GW didn’t want to be involved in European affairs because the nation was weak
Financial Problems
The government was still in debt from the Revolutionary War – it owed money to foreign countries and to individuals in the US
Hamilton’s Plan Part 1
Reduce the debt = the federal government will pay off all state debt and that money will be raised through higher taxes
Hamilton’s Plan Part 2
- Grow and Protect American Industry = get congress to pass tariffs, taxes on imported goods, so more people would buy US made products
- Create a National banking System = US currency would be stable and organized. a way to lend money to businesses which would develop infrastructure
Problems with Part 1
- Southern states already paid most debts
- Taxes targeted the West and the South more than the North
- Started to develop “sectionalism” : divisions based on geographic sections of the country
Problems with Part 2
- It wasn’t in the Constitution
- - Favored the business interest of the North
What was Hamilton’s vision for the Economy?
An Industrialized Economy – The US would be self-sufficient because the country would make what they needed to survive rather than depending on other nations.
The Compromise
Jefferson agreed to support Hamilton’s plan if the Capitol was moved from New York to the Potomac river (located between Maryland/Virginia)
