Blake+R.

The First President Blake Reese B Period 2/27/10  George Washington was inaugurated as the first President of the United States on April 30, 1789. After the new nation had become independent from Great Britain, Washington had looked forward to a quiet retirement. However the citizens of the U.S. had a different idea and instead elected him to the highest office in the land. Washington, at 57 years of age was aware of the difficulties he faced, took the job and planned to establish a strong foundation for the new nation to thrive off of. A risky position in the eyes of many Americans, the office of president seemed to be best suited for none other than George Washington. They believed that his leadership had brought them a victory in the war and trusted him to not try and become a king but a leader that would kind of guide the country. And to aid him would be John Adams as the Vice President. Washington knew that the precedents he established as president would shape the country and its future. Every decision he made was crucial in creating a trend and not one slip would go unnoticed. One thing that Washington and the new Congress had to make a decision on was about how to structure their government. To ensure that the office of presidency would not become a seat such as a king they decided that Washington was to be addressed as “Mr. President” which seemed very appropriate. In the summer of 1789, Congress set up three departments in the executive branch of government. And Washington was to appoint the people who would take over that position. Prominent political figures of the day Washington chose Thomas Jefferson as secretary of state, Alexander Hamilton as secretary of the treasury, and Henry Knox as secretary of war. The three departments met regularly with Washington and together they became known as the cabinet. Another part that still had to be set up was the nation’s new court system. With the Judiciary Act of 1789, Congress established a federal court system with 13 district courts and three circuit courts to serve the nation. Washington nominated John Jay to lead the Supreme court as Chief Justice. Washington seemed to be taking all the right actions in creating a strong and independent nation. Washington accomplished many things while president. He did not take his power for granted and realized it was not up to him to make the final decisions but it was up to the people. Maybe the best characteristic he possessed was listening to what people had to say and I personally believe that is why he succeeded. Washington successfully helped America grow in many ways such as in the Proclamation of neutrality and the Pinckney’s Treaty. And took proper action during the Whisky Rebellion by using force to prevent a potential Civil War. The challenges Washington faced as the first president were enormous yet somehow he continued to manage to keep everything under control. Sure he had his slips here and there but Washington set a precedent in retiring after two terms that later president-elects would fallow. Washington was the perfect candidate for a developing nation and really made it possible for America to be as powerful and strong as it is today.

__What is the Bill of Rights?__ The Bill of Rights was introduced by James Madison to Congress in 1789 as a series of articles. These articles were the first ten amendments of the constitution and came into effect on December 15, 1791. __What was the Bill of Rights intentions?__ The Bill of Rights' purpose was to limit the power of the government and reinforce individual rights, to leave the power in the hands of the people. The delegates to the Constitutional Convention were highly suspicious of centralized power, having just thrown off the British ruler. Their objective was to draft a document that gave sufficient authority to Congress and the federal government, but also dispersed power to the various branches of government and kept a great deal of authority in the states. The framers wanted to give Congress only certain listed powers and leave the rest of the power the individual states. __What did citizens think of the Bill of Rights?__ In the ratification debate, Anti-Federalists opposed to the Bill of rights, complained that the new system threatened liberties, and suggested that if the delegates had truly cared about protecting individual rights, they would have included provisions that accomplished that. Some members of congress argued that a listing of rights of the people was silly, in that all the listed rights inherently belonged to citizens, and nothing in the constitution gave the Congress the power to take them away. __The finished product.__ In the end, we owe opponents of the Consitution a debt of gratitude, because without their complaints, there would be no Bill of Rights. Thomas Jefferson wrote, "There has just been opposition enough" to force adoption of a Bill of Rights, but not to drain the federal government of its essential "energy." George Washington agreed: "They have givin the rights of a man a full and fair discussion, and explained them in so clear and forcible manner as cannot fail to make lasting impression."
 * The Bill of Rights**