George Washington's Most Prominent Precedents - Essay Example

George Washington Perhaps because of its relatively short period of existence, more than most developed nations the United s has a small handful of past leaders who loom large in the annals of history. Referred to as the founding forefathers for their crucial contributions to the development of the nation in its formative period, among these individuals include Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, and James Madison. While these individuals undoubtedly made seminal contributions in shaping the nation, perhaps no one made more of an impact than George Washington. In addition to leading the American army against the British in the Revolutionary War, Washington served as the nation’s first president, effectively establishing much of the paradigm that future leaders would follow. This essay examines Washington with specific consideration given to the precedents he established as the President of the United States. Following the Revolutionary War and the United States successful bid for independence, the newly formed nation turned to the leader of the military, George Washington, as the natural choice for the Presidency. Surprisingly, Washington initially declined the offer, but after considerable political and national pressure reluctantly agreed to assume the position (Brookhiser). He was inaugurated on April 30, 1789 at Federal Hall, near New York City’s Wall Street (Brookhiser). John Adams was his vice president (Brookhiser). The inauguration established many precedents that continue to be followed through the present day. Perhaps most seminally, this first inauguration borrowed a trend from the British Parliament wherein the newly inducted would give a brief speech (Brookhiser). This speech has been carried over to the present day, as President Barack Obama recently delivered an inaugural address at his 2008 induction as President. The initial period of Washington’s Presidency was unique, as much of the traditional structure that is assumed today had not yet been established. Among Washington’s initial policy measures were to establish much of the judiciary branch. At the time of Washington’s inauguration the government entirely lacked a judicial and executive branch and it would fall on Washington to foreground much of the structure of the government. Washington’s first policy act in these regards was the Judiciary Act of 1789 (Higginbotham). This act established the six-member Supreme Court, which would be lead by one Chief Justice and five Associate Justices (Higginbotham). This act gave the court sweeping jurisdiction over interstate issues, as well as establishing authority over the federal court system (Higginbotham). In addition to the establishment of the Supreme Court, the Judiciary Act of 1789 established the Federal Court system; this consisted of 13 judicial districts, within which circuit and district courts were established (Higginbotham). One considers the enormity of such policy making in conjunction with Washington’s past position as General and unparalleled public support. While the country had firmly adopted a democratic structure, it took an almost authoritarian amount of control in order to institute such large-scale policy measures. Following the establishment of the judiciary, Washington set out to further establish the executive branch. Among the most prominent trends Washington established in terms of executive structure was the Presidential Cabinet. The Cabinet emerged from a group of trusted advisors and delegates that surrounded Washington (Higginbotham). Gradually Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton became the most prominent advisors and Washington’s first term, with power shifting between them (Higginbotham). During this period Washington established the Cabinet offices that would continue through the present day. Among the first offices created were the Secretary of State, Secretary of the Treasury, Secretary of War (now Secretary of Defense), and the Postmaster General (Higginbotham). While not directly a Cabinet member, Washington also established the Attorney General during this period, granting them the power to prosecute for the United States (Higginbotham). Perspective differences would play out prominently in Washington’s cabinet over decisions regarding economic policy. Following the Revolutionary War the new republic found itself in considerable debt. Substantial sums of money were borrowed for foreign nations and there were significant infrastructure projects that were needed. The main divisions regarding the most effective way for the United States government to raise money emerged between Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton. Hamilton supported the establishment of a central bank and taxes on imported goods; Jefferson opposed most of Hamilton’s ideas, believing the central bank would be used for dubious purposes (Higginbotham). It was left to Washington to parse the debate, to which he sided with Hamilton on nearly all measures (Higginbotham). Following Hamilton’s ideas and Washington’s approval the First Bank of the United States was established as the first central bank; this would evolve to what is currently the Federal Reserve (Higginbotham). In addition, the United States Mint, and the Revenue-Marine (today the United States Coast Guard) was established as a means of enforcing tariffs on incoming goods (Higginbotham). One recognizes that in these early disputes that Washington had to navigate between Hamilton and Jefferson were much of the earlier seeds of what would evolve in the contemporary world to the Republican and Democrat political parties. Another prominent area of precedent that Washington was responsible for establishing was foreign policy. Among Washington’s first foreign policy decisions were assuming control of treaty negotiations with foreign powers. Perhaps most significantly this emerged in his relations with the Native American tribes that the United States regularly came into contact with (Flexner). In terms of overseas relations Washington regularly sent delegates oversees without the approval of either the House of Representatives or the Senate (Flexner). Historians recognized that these actions regularly shaped domestic policy during Washington’s administration (Flexner). Among other prominent foreign policy measures was Washington’s response to the French Revolution. This occurrence held a number of striking ramifications as it split much of Europe and the nascent American nation had little financial resources or military power to take a firm stance on either side (Flexner). As a result Washington’s primary decision was to not become involved in the French Revolution on either side (Flexner). This decision established America’s isolationist approach, which would become a hallmark of American foreign policy decisions well into the 20th century. This was a controversial decision as many of the American people stood firmly in support of the revolution, remembering their own revolution only a few years prior (Flexner). Among these individuals was Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson would encourage Washington to send aid to the French uprising. In addition to Washington’s recognition that the United States was not in a financial or developmental position to contribute to the French Revolution, it is clear that he was greatly influenced by a desire to avoid war with Great Britain (Flexner). Just as Washington had established the Inaugural Address precedent he also was the first president to deliver a Farewell Address. Washington would ultimately serve eight years as President of the United States and establish that future Presidents would leave the office in such time. Washington would write the Farewell Address itself with Alexander Hamilton’s influence (Brookhiser). Today the Address stands as one of the seminal statements on American values and virtues. Among the most prominent notion established in Washington’s Farewell Address was the importance of the United States retaining an isolationist policy through not meddling in foreign affairs (Brookhiser). As noted this approach was a prominent trend in American politics until the 20th century. In conclusion, this essay has examined the seminal precedents that George Washington set during his time as President of the United States. Within this context of understanding, the essay demonstrates that among the most prominent precedents were Washington’s establishment of the judicial branch of government, his organization of the Presidential Cabinet, his foreign policy decisions, and the form of the Inaugural and Farewell Addresses. Ultimately, while Washington is popularly remembered as the leader of the Revolutionary Army and the first President, it is his actions in the presidency that established much of the governmental structure that continues to influence the fabric of our daily lives. References Brookhiser, Richard. Founding Father: Rediscovering George Washington. New York: Free Press. 1996. Flexner, James Thomas. Washington: The Indispensable Man. Boston: Little, Brown. 1974. Higginbotham, Don. George Washington: Uniting a Nation. Lanham, Md: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. 2002. Read More