During the whole period of the Confederation Congress had enacted only one piece of legislation of extraordinary and enduring importance—the Ordinance of 17S7 for the government of the Northwest Territory. (See NoliTIINVEST TERRI roar.) After the ratification of the Constitu tion by the requisite number of States, the old Congress arranged a plan for carrying the new government into operation. The first Wednesday of January, 1789, was selected for the choice of electors for President and Vice-President, the first Wednesday in February for the voting of the electors, and the first Wednesday in March as the date of the inauguration. The 69 electors who met in February all toted for George Wash ington, who was accordingly chosen President. The next highest number of electoral votes cast was 34, which were given to John Adams. who was thus elected Vice-President in accordance with the method then prescribed by the Constitu tion. Owing to delays, however, the actual in auguration of the new Government did not take place until April 30, 17S9.
I. and If. ADMINISTRATION OF GEORGE WASH INGTON (1789-1797). Cabinets.—Secretary of State, Thomas Jefferson, Virginia, September 26, 1789; Edmund Randolph, Virginia, Janu ary 2, 1794; Timothy Pickering. Pennsylvania, December 10, 1795. Secretary of the Treasury, Alexander Hamilton, New York, September 11, 1789; Oliver Wolcott, Connecticut, February 2, 1795. Secretary of War, Henry Knox, Massa chusetts, September 12, 1789; Timothy Picker ing, Pennsylvania, January 2. 1796; James Me Henry, :Maryland, January 27, 1796. General, Edmund Randolph, Virginia, September 26, 1789; William Bradford. Pennsylvania, January 27, 1794; Charles Lee, Virginia, De cember 10, 1795. Posi»utster-Genera/,* Sam uel Osgood, Massachusetts, September 26, 1789; Timothy Pickering, Pennsylvania, August 12, 1791 ; Joseph Habersham, Georgia. February 25, 1795.
George Washington was sworn into office on April 30, 1789, at New York, where the newly elected Congress, the first under the Constitu tion, had assembled earlier in the month, The House of Representatives elected Frederick A. Sluhlenberg, of Pennsylvania, as the first Speaker. The first Congress witnessed a gradual formation of two political groups, opposin, each other on questions of centralization and de centralization, those favoring a liberal interpre tation of the powers of the Federal Government being known as Federalists, and those favoring a very strict interpretation and limitation of those powers soon styling themselves Democratic Republieans or simply Republicans. The latter was made lip in great part of the Anti-Federal ists of 1787-8S, but also came to include some of the advocates of the Constitution, Madison among them. Both factions were represented in Washington's first Cabinet. Hamilton coining to be the recognized leader of the Federalists, and Jefferson coming to be regarded as the ablest ad vocate of the striet-construetionist doctrine.
Three important events of first administration, all closely connected with the work of were the inamoiration of a scheme of tariff (see TARIFF), directed primarily toward the raising of revenue. but also based upon the expediency of encouraging domestic in dustries, the establishment in 1791 of a national bank (see BANK, BANKING) planned to serve partly as a fiscal agency of the new Government, and the systematizing and funding of the na tional debt, in which were now included not only - • • - • • the strictly national debts, but also those ob ligations of the several States which had been incurred for national purposes (hiring the Revo lution. The political controversy over this as sumption of State debts by the National Govern ment, was, for purposes of convenient adjust ment, combined with the pending controversy as to the location of the national capital, the op ponents of 'assumption' yielding upon that prop osition in sufficient number to secure in return the choice of the banks of the Potomac as the gent of government. The Constitution had been put into operation without any settlement of the delicate and vital question of the authority of the new Government over the territory of the States which at that time had not ratified that instru ment, and the possibility of a crisis was early re moved by the successive ratifications by North Carolina (November, 1789), and by Rhode Island (May, 1790). Membership in the Union
was further increased by the admission of Ver mont (March, 1791), and of Kentucky (dune, 1792). In Washington's first term executive de partments were organized by acts of Congress, the Federal judieial system was organized, in September, 1789, a national mint was established in Philadelphia, and a system of coinage devised, and in 1791 the first ten amendments to the Federal Constitution were formally adopted.
At the request of both Federalists and Repub licans, Washington consented to serve a second term as President, and was unanimously ed. John Adams was also reelected to the office of Vice-President, being opposed by George Clinton (q.v.), of New York, the Republican candidate. Washington's second term was one of much public turmoil and uneasiness, owing to the attitude of the two parties toward France and England, then at war. The Fed eralists an open sympathy with Eng land; the Republicans with France. The con duct of the French Minister to the United States, known as 'Citizen' Genet (q.v.), did much to the popular excitement. He openly vio lated the President's proclamation of neutrality, endeavored to fit out French cruisers in Ameri can ports, raised money and men for the service in France, and acted with such offensive and undisguised insolence toward Washington and his Cabinet that the Government demanded his re call. The turbulence resulting from his in judicious course, however, bad inflamed party passions to such an extent that even Washing ton's calm and dignified policy did not escape the bitterest partisan denunciation. This in creased in volume and intensity when the so called Jay Treaty (q.v.) with England was laid before the Senate by the President. England's course had been regarded as arrogant and far from conciliatory. She had impressed American seamen. had refused, ostensibly because of the neglect of the United States to carry out certain provisions of the treaty of peace. to evacuate the posts in the Northwest Territory, and had largely excluded American commerce from the West India trade. The Jay Treaty failed to secure the assurances from England that many believed to be justly due; but it embodied the best that could then be obtained. and the President ap proved it. The aspersions now recklessly heaped upon Washington became virulent; he was threatened with impeachment, and even was ac cused of treason and of usurpation. Yet his action was justified by the revival of commerce that followed the ratification of the Jay Treaty.
The other noteworthy events of Washington's second administration were the fortunate and effective assertion of the authority of the Fed eral Government in the suppression of the so called Whisky Insurrection (q.v1) in Pennsyl vania (1794), the adoption of a plan for in ternal taxation (1795), the unsuccessful expedi tions under Harmnar and Saint Clair against the Western Indians in 1790 and 1791. the defeat of the Indians by Wayne at Fallen Timbers in 1794, the cession to the United States in the following year of 25,000 square miles of Indian lands, and the negotiation of a treaty with Spain in 1795, whereby the United States secured the free navigation of the Lower :Mississippi, the right of deposit, for a limited period, at New Orleans, and a partially satisfactory settlement of the Florida boundary. The year 1793 was marked by the invention, by Eli Whitney, of the cotton gin, which was destined to bring about an in dustrial revolution in the South and profoundly to affect the question of slavery. In June. 1796, Tennessee, hitherto a part of North Carolina, was admitted to the Union as a new Common wealth. On September 17th of the same year Washington delivered his historic "Farewell Ad dress." As be declined again to be a candidate, the two great parties waged an open warfare for the election of his successor. The Federalist can didate. John Adams, received 71 votes, and the Republican, Thomas Jefferson. GS votes, and in accordance with the constitutional provisions then operative, John Adams became President, and Thomas .Jefferson Vice-President.