George Washington's Politics in the First Election

Before George Washington became the fist President of the United States, he was a Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces possessing the most power any single man could, in the new United States. When the first president of the Unites States, George Washington, first took office on March 4, 1789, he had the privilege of being the first most powerful man in the new United States. Washington was faced with a challenge to earn the loyalty of his people and make the structure of the new government work. George Washington wanted to make a structure of government that found its balance between having a strong government and having one that would not be too strong. Washington, “filled with greater anxieties” (Oakes 230) was unsure that a democratic government could even work. While the Congress approved official advisors to the president, Washington turned to his close friends and to the political clout of the large states. He appointed Thomas Jefferson as the secretary of state, and Alexander Hamilton as the secretary of the treasury. Washington was a man who wanted to establish a successful country, knowing that his ideas needed to be supported and overviewed with different points of view from his cabinet advisors, two parties developed by the end of his second presidential term. Though the policy-making powers that he felt the Constitution gave Congress “did not infringe on him, the determination of foreign policy became preponderantly a Presidential concern” (www.whitehouse.gov). Washington and Hamilton tended to agree with each other more than he agreed with Jefferson, but since Hamilton was also a Federalist, him and Washington shared the same visions. The first presidential election is still influential to this day and all the work...

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... amount of time has passed, it was clear that the new United State’s experiment was on a stable road and that it had slight chances of actually surviving. A successful government of, by, and for the people was a sign of successful presidential choices that lead us into a stronger and more developed government. As the new nation grew in size and population, “the government struggled to maintain not simply order, but even more, the allegiance of the people” (Oakes 258). I think that Alexander Hamilton held views that took my attention to his side and what his beliefs were. I agree with Hamilton and the choices he tried to bring forth. His ideas and policies did help to develop the country and even in todays’ time we still feel his ideas and policies.

Works Cited

http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/presidents/georgewashington

Of the People, History of the United States