Mitchell, Karina

Miss Miller
AP Language and Composition-Period 2
10-24-14
On April 30th, 1789, George Washington stood on the balcony of Federal Hall of New
York City as the first President of the new United States of America. He began by being sworn
in by Chancellor of New York, Robert Livingston. Thousands of people crowded below the
balcony to witness the first President speak.
Only six years prior to this inauguration, America concluded the long fought war with
Britain, claiming its independence. Virginia militia officer George Washington became
Commander of the Continental Army, and began to raise up an army of Patriots. The colonies
rose together to fight against Britain and, in the end, won. The war started in 1763 and ended 18
years later in 1785. Washington was recognized for his victories and was claimed to be the hero
of the revolution. Shortly after, Washington resided onto solitude and put his war days behind
him..
AMONG the vicissitudes incident to life no event could have filled me with greater
anxieties than that of which the notification was transmitted by your order,... George
Washington said as he faced the crowd. Washington recognized what tremendous power the
people were investing in him and what responsibilities he was taking on. He was an honest man
who in his speech, proved that he only wanted America to prosper and for the American people
to have a strong central government that relied on the people.
The U.S. had an impending debt of millions and millions to the French and Spanish,
which we had no way of repaying. Washington had many problems during his presidency and he

began with money. He created the Presidential cabinet with Thomas Jefferson as Secretary of
State, Alexander Hamilton as Secretary of Treasury, and Henry Knox as Secretary of War. These
three positions in the presidency were supposed to help resolve the three main problems of the
new united nation-money, war, and people.
Washingtons main focus was on the people. He was strong on the people being the
leaders of the state and he being the hand that guided them. Washington began with giving land
owning men the right to vote, which gave the populous the authority that they wanted and the
power they fought for. The foundation of our government will not be forced or implied.
Washington was profoundly against the rule of tyranny. The people will have the power to
choose, to live by our own means, and the power of the nation will rely on the people. Those
were the morals that he wanted to build our nation on.
The second change Washington made was imposing taxes on the new nation. This was
frowned upon by most people because they just got finished breaking free from that exact same
problem. Despite the hate Washington knew that this is what he needed to do to to rebuild our
currency and dissolve any debts owed. Another problem was once the Colonies broke from
Britain, they had to rebuild their new trading system which would include foreign trade, a new
idea for them. Washington sent out ambassadors to foreign countries to create peaceful trading
relations by which the nation could get their resources. Soon they were training with the Trench
in the West Indies, the Spanish, and some Natives.
The biggest effect that Washington had during his term was his say in making Treaties.
In the beginning, we had treaties all over the place-France, Britain, Native, and Spanish.
Washington was into making peace when we had the Revolution. It was the only thing that
helped us win. Towards the end of his term, he began to revise his ideas. What started that was

the upcoming war of Britain versus France. Our nation was still weak and our army was almost
nonexistent. Washington did set up a Naval force that dismembered at the end of the Revolution
and no one was eager to fight. Many people, mostly the Anti-federalists, were trying to convince
him of otherwise. When the war began, Washington decided on the position of neutrality, helping
neither Britain nor France. His main goal was to prevent the weakening of the newborns nations
and not to kill of the economy.
After two terms, he decided to retire. There was pressure for Washington to keep going
because the people were happy, but he decided it was time for him to go. On March 17, 1796
Washington read his last speech, the Farewell Address. In his farewell speech he said the one
thing that really affected our nation. He told us not to make any Treaties. In this speech he
pressures the nation to focus on themselves because there was independence within the states and
we could prosper without going to war or relying on others.
Washington, being our first president, set the standards of every future president in later
history. He took a the american colonies and made a nation out of them.He united us after we
were broken down and had little to build upon. He appealed to the emotions and logistics of the
people's will and gave them what they had always wanted, freedom.