1789

U.S. History
Miss Frascht

President Washington
1789
Election: Washington VS John
Adams
Washington wins with 69 Electoral
Votes

George Washington takes the oath

of office as the first President of the
United States
John Adams becomes Vice President
Came in second with 34 Electoral Votes

The First Congress

Summer of 1789
Congress set up 3 departments and
two offices in the Executive Branch
of government
State Department:
led by Thomas Jefferson
Handled relations with other nations

Department of Treasury:
Led by Alexander Hamilton
Handled financial matters

The First Congress

Department of War
Led by Henry Knox
Provided nations defense

Attorney General
Edmund Randolph
Handle governments legal affairs

Jefferson, Hamilton, Knox, and

Randolph were members of the
Presidents Cabinet

The National Debt

Answer the following questions in your
notebook:
1) What is the issue being debated?
2) What does Jefferson argue Hamiltons
plan would do?
3) What is Jeffersons argument for why
the South shouldnt have to pay?
4) What is Hamiltons argument for his
financial plan?
5) Why does Hamilton say that the South
has its debts paid?

The National Debt

National Debt: the amount of money
owed by the Nations Government
Government needed a plan for
borrowing and paying back money
Congress gave the task to

The National Debt

Hamiltons Plan
National government should
pay off debts owed by the
states and individuals to other
countries
Argued that since the states
fought for freedom, the
national government should
compensate them
Believed it would give states a
strong interest in the success
of the national government

Opposition
Did not agree with paying off
individual debts
Bonds: Paper notes promising
to repay money in certain
amount of time
Most purchased by
speculators: people who
risk money to make a
larger profit
Hamiltons plan would
make speculators rich
Southern States: had much less
debt than Northern states,
believed they would have to
pay more than their share

The Room Where it Happ

ened
1) What is the result of the
meeting between Jefferson,
Madison, and Hamilton?
2) What does Thomas Jefferson
claim?
3) What is Congress fighting
over?
4)What did Hamilton get from
the deal?
5) What did Jefferson and

Compromise
Jefferson and Madison vote for
Hamiltons plan, Hamilton would
support locating the new capital in
the South
Area became Washington D.C.
Hamiltons financial plan was passed

**Connect**
Why is compromise important in
government both then and now?