George Washington's Presidency

• At 57 years old, George Washington was unanimously elected as the first president of the United States.
• Washington reluctantly left Mount Vernon due to his sense of duty.
• The trip to New York City took 8 days because each town greeted Washington.
• In Philadelphia, he rode a white horse into the city.
• In NYC, Washington was rowed across the Hudson River on a decorated barge.
• On April 30, 1789, Washington wore a plain brown suit made of American cloth.
• On the balcony of Federal Hall, Washington took the oath of office.
• Washington and Congress walked to St. Paul’s Church to pray for guidance.

First President

• George Washington set an example for all future presidents.
• Washington aimed to establish respect and admiration for the presidency.
• He rode in a yellow carriage pulled by six white horses.

First Cabinet

• Washington appointed a Cabinet of advisors to assist him.
• Thomas Jefferson was the Secretary of State
• Alexander Hamilton was the Secretary of the Treasury.
• Henry Knox was the Secretary of War.
• Edmund Randolph was the Attorney General.
• Samuel Osgood was the Postmaster General.
• James Madison wrote speeches for Washington and Congress.
• John Adams, the Vice President, also advised Washington.
• The entire federal government consisted of 350 people.

First Census

• The first census was taken in 1790 and has been taken every 10 years since.
• The population was 4 million people.
• 700,000 people were slaves.
• Native Americans were not counted in the census.
• Benjamin Franklin died in 1790 and was not counted.
• 95% of the population lived on farms.
• 1 million people lived in the frontier land.
• Most cities were port cities.
• America’s birth rate was twice as high as England’s, while the death rate was twice as low.
• The US doubled its population every 24 years for almost 100 years.
• The population grew from 4 million in 1790 to 63 million in 1890.

Second President

• John Adams was Washington’s Vice President and became the second president (1797-1801).
• Adams was a Federalist from Massachusetts.
• He was a Harvard-educated lawyer who got Washington to be the general and Jefferson to write the Declaration of Independence.
• Adams served as a diplomat to England.
• He was perceived as having grown "fat and mean" and fond of British customs.
• He believed only the educated should govern and distrusted the common people.

Executive Mansion (White House)

• John Adams was the first president to live in the Executive Mansion, later known as the White House.
• The Federal City was still under construction by enslaved people.
• Adams had trouble finding the White House and faced challenges like insufficient wood for fireplaces.
• Adams did not utilize slaves.
• Adams spent more time away from what would be Washington, DC
• The building was officially named the “White House” during Teddy Roosevelt's presidency in 1902.

Washington’s Death

• In 1799, George Washington got sick and died.
• His last words were, “I die hard, but I am not afraid to go”.
• Richard Henry Lee said of Washington that "Washington was first in war, first in peace, first in the hearts of his countrymen."
• After his death, the Federal City was named Washington, DC.

Alien & Sedition Acts

• Adams believed his most important achievement was keeping the US out of war.

• The US remained neutral in the conflict between France and England, angering the French.

• In 1798, Congress passed the Alien and Sedition Acts.

• The Alien Act made it more difficult for foreigners to become US citizens.

• It was aimed at the French, many of whom were joining the Democratic Republicans.

• Federalists favored England, while Democratic Republicans favored France.

• The goal was to weaken the power of the Democratic Republicans.

• The Sedition Act made it a crime for Americans to criticize the government.

• Critics referred to Adams as "His Rotundity."

• The goal was to weaken the power of the Democratic Republicans.

• The Sedition Act was considered unconstitutional, violating the First Amendment rights of freedom of speech and the press.

• The Supreme Court was too weak to intervene.

George Washington's presidency began with his unanimous election at age 57. He reluctantly left Mount Vernon, embarking on an 8-day journey filled with celebratory greetings. He established respect for the presidential office and appointed a cabinet of advisors.