Danielle Klouse

U.S History
The Presidencies Analysis Questions
9/4/15

1.

When launching the new federal government, George Washington created most of it himself.

Washington first decided to pass the Judiciary Act of 1789 which added the new federal court system and
Supreme Court. This aided many people in settling any legal questions or concerns that the Articles of
Confederation could not help with. Washington also created three departments in the executive branch known as
the Department of State, the Department of War, and the Department of the Treasury. The purpose of these
departments are to assist Washington in administering executive tasks in the government.
These actions were very proper to establish order and stability within the new government. The Articles
of Confederation had many flaws, and settling legal questions was one of them. That is not the case in
Washington's new government with the Judiciary Act of 1789. Now that there was a federal court system to
solve any problems the Confederation left behind, it likely gave an overall feeling of security and safety to the
people knowing that any current or future issues will be dealt with. The three departments Washington created
within the executive branch most likely had the same affect on the people, and himself. The government was
now more stable with each department managing different executive tasks, especially with people Washington
chose himself to head these positions. Washington knew that the heads of these three departments were
trustworthy and responsible enough to manage them and keep it organized. Moreover, with the new federal court
system to deal with legal concerns, and the three departments handling executive tasks, it is clear that the actions
Washington took were very necessary in providing a sense of stability and order in the new government.

2.

George Washington's decision to mobilize troops to enforce the excise tax on whiskey was essential to

his presidency and the solidity of the nation because it displayed his strong sense of leadership and his effort to
keep control and defend the government. After the western farmers started protesting and attacking tax
collectors, Washington traveled to the west to lead his troops. Not only was he the one president that commanded

his troops in the field, but he ensured that the rebellion would stop to protect the national government. Overall,
Washington's decisions exhibit his determination to lead the United States in the right direction and keep the
government stable and strong.
It is said that Washington was able to show the new strengths that the government had compared to the
Articles of Confederation, and his effective leadership skills. This is due to his successful attempt to stamp out
the rebellion of the western farmers against the excise tax on whiskey. His loyalty to the constitution also
allowed the government to overcome heavy obstacles and compromise.

3.

Congress was not justified passing the Alien and Sedition Acts under the Adams Administration. Adams

believed that that press was printing rumors, lies, and sensationalist stories, which was one of the main reasons
for passing these acts. Many people, including Adam's political enemies, were completely against this due to
how they limit rights that are promised by the Constitution. This caused them to look at Adams as a tyrant.
Ultimately, the acts seemed to be aimed towards protecting Adams presidency and hiding people from the truth
instead of lies and rumors.
The Constitution was challenged because the Alien and Sedition Acts was mainly focused on taking
away important rights from the people. The Acts censor press and the right to assemble, and make it illegal to go
against the government in any way, even though the Constitution states the opposite. This resulted in major
conflict over the Alien and Sedition Acts and eventually got nullified by Virginia and Kentucky with the help of
Thomas Jefferson and the Democratic-Republicans.

4.

The idea that the Federalists would not give up their power after electing Thomas Jefferson was a big

concern to the Americans because of how they tried to abuse their power during John Adam's administration.
Adams tried to limit the rights of the people in order to protect his presidency. Once Hamilton and the Federalists
switched to supporting Jefferson, Americans most likely started to worry about what was to come. Such a drastic
change in power could also create even more conflict. Many people feared that Jefferson would drag America
into European conflict and that he would ally with France and launch Reign of Terror style reforms in the
United States in order to 'purify' the government. This could easily scare people into thinking that electing

Jefferson would be a bad idea, even if he was opposed to the Alien and Sedition Acts and most decisions that
Adams made during his administration.