8.1

Washington created 3 departments in the Executive branch

• Thomas Jefferson (Tommy J) headed Secretary of State
• Hamilton headed Secretary of Treasury
• Henry Knox headed War Department
• Edmund Randolph was appointed Attorney General ( He wasn’t part of the three departments )
• They met with the president frequently to discuss major issues
• The three departments became known as a cabinet

Congress passed the Judiciary Act of 1789

• Organized 13 district courts, established 3 circuit courts, and set the maximum number of supreme court justices at 6
• Washington appointed John Jay Supreme Court Chief Justice

Congress held a two year long session to write the Bill of Rights, organize Executive and Judicial branches, and pass crucial measures to give the country sound financial footing

• James Madison was a leader in the House of Reps

• The big issues were :

• Paying National Debt without raising taxes

• deciding what to call Chief Exec.

• How much to pay congressmen

  • they decided on $6 a day, which was quite the amount back then

• And what to put on the Bill of Rights

  1. Freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition
  2. right to bear arms
  3. No quartering act
  4. No unreasonable search and seizure
  5. Gov’t cannot force citizens to testify against themselves
  6. fair and speedy trial
  7. trial by jury
  8. no cruel or unusual punishment
  9. Citizens have more that just these rights
  10. powers not listed in Constitution for the Federal Gov’t belong to the people and state
      • Bill of Rights was intended to restrict power of national gov’t and protect individual rights

Most of Hamilton’s proposals became shaped into laws

==“REPORT ON PUBLIC CREDIT”== called for government debt to be paid off

• Hamilton proposed debt funding, this has the Federal government use bonds as currency
• He also proposed ASSUMPTION, which is where all states ban together to pay off all state debts
• Madison and Jefferson strongly disagreed with Hamilton on just about everything in these proposals ( Cabinet Battle #1 )
• the two Virginians and the Immigrant made a compromise, having opened doors that were previously closed ( The Room Where It Happens )
  • Hamilton emerged with unprecedented financial power, a system he can shape however he wants
  • The Virginians emerged with the nations capital

Constitution has areas left for interpretation

• loose constructionists - more flexibility
• Strict constructionists - closer reading to the constitution

Hamilton’s second plan proposed a National Bank ( Cabinet Battle #1 )

• Jefferson and Madison didn’t like the Idea
• Washington agreed with Hamilton and a National Bank was created
• This was a leading cause of the rift in Washington’s Administration
• This plan led to two things

1. Uniformed currency
2. Source for business loans