Lesson 5.

1: Washington’s Presidency
1. What steps did President Washington take to set up the government of
the new republic?
a. Created Cabinet positions to help him lead in different areas
b. Set precedents for how presidents should rule
c. Helped establish the federal court system
2. What were the causes and effects of the Whiskey Rebellion?
a. Cause: Federal taxation on liquor that small farmers viewed as
unfair
b. Effect: Washington set a precedent that the federal government
would act quickly in times of crisis but would not execute or
unfairly treat protesters
3. What was the impact of Washington’s foreign policy outlined in his
Farewell Address?
a. Washington’s stance of neutrality became the American position
for many years
4. What was the Constitution missing that put George Washington at a
disadvantage as the first president?
a. The Constitution was missing clear directions for how the
president should rule
5. What was the top priority of Washington’s administration?
a. To secure the government and make sure it was stable
6. What was the purpose of the Judiciary Act of 1789? What did it establish?
a. Define the composition of the Supreme Court and created a
national system of circuit and district courts
7. What financial situation did Alexander Hamilton face as the first
Secretary of the Treasury?
a. Significant debt left over from the Revolutionary period
8. Who was given the authority to set up a system of federal courts?
a. Congress had the authority to set up a system of federal courts
9. What international conflict caused controversy in Washington’s
administration? What position was eventually taken on it?
a. The war between France and Great Britain meant that two critical
allies were asking America to take their side
b. This was difficult because France had been our biggest ally during
the Revolutionary War but British ships protected American
merchants at sea (best navy in the world)
 c. Eventually, the U.S. agreed on a position of neutrality, not taking
either side
10. Why did Washington feel burdened at his inauguration?
a. He knew that everything he did would set an example for all future
presidents AND it was his job to make the gov’t work in the short
and long term
11. Why was the Cabinet created?
a. To advise the president and help carry out the duties of the
executive branch
12. What was Alexander Hamilton’s main reason for insisting that the
nation’s debts be paid in full?
a. So that America could be trusted and borrow more money in the
future
13. What was Hamilton’s solution to America’s significant debt? How did he
establish a precedent with his leadership?
a. Hamilton proposed paying the debt in full, partly through
implementing new tariffs and taxes
b. Hamilton established an important precedent by showing the
leadership potential of Cabinet members
14. What is an import? Who would pay a tariff on an import?
a. An import is a good made in another country and brought into
one’s home country
b. The merchant selling the good pays the tariff but the cost is
eventually passed on to the consumer
15. Who was most opposed to the tax on whiskey that Congress had
imposed?
a. Backcountry farmers
16. Why did Madison oppose Hamilton’s plan to buy up bonds issued before
1789?
a. Madison did not want speculators to benefit from the desperation
of the citizens who bought the bonds to finance the revolution
b. Americans who bought bonds were desperate for cash, so they sold
the bonds for a small fraction of what they were worth to
opportunistic speculators.
c. These speculators stood to make a massive fortune after the war,
taking advantage of the situation.
d. Some Americans, like James Madison, thought the speculators
 should not be rewarded for taking advantage of the situation.
17. What was the impact of Washington’s Farewell Address?
a. America followed a policy of neutrality for many years after
Washington argued for it in his Farewell Address
18. Why were federal and state debts so high?
a. Because of the costs of the Revolutionary War
19. What is the purpose of a protective tariff?
a. Raises the price of imported goods to encourage consumers to buy
local, domestic goods. This protects domestic industries (i.e. Made
in America)
20. How did the execution of the liquor tax cause problems for small
distilleries?
a. The tax had to be paid in cash, which small distilleries did not have
21. What was the main cause of the Whiskey Rebellion?
a. Small farmers were upset that they had to pay more in taxes than
large distilleries
b. Saw similarities between the liquor tax and former British taxes
22.How did American opinions about the French Revolution cause divisions
in the early republic?
a. Some Americans (like Thomas Jefferson) supported the French
revolutionaries while other Americans thought the use of extreme
violence was unacceptable (especially in establishing a democracy)
23.How would France’s use of American ports have created problems for
America?
a. British ships could have attacked the ports, harming the American
economy (shipping was the main mode of transportation for
people and goods)
24. Why did Washington decide on neutrality as his foreign policy?
a. To protect the American economy, which would likely have been
weakened if America picked a side between Britain and France and
lost the other as a trading partner