President of USA

GEORGE WASHINGTON 17891797:On April 30, 1789, George Washington, standing on the balcony of Federal Hall on WallStreet in New York, took his oath of office as the first President of the United States. "Asthe first of every thing, in our situation will serve to establish a Precedent," he wroteJames Madison, "it is devoutly wished on my part, that these precedents may be fixed ontrue principles."
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President of USA President of USA1.GEORGEWASHINGTON17891797OnApril30,1789,GeorgeWashington,standingonthebalconyofFederalHallonWallStreetinNewYork,tookhisoathofofficeasthefirstPresidentoftheUnitedStates.Asthefirstofeverything,inoursituationwillservetoestablishaPrecedent,hewroteJamesMadison,itisdevoutlywishedonmypart,thattheseprecedentsmaybefixedontrueprinciples.Bornin1732intoaVirginiaplanterfamily,helearnedthemorals,manners,andbodyofknowledgerequisiteforan18thcenturyVirginiagentleman.He pursued two intertwined interests: military arts and western expansion. At 16 hehelpedsurveyShenandoahlandsforThomas,LordFairfax.Commissionedalieutenantcolonelin1754,hefoughtthefirstskirmishesofwhatgrewintotheFrenchandIndianWar.Thenextyear,asanaidetoGen.EdwardBraddock,heescapedinjuryalthoughfourbulletsrippedhiscoatandtwohorseswereshotfromunderhim.From1759totheoutbreakoftheAmericanRevolution,Washingtonmanagedhislandsaround Mount Vernon and served in the Virginia House of Burgesses. Married to awidow,MarthaDandridgeCustis,hedevotedhimselftoabusyandhappylife.Butlikehisfellowplanters,WashingtonfelthimselfexploitedbyBritishmerchantsandhamperedbyBritishregulations.Asthequarrelwiththemothercountrygrewacute,hemoderatelybutfirmlyvoicedhisresistancetotherestrictions.When the Second Continental Congress assembled in Philadelphia in May 1775,Washington, one of the Virginia delegates, was elected Commander in Chief of theContinentalArmy.OnJuly3,1775,atCambridge,Massachusetts,hetookcommandofhisilltrainedtroopsandembarkeduponawarthatwastolastsixgruelingyears. 1 President of USAHe realized early that the best strategy was to harass the British. He reported toCongress,weshouldonallOccasionsavoidageneralAction,orputanythingtotheRisque, unless compelled by a necessity, into which we ought never to be drawn.Ensuingbattlessawhimfallbackslowly,thenstrikeunexpectedly.Finallyin1781withtheaidofFrenchalliesheforcedthesurrenderofCornwallisatYorktown.WashingtonlongedtoretiretohisfieldsatMountVernon.ButhesoonrealizedthattheNationunderitsArticlesofConfederationwasnotfunctioningwell,sohebecameaprime mover in the steps leading to the Constitutional Conventionat Philadelphiain1787.WhenthenewConstitutionwasratified,theElectoralCollegeunanimouslyelectedWashingtonPresident.HedidnotinfringeuponthepolicymakingpowersthathefelttheConstitutiongaveCongress.ButthedeterminationofforeignpolicybecamepreponderantlyaPresidentialconcern.WhentheFrenchRevolutionledtoamajorwarbetweenFranceandEngland,WashingtonrefusedtoacceptentirelytherecommendationsofeitherhisSecretaryofState Thomas Jefferson, who was proFrench, or his Secretary of the TreasuryAlexanderHamilton,whowasproBritish.Rather,heinsisteduponaneutralcourseuntiltheUnitedStatescouldgrowstronger.Tohisdisappointment,twopartiesweredevelopingbytheendofhisfirstterm.Weariedofpolitics,feelingold,heretiredattheendofhissecond.InhisFarewellAddress,heurgedhiscountrymentoforswearexcessivepartyspiritandgeographicaldistinctions.Inforeignaffairs,hewarnedagainstlongtermalliances.WashingtonenjoyedlessthanthreeyearsofretirementatMountVernon,forhediedofathroatinfectionDecember14,1799.FormonthstheNationmournedhim. 2 President of USA2.JOHNADAMS17971801Learnedandthoughtful,JohnAdamswasmoreremarkableasapoliticalphilosopherthanasapolitician.Peopleandnationsareforgedinthefiresofadversity,hesaid,doubtlessthinkingofhisownaswellastheAmericanexperience.AdamswasbornintheMassachusettsBayColonyin1735.AHarvardeducatedlawyer,heearlybecameidentifiedwiththepatriotcause;adelegatetotheFirstandSecondContinentalCongresses,heledinthemovementforindependence.DuringtheRevolutionaryWarheservedinFranceandHollandindiplomaticroles,andhelpednegotiatethetreatyofpeace.From1785to1788hewasminister ...