• Washington was inaugurated in NY – Set precedents on how to run our country

• Congress set up departments within the branch

• Constitution did not establish names or limit number of departments

• Washington set up first three departments in summer 1789

• Washington appointed the department leaders who became his advisors

Handle relations with other

nations/foreign affairs

1st Secretary

Current – John Kerry

Deal with national

financial matters

1st SecretaryCurrent - Jacob Lew

1st SecretaryProvide for

national defense

Current – Chuck Hagel

President’s legal advisor & responsible for enforcement of national laws

Current – Eric Holder, Jr.

• Became known as the President’s “Cabinet”

• Constitution does not say the President must use them to advise him on decisions – Washington used these men to make critical national decisions

Departments of the President’s Cabinet• Agriculture• Commerce

– Trade/sales & purchases• Defense (formerly War)• Education• Energy• Health & Human Services

– Protects health & offer those services to Americans

• State• Transportation• Veteran Affairs

– Works for veterans of America

• Homeland Security– Protects America & its people

• Housing & Urban Development– Home ownership &

community growth• Justice

– Enforce law• Labor

– Welfare of job seekers• Interior

– Protects natural & cultural heritage of U.S.A.

• Treasury

Court System• Judiciary Act of

1789– Create a federal

court system

• Sup. Court assigned 6 justices– John Jay appointed

as Chief Justice

• 3 courts of appeals• District court in each

state

• Began the year of Washington’s inauguration– Originally seen as a good

thing in America

• By 1793, the Revolution turned bloody

• Many Americans were offended by the violence, attacks on religion, disregard of individual liberties

• Britain went to war with France in 1793

SUSTAIN NEUTRALITY• France wanted us to

help in war with Britain– They were our allies in the

Revolution

• Washington encouraged neutrality – Discouraged American

involvement

• Proclamation of Neutrality– Prohibited Americans fighting

in overseas war– Barred warships in American

ports

American Treaties• Washington sent John Jay,

chief justice of the Supreme Court, to negotiate a treaty

• Jay’s Treaty– British withdraw from America, pay

damages, & allow some ships to trade in the Caribbean

• Many Americans wanted trade with British West Indies, which it did not open

• Thomas Pinckney created a treaty with Spain to resolve trade on the Mississippi

• France was outraged & saw this as dealing with the devil