The New Republic

If they can keep it...

We have a President

● George Washington is unanimously

elected as the President of the

United States.o The first and only time this happens.

● John Adams is elected the Vice

President.

They have problems:

● How does the President act in public?

● Should he be accessible to the people or distant and

aloof?

● What do we call him?

● How does the President dress?

● How much should he be paid? Should he be paid?

● Where should he live?

● And what about the Vice President?

● YOU GET TO SOLVE THESE PROBLEMS!

This is what they are used to

Or this

Washington solves most

Just by being himself.

Aloof, cold, formal, taller than everyone

else, and not smiling much.

Wears black velvet suits, and appears with a

polished silver sword.

Decisions

One suggestion for how to address

Washington:

“His Highness, the President of the United

States and Protector of Rights of the Same.”

Thankfully, Congress settled on:

“The President of the United States.”

The Vice President

The suggested title for John Adams:

“His Rotundity.”

Salary

Congress decides that the President should be

paid $25,000 a year.

John Adams was paid $5,000

Washington spent it

He lived large for the time

Velvet suits with yellow gloves and a hat with a feather in it

6 horses drawing his carriage

big lavish dinners for “official characters and strangers of

distinction”

but accepted no invitations to other people’s dinners

Every Tuesday, from 3-4 he held a formal reception

Congress also has trouble

First session: 8 Senators (out of 26) and 13

Representatives (out of 65) showed up in New

York City.

Took a month to be able to do any business.

There were no government offices

A foreign office

Staff: John Jay and two clerks

A Treasury

With no money and no revenue

An army

with 672 officers and men

and no navy

And

A huge amount of debt

States’ debt: $21.5 Million

Domestic debt: $42.5 Million

Foreign debt: $11.7 million

The Supreme Court

Doesn’t exist!

No judges were appointed!

Congress has to approve the President’s

choices, but he hasn’t made any because

Congress hasn’t set how many judges, districts

or courts there are!

So there are problems

and fast action is needed*

*at the time “fast action” wasn’t an oxymoron when

applied to the federal government...