George Washington: The Precedent President
Introduction:
George Washington became President—reluctantly—at a critical time in the history of the United States. The Confederation had threatened to unravel; the weak central government (which included a weak executive with the sole responsibility of presiding over meetings of Congress and no special power to initiate laws beyond that of any member of Congress, enforce laws, or check acts of Congress) created by the Articles of Confederation had failed. As part of its goal to form a "more perfect" government, The Constitution of the United States defined a new role for the executive, the President, in a much stronger federal system. However, a definition on paper and a President in practice could be two very different things. In this activity, students review the responsibilities and powers of the President as intended by the Founders and as practiced during Washington's precedent-setting terms in office.
Review the chart “The Chief Executive” that the class filled in on the previous
day or during Lesson Three, Chief
Executives Compared: The Federalist Papers, paying special attention to
items 4 through 9 under the Constitution.
Guiding Questions:
What important developments occurred during George Washington's tenure as the first "President of the United States"?
How did they affect the future of the U.S. and the office of President?
Learning Objectives
After completing the lessons in this unit, students will be able to:
- List some of the precedents set during George Washington's term in office.
- Match an action of a President with a power or responsibility of the Chief
Executive.
Preparing to Teach This Lesson
- The lesson uses very brief excerpts from Alexander Hamilton's The Real
Character of the Executive (Federalist
Paper #69), provided in the handout “The Real Character of the Executive”
on pages 1-2 of the PDF file.
Hamilton's essential statements about the Executive have been grouped together.
Definitions for a few difficult terms are provided in parentheses and some
spelling has been modernized, but all of the text is Hamilton's. In many classes,
students should be able to work with the passages in small groups. Classes
can also work through the document together.
- Compile a list of the powers and responsibilities of the President based
on Hamilton's essay and/or additional resources. If desired, share and discuss
with the class appropriate sections of Article
2: The Executive Branch of The
Constitution of the United States, available on the EDSITEment-reviewed
website Avalon Project
at the Yale Law School
Guiding Discussion Questions:
Can students find statements about the powers and responsibilities Hamilton
discussed?
Are any aspects of the Executive as described in the Constitution different
from Hamilton's discussion?
Students can also read a summary of the powers and responsibilities of the President in Ben's Guide to U.S. Government for Kids: The President, a link from the EDSITEment resource Internet Public Library.
Remind students that, as the first President under the Constitution, George Washington was constantly setting precedents. He did a lot to define in practice what was written in the Constitution.
Student Activity:
Gather a list of accomplishments of George Washington in his tenure as the first President of the United States from your textbook and other sources. Some EDSITEment-reviewed websites are:
Match Washington's accomplishments with your class list of the powers and responsibilities of the President.
Now have each student write on one page, in large, neat letters, an executive power or responsibility. Then students should illustrate on another page a matching event from George Washington's Presidency, including an appropriate caption. These could be put together to make a book, but first they will be used for a game (see the Assessment section, below).
Assessment
- Put on display some or all of the illustrated events from Washington's Presidency.
Then read aloud a power or responsibility of the President. Can students find
the match?
- After teaching this lesson, as a homework assignment, ask students to locate
in a newspaper, magazine, or Internet article about a current event involving
the President. See if it can be matched with a Presidential power or responsibility
from the Constitution. Return to the concept of Presidential powers throughout
the school year
Extending the Lesson
For more specific information on the role of President under the Articles of
Confederation, consult the companion EDSITEment curriculum unit Lost
Hero: Who Was Really Our First President?
Selected EDSITEment Websites
Standards Alignment
View your state’s standards
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