CLASS #26  Rewind  10/26/2012
The Presidency of George Washington - Foreign Policy

This class was driven by the following essential questions for Topic #3

1. How did Washington shape the office of the President, which had been vaguely defined in the Constitution?

2. How did Washington  attempt to meet foreign policy challenges?

We started class today by viewing CNN student news and discussing battle ground states and the Electoral College. We also watched a brief video clip on the Electoral College .....

After student news and the Electoral College clip we had a themes wheel quiz on Washington's first term. I asked you to pick two themes from Washington's first term and provide specific factual information to support your choice. If you looked over your notes this was a simple quiz. If you were a disengaged daydreamer your grade is below a 70%.

After soliciting responses from the 2-3 students that actually cared enough to contribute, we moved on to a clip on Hamilton debating Jefferson over the Hamilton's economic policy. Why did I show this clip? Good question - there are TWO key reasons I showed this clip  #1 It lllustrates the division in Washington's cabinet over Hamilton's financial plan. #2 It is a chance to capture the embryotic stages of political parties in American history. In Hamilton's camp were the loose constructionists - who felt the necessary and proper clause gave them the power to create the Bank. In Jefferson's camp were the strict constructionalists who felt if the word bank didn't appear in the Constitution you couldn't create one. Here is a look at the clip again....

We finished the class by completing notes and discussion of GW's foreign policy precedents:

WASHINGTON’S NEUTRALITY PROCLAMATION (1793)

U.S. still obligated to France under the Franco-American alliance of 1778  and the US  had pledged to protect French West Indies from enemies (Jeffersonians favored the Alliance) President Washington believed war should be avoided at all costs WHY?  U.S. was militarily weak in 1793 and should stay out of the war. (Hamilton & Jefferson in agreement)

Content of Farewell Address (1796) Warned against evils of political parties and warned against permanent foreign alliances (like treaty with France) Isolationism became dominant U.S. foreign policy for next 100 years.   SUMMARY: S.A.F.E  - Stay Away from Foreign Entanglements

REVIEW OF WASHINGTON’s PRECEDENTS

#1 President relied on and consulted regularly with his cabinet
#2 Chief executive gained the right to choose his own cabinet -- This custom grew out of Congress' respect for Washington
#3 Presidential cabinet used to promote domestic programs (Hamilton)
#4 Two-term office for president 
#5  After Jay resigned, Washington went outside the Supreme Court to select a new Chief Justice