George Washington Takes Office
In George Washington Takes Office, as the United States forms, George Washington is voted unanimously into the presidency. He reluctantly takes office, and uses his two terms to set many of the norms of the office and set the young nation on its path.
Lesson Express
Q: How did Washington describe his start of office? What does this say about how he felt during this time?
A: He described it as feeling like he was going to his execution. He was reluctant to become president.
Q: What did Washington accomplish during his two terms as president?
A: He formed a cabinet of advisors, made Supreme Court appointments, established many of the norms of the office, and used military force to end a rebellion. He also refused to run for a third term and made it the norm for a president to serve a maximum of two terms.
Q: Why was it significant that Washington was called “Mr. President”?
A: It was a common term; it was the opposite of calling him a king or a term that would put him above the people.
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