Winner of the DAR Excellence in American History Book Award Winner of the Thomas J. Wilson Memorial Prize "Cogent, lucid, and concise...indispensable guide to the creation of the cabinet. With her groundbreaking study, we can now have a much greater appreciation of...one of the major legacies of George Washington's enlightened statecraft." -Ron Chernow, author of Washington: A Life The US Constitution never established a presidential cabinet-the delegates to the Constitutional Convention explicitly rejected the idea. So how ...
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Winner of the DAR Excellence in American History Book Award Winner of the Thomas J. Wilson Memorial Prize "Cogent, lucid, and concise...indispensable guide to the creation of the cabinet. With her groundbreaking study, we can now have a much greater appreciation of...one of the major legacies of George Washington's enlightened statecraft." -Ron Chernow, author of Washington: A Life The US Constitution never established a presidential cabinet-the delegates to the Constitutional Convention explicitly rejected the idea. So how did George Washington create one of the most powerful bodies in the federal government? On November 26, 1791, George Washington convened his department secretaries-Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, Henry Knox, and Edmund Randolph-for the first cabinet meeting. Why did he wait two and a half years into his presidency to call his cabinet? Because the US Constitution did not create or provide for such a body. Washington was on his own. Faced with diplomatic crises, domestic insurrections, and constitutional challenges-and finding congressional help lacking-Washington decided he needed a group of advisors he could turn to. He modeled his new cabinet on the councils of war he had led as commander of the Continental Army. In the early days, the cabinet served at the president's pleasure. Washington tinkered with its structure throughout his administration, at times calling regular meetings, at other times preferring written advice and individual discussions. Lindsay M. Chervinsky reveals the far-reaching consequences of Washington's choice. The tensions in the cabinet between Hamilton and Jefferson heightened partisanship and contributed to the development of the first party system. And as Washington faced an increasingly recalcitrant Congress, he came to treat the cabinet as a private advisory body to summon as needed, greatly expanding the role of the president and the executive branch.
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Fine. Trade paperback (US). Glued binding. 432 p. Contains: Maps. In Stock. 100% Money Back Guarantee. Brand New, Perfect Condition, allow 4-14 business days for standard shipping. To Alaska, Hawaii, U.S. protectorate, P.O. box, and APO/FPO addresses allow 4-28 business days for Standard shipping. No expedited shipping. All orders placed with expedited shipping will be cancelled. Over 3, 000, 000 happy customers.
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Washington's greatest impact on American presidenc
This deep dive into a very specific aspect of the first presidency at first glance may seem unnecessarily wonkish. It is not. Chervinsky expertly illustrates what the origins of the cabinet are, both from the British cabinet and Washington's Revolutionary War Councils and how the American cabinet was a creation that was in fact unlikely. More importantly, Washington understood that by creating a Cabinet he was setting a precedent for future Presidents. Indeed, several key concepts of American foreign and domestic policy where established not by the Constitution or by Congress, but by the extraordinary group of men Washington assembled for his first cabinets. Jefferson and Hamilton and their hatred of each other are certainly important parts of this history, but these men worked together to fashion not only the Cabinet, but also the strong Presidential powers we see to this day. Other key figures in American history also served in Washington"s cabinets, including Knox, Randolph, and McHenry or worked with the Cabinet in meaningful ways (John Jay). The relationships of these important figures and their efforts to define a nation while working in a tiny study in the President's House are a fascinating and illuminating read that sheds light on every presidency and Cabinet.
