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The process of organizing tihe government began after the Constitution was ratified by Virginia and New York. In 1788, Congress fixed the city of New York as the seat of new government (in 1790 the capital of the nation was moved to Philadelphia, and in 1800 to Washington, D.C.).
After the Constitution was ratified, Geoige Washington was unanimously chosen President in April, 1789, John Adams of Massachusetts – the Vice President. On April 30, 1789, George Washington promised to "preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States" to the best of his ability. With these words he was "inaugurated" as the first President of the United States. Now the new government had to create state machinery.
Congress quickly approved the creation of the departments of State and Treasury, established the federal judiciary, Supreme Court and district courts, and appointed a secretary of war and an attorney general. George Washington also created the presidential Cabinet to consult the President in making important decisions.
Washington worked cautiously, understanding that he was setting precedents for the future. When the question of his title arose a hot debate (Vice President John Adams proposed "His Highness, the President of the United States of America, and Protector of their Liberties"), Washington said nothing, but soon the accepted title became a plain "Mr. President".
Washington also appointed people to head the executive departments and developed policies for settling new territories. During his presidency the first political parties appeared in the USA.
The conflict between these two political parties – the Federalists and Antifederalists had a profound impact on American history. The Federalists were led by Alexander Hamilton, the Secretary of the Treasury Department. They represented the interests of town merchants, seeing the future of the United States in great cities and important industries.
The Antifederalists, led by Thomas Jefferson, the Secretary of State, advocated the interests of rural and southern regions. They saw the country's future in small communities and farms, as a decentralized agrarian republic.
Hamilton, who sought a strong central government, acted for industrial development and commercial activity. He devised a Bank of the United States, modelled on the Bank of England. The bank had the right to bring into circulation national currency, and lend money, encouraging commerce and industry.
Jefferson wanted a less strong central government political power at the local level. The government that governs least, Jefferson argued governs best.
These two powerful political leaders and their parties presented the division in the Cabinet of the first President, and only Washington's strength and prestige kept these parties from warring with one another openly – but they did so privately and in the newspapers.
The clashes between two political parties in America could not spoil a positive effect of developing two-party system – they influenced American political thought and established a solid ground for effective government.
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