who was the attorney general when washington was president

Who was the first Attorney General under George Washington?

After statehood, Metcalf resumed his private practice and became a cable car promoter in the rapidly growing city of Seattle. William C. Jones (AG from 1889-1897). Jones was Washington's first elected Attorney General. He litigated four cases before the …

How is the Attorney General of the United States appointed?

1 day ago · Former President Donald Trump delivered a spiteful Easter Sunday message to New York Attorney General Letitia James, who is engaged in a civil investigation into possible fraud committed by the ...

Who did George Washington appoint as Secretary of State?

Washington held his first full cabinet meeting on November 26, 1791, with Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson, Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton, Secretary of War Henry Knox, and Attorney General Edmund Randolph. One prominent individual who did not attend cabinet meetings was Vice President John Adams. In fact, Adams found his role as vice president to …

Who was the Attorney General during the Clinton administration?

Jul 07, 2017 · On September 26, 1789, Randolph was appointed the first Attorney General of the United States by President Washington. In 1794 he was appointed Secretary of State. He served in this position until 1795. Randolph died on September 12, 1813, in Clarke County, Virginia. About the Artist: John Mix Stanley (1814-1872)

Who was Washington's Attorney General when he was president?

Edmund Jennings RandolphCabinet of Pres. George WashingtonApril 30, 1789–March 3, 1793 (Term 1)StateThomas JeffersonTreasuryAlexander HamiltonWarHenry KnoxAttorney GeneralEdmund Jennings Randolph5 more rows•Mar 22, 2022

Who was the attorney under George Washington?

Colonel Nicholas was appointed U.S. Attorney by President Washington two days after the passage of the Judiciary Act of 1789.Jan 12, 2022

Was James Madison in George Washington cabinet?

Madison helped Washington write his first inaugural address, and also prepared the official House response to Washington's speech. He played a significant role in establishing and staffing the three Cabinet departments, and his influence helped Thomas Jefferson become the inaugural Secretary of State.

What roles did Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton hold in the Washington administration?

Although both men had been active in the Revolutionary effort and in the founding of the United States, Jefferson and Hamilton did not work together until Washington appointed Jefferson the first secretary of State and Hamilton the first secretary of the Treasury.

Who was the first Attorney General of the United States?

Edmund Jennings RandolphOn September 26, 1789, Edmund Jennings Randolph was appointed the first Attorney General of the United States by President George Washington.

What did George Washington's attorney general do?

He did not remain in the House of Delegates for long, because in 1789 Washington appointed him as the nation's first Attorney General. Randolph was tasked with essentially defining the country's justice system. In 1794, he replaced Jefferson as Secretary of State.

What did George Washington and Thomas Jefferson have in common?

Washington and Jefferson had much in common. They were both Virginians. Washington was born in the northeast part of the state in 1732, whereas Jefferson was born outside of Charlottesville in 1743. They both deeply loved Virginia and felt a deep connection to the land.Jan 13, 2022

Who did George Washington support?

Washington, despite his youth, played a major role in the frontier wars against the French and Indians in the 1750s and 1760s. He played the leading military role in the American Revolution....George Washington in the American RevolutionCommands heldMain Army9 more rows

Did Thomas Jefferson like George Washington?

While never especially close, Washington and Jefferson knew each other for 30 years. For most of those three decades, the two Virginians enjoyed a productive and positive relationship, which at times was a warm friendship.

Who is better Thomas Jefferson or Alexander Hamilton?

Alexander Hamilton became a leading voice of the Federalists who believed that the federal government needed to be strong. On the other side, Thomas Jefferson, a Republican, argued that too much power in the hands of the federal government would lead to tyranny.

Why did Thomas Jefferson not like Alexander Hamilton?

Jefferson was convinced that Hamilton was a corrupt, self-interested monarchist. Jefferson complained to Washington in 1792 that Hamilton had “a squadron devoted to the nod of the treasury.” These men wanted to “form the most corrupt government on earth.”

Was Washington friends with Hamilton?

Though they worked in close proximity for years, Alexander Hamilton and George Washington never became close friends; different positions and different personalities prevented it.

What is the job of the Attorney General?

The attorney general serves as the principal advisor to the president of the United Stateson all legal matters. The attorney general is a statutory member of the Cabinet of the United States.

When does the Attorney General have to resign?

Presidential transition[edit] It is the practice for the attorney general, along with the other Cabinet secretaries and high-level political appointees of the President, to tender a resignation with effect on the Inauguration Day(January 20) of a new president.

Who was the attorney general nominee for Clinton?

Gerson was fourth in the line of succession at the Justice Department, but other senior DOJ officials had already resigned.[14] Janet Reno, President Clinton's nominee for attorney general, was confirmed on March 12,[15]and he resigned the same day.

Is "general" a noun?

The title "attorney general" is an example of a noun (attorney) followed by a postpositive adjective(general).[8]". General" is a description of the type of attorney, not a title or rank in itself (as it would be in the military).[8]

What did George Washington do when he signed the Judiciary Act?

When Washington signed the Judiciary Act of 1789, he not only created the federal judiciary but also founded the office of Attorney General. Unlike Washington’s other cabinet officials, the Attorney General did not head an executive department.

Why did George Washington choose a cabinet?

In order to establish both credibility and balance, George Washington chose a cabinet that included members from different regions of the country. On September 11, 1789, George Washington sent his first cabinet nomination to the Senate.

Who was the secretary of the Treasury?

Just minutes later, the Senate approved the appointment of Alexander Hamilton unanimously as the Secretary of the Treasury. The group came to be known as the cabinet based on a reference made by James Madison, who described the meetings as “the president’s cabinet.”.

Who was the first president to meet with the cabinet?

One prominent individual who did not attend cabinet meetings was Vice President John Adams.

Is the Washington Library open to scholars?

Washington Library. The Library of the First President. The Washington Library is open to all researchers and scholars, by appointment only. About the Library Research Fellowships The Papers of George Washington Library Events & Programs Leadership Institute Center for Digital History George Washington Prize.

What college did Randolph attend?

He attended the College of William and Mary and studied law in his father's office. He was a supporter of the Revolution and served as General George Washington's aide-de-camp in 1775. Randolph was a delegate to the Continental Congress and a member of the Constitutional Convention. He was elected attorney general of Virginia in 1776, ...

When was Randolph elected Attorney General?

He was elected attorney general of Virginia in 1776, served until 1782 and served as Governor of Virginia from 1786-1788. On September 26, 1789, Randolph was appointed the first Attorney General of the United States by President Washington. In 1794 he was appointed Secretary of State. He served in this position until 1795.

Who is John Mix Stanley?

About the Artist: John Mix Stanley (1814-1872) Stanley was a portrait and landscape painter who specialized in scenes of Indian life in the West. Born in New York, he travelled extensively throughout the West and settled in Detroit in 1834 where he took up portrait painting.

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What was the purpose of the excise tax on spirits?

In March 1791, at Hamilton's urging, with support from Madison, Congress imposed an excise tax on distilled spirits to help curtail the national debt , which took effect in July. Grain farmers strongly protested in Pennsylvania's frontier districts; they argued that they were unrepresented and were shouldering too much of the debt, comparing their situation to excessive British taxation before the Revolutionary War. On August 2, Washington assembled his cabinet to discuss how to deal with the situation. Unlike Washington, who had reservations about using force, Hamilton had long waited for such a situation and was eager to suppress the rebellion by using federal authority and force. Not wanting to involve the federal government if possible, Washington called on Pennsylvania state officials to take the initiative, but they declined to take military action. On August 7, Washington issued his first proclamation for calling up state militias. After appealing for peace, he reminded the protestors that, unlike the rule of the British crown, the Federal law was issued by state-elected representatives.

What were the differences between Jefferson and Hamilton?

Hamilton believed in a strong national government requiring a national bank and foreign loans to function, while Jefferson believed the states and the farm element should primarily direct the government; he also resented the idea of banks and foreign loans. To Washington's dismay, the two men persistently entered into disputes and infighting. Hamilton demanded that Jefferson resign if he could not support Washington, and Jefferson told Washington that Hamilton's fiscal system would lead to the overthrow of the Republic. Washington urged them to call a truce for the nation's sake, but they ignored him.

Why did George Washington decline to run for a third term?

In 1796, Washington declined to run for a third term of office, believing his death in office would create an image of a lifetime appointment. The precedent of a two-term limit was created by his retirement from office. In May 1792, in anticipation of his retirement, Washington instructed James Madison to prepare a " valedictory address ", an initial draft of which was entitled the "Farewell Address". In May 1796, Washington sent the manuscript to his Secretary of Treasury Alexander Hamilton who did an extensive rewrite, while Washington provided final edits. On September 19, 1796, David Claypoole's American Daily Advertiser published the final version of the address.

What happened to the British in 1783?

As peace negotiations started, the British gradually evacuated troops from Savannah, Charlestown, and New York by 1783, and the French army and navy likewise departed. The American treasury was empty, unpaid and mutinous soldiers forced the adjournment of Congress, and Washington dispelled unrest by suppressing the Newburgh Conspiracy in March 1783; Congress promised officers a five-year bonus. Washington submitted an account of $450,000 in expenses which he had advanced to the army. The account was settled, though it was allegedly vague about large sums and included expenses his wife had incurred through visits to his headquarters.

Why did Washington agree to secure the Dorchester Heights?

Washington reluctantly agreed to secure the Dorchester Heights, 100 feet above Boston, in an attempt to force the British out of the city. On March 9, under cover of darkness, Washington's troops brought up Knox's big guns and bombarded British ships in Boston harbor.

How did George Washington view slavery?

In Washington's lifetime, slavery was deeply ingrained in the economic and social fabric of Virginia. Washington owned and worked African slaves his entire adult life. He acquired them through inheritance, gained control of eighty-four dower slaves on his marriage to Martha, and purchased at least seventy-one slaves between 1752 and 1773. His early views on slavery were no different from any Virginia planter of the time. He demonstrated no moral qualms about the institution and referred to his slaves as "a Species of Property". From the 1760s his attitudes underwent a slow evolution. The first doubts were prompted by his transition from tobacco to grain crops, which left him with a costly surplus of slaves, causing him to question the system's economic efficiency. His growing disillusionment with the institution was spurred by the principles of the American Revolution and revolutionary friends such as Lafayette and Hamilton. Most historians agree the Revolution was central to the evolution of Washington's attitudes on slavery; "After 1783", Kenneth Morgan writes, "... [Washington] began to express inner tensions about the problem of slavery more frequently, though always in private..."

What river did Washington cross with the Continental Army?

Washington crossed the Delaware River into Pennsylvania, where Lee's replacement John Sullivan joined him with 2,000 more troops. The future of the Continental Army was in doubt for lack of supplies, a harsh winter, expiring enlistments, and desertions. Washington was disappointed that many New Jersey residents were Loyalists or skeptical about the prospect of independence.

Overview

History

Presidential transition

Line of succession

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