How did Washington and the first government set lasting precedents?
Describe the establishment of the new government under Washington, the precedents he set (the cabinet, two terms, neutrality), Hamilton's financial plan, the rise of political parties, and the early Supreme Court (Marbury v. Madison, McCulloch v. Maryland) (Virginia 2015 History and Social Science SOL VUS.5, VUS.6).
A SOL-level answer on the early republic for the VUS exam: George Washington's precedents (the cabinet, the two-term tradition, neutrality), Hamilton's financial plan, the first political parties, and the landmark early Supreme Court cases Marbury v. Madison and McCulloch v. Maryland that defined federal power.
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What this topic is asking
Standards VUS.5 and VUS.6 ask how the new government took shape under the first president, the Virginian George Washington, what lasting precedents he set, how Hamilton's financial plan and the first political parties emerged, and how the early Supreme Court defined federal power in Marbury v. Madison and McCulloch v. Maryland. The landmark cases are reliable test points.
Washington's precedents
The key precedents the test rewards:
- The cabinet. Washington appointed heads of departments (State, Treasury, War) to advise him, creating the cabinet that every president has used since.
- Two terms. He chose to serve only two terms and step down, setting a tradition against a president for life. It held until Franklin Roosevelt and was then written into the Constitution by the 22nd Amendment.
- Neutrality. He kept the young nation out of European wars. His Farewell Address warned against permanent foreign alliances and against the divisiveness of political parties.
Hamilton's financial plan
Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton designed a plan to put the new government on solid financial footing and strengthen federal power: the national government would assume the states' debts, charter a national bank, and encourage manufacturing through tariffs. The plan worked economically but was controversial; Jefferson and others argued the Constitution did not authorize a national bank. That clash over the interpretation of federal power helped split the country into parties.
The first political parties
The early Supreme Court (Marshall Court)
Under Chief Justice John Marshall, the Supreme Court issued two decisions that defined federal power for good:
- Marbury v. Madison (1803) established judicial review, the Court's power to declare laws and government actions unconstitutional. This made the judiciary a real check on the other branches.
- McCulloch v. Maryland (1819) upheld the national bank, ruling that Congress has implied powers under the necessary-and-proper clause and that national law is supreme over the states (a state may not tax a federal institution).
Together, these cases strengthened the national government and the judiciary, the practical working-out of the constitutional principles.
Try this
Q1. Name two precedents George Washington set as the first president. [2]
- Cue. Any two of: creating a cabinet, serving only two terms, keeping the nation neutral in foreign wars.
Q2. State what McCulloch v. Maryland (1819) established about federal power. [2]
- Cue. The national government has implied powers (it could charter a bank), and national law is supreme, so a state cannot tax a federal institution.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of VDOE exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
VA VUS SOL (released item style)1 marksWhat principle did the Supreme Court establish in Marbury v. Madison (1803)?
(A) Federalism
(B) Judicial review
(C) Popular sovereignty
(D) Executive privilege
Show worked answer →
A single-select item on the early Court (VUS.5).
Correct answer: (B). Marbury v. Madison established judicial review, the power of the Supreme Court to declare laws and government actions unconstitutional, making the judiciary a true check on the other branches.
A, C, and D are different concepts. The test rewards tying Marbury to judicial review.
VA VUS SOL (released item style)2 marksGeorge Washington set important precedents as the first president.
(a) Name one precedent Washington established. (b) Explain why his decision to serve only two terms mattered.
Show worked answer →
A two-part constructed response (VUS.5), 2 points (1 per part).
(a) 1 point: any valid precedent, such as creating a cabinet of advisers, serving only two terms, or keeping the United States neutral in foreign wars (his Farewell Address warned against permanent alliances and political parties).
(b) 1 point: by voluntarily stepping down after two terms, Washington set a tradition of the peaceful transfer of power and against any president holding office for life, a model followed until the 1940s and later written into the Constitution (22nd Amendment).
Markers reward one precedent and a clear reason the two-term tradition mattered.
Related dot points
- Explain the principles of the Constitution (federalism, separation of powers, checks and balances, popular sovereignty, limited government), the ratification debate between Federalists and Anti-Federalists, and how the Virginia Declaration of Rights and Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom shaped the Bill of Rights (Virginia 2015 History and Social Science SOL VUS.5).
A SOL-level answer on the Constitution for the VUS exam: the five principles (federalism, separation of powers, checks and balances, popular sovereignty, limited government), the Federalist versus Anti-Federalist ratification debate, and how George Mason's Virginia Declaration of Rights and Jefferson's Statute for Religious Freedom shaped the Bill of Rights.
- Explain the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation, the major compromises of the Constitutional Convention, and the roles of James Madison and George Washington (Virginia 2015 History and Social Science SOL VUS.5).
A SOL-level answer on the Articles and the Convention for the VUS exam: why the Articles of Confederation were too weak (no power to tax, no executive, no courts), Shays' Rebellion, the 1787 Convention, the Great and Three-Fifths Compromises, and the roles of the Virginians Madison and Washington.
- Describe the era from 1801 to 1860, including the Louisiana Purchase, the expansion of suffrage, key features of Jacksonian democracy, the Bank War, and Indian removal (Virginia 2015 History and Social Science SOL VUS.6).
A SOL-level answer on the early republic for the VUS exam: Jefferson's Louisiana Purchase, the expansion of voting rights to most white men, the key features of Jacksonian democracy, the Bank War, and the Indian Removal Act and the Trail of Tears.
- Explain westward expansion and Manifest Destiny, including the major acquisitions of territory, the Mexican-American War, the impact on American Indians, and how expansion intensified the conflict over slavery (Virginia 2015 History and Social Science SOL VUS.6).
A SOL-level answer on westward expansion for the VUS exam: the idea of Manifest Destiny, the major territorial acquisitions, the Mexican-American War and the lands it added, the displacement of American Indians, and how new western land reignited the fight over slavery.
- Describe the major events, turning points, and reasons for American victory in the Revolutionary War, including Washington's leadership, Saratoga, French aid, and Yorktown (Virginia 2015 History and Social Science SOL VUS.4).
A SOL-level answer on the Revolutionary War for the VUS exam: George Washington's leadership, the turning point at Saratoga and the resulting French alliance, the hardship at Valley Forge, the victory at Yorktown, and the reasons a smaller force defeated the British Empire.
Sources & how we know this
- Standards of Learning Documents for History and Social Science, Adopted 2015 — Virginia Department of Education (2015)
- SOL Practice Items (All Subjects) — Virginia Department of Education (2024)