Transcript File

Lesson 19
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By the end of this lesson, you should be able to
explain how the Executive and Judicial Branches are
organized.
You should also be able to explain the Bill of Rights.
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How did the Congress
Organize the New
Government?
The First President
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There was some debate over what to call the
president. Some people suggested “His
Highness of the United States of America”
sounded way too much like nobility or a
monarchy.
Washington simply wanted to be addressed as
“the President of the United States”
How did Congress and the President
organize the Executive Branch?
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Department of State: Thomas Jefferson was to be the
Secretary of State and deal with foreign relations of
the nation.
Department of the Treasury: Alexander Hamilton as
the new Secretary of Treasury, guided the new nation
in money matters.
Department of War: Henry Knox, the Secretary of
War, handled military affairs and defense.
Jefferson, Hamilton, and Knox
Continued…
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In addition, Congress created the position of
Attorney General. This person was to give the
President legal advice.
Washington used these officials to give him
advice to help make decisions. Today these
people are called the President's cabinet.
Currently, there are a total of 15 cabinet
positions.
The President’s Cabinet Today
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http://www.whitehouse.gov/government/cabinet.html
How did Congress organize the
Judicial Branch?
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The Judiciary Act of 1789 – it stated that the
US Supreme Court was to have a Chief
Justice and five associate judges. Over time,
Congress has increased the number to nine
judges.
The Lower Courts
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There are two kinds of lower courts – federal
district courts and appellate courts.
Federal courts hear cases directly involving the
Constitution and federal laws.
Appellate courts hear cases that have been
tried in a district court first and appealed.
How did Congress add the Bill of
Rights to the Constitution?
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The Anti-Federalists opposed the
Constitution because there was no Bill of
Rights.
The Bill of Rights was eventually passed by
the first Congress. The first 8 amendments list
basic protections already guaranteed by most
state constitutions.
Some of The Bill of Rights…
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Freedom of religion
Freedom of the press
Freedom of speech
The right to assemble peacefully
To right to a speedy, public trial by jury
The Ninth Amendment says that just because some rights
aren’t listed doesn’t mean people don’t have them.
The Tenth Amendment says that just because the federal
government or the states don’t have the power to do something
– doesn’t mean the people have the right either.
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The Bill of Rights was ratified on December
15th, 1791.
It has proved to be a very important basic
protection of the basic rights of the American
people.