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Title details for The Cabinet by Lindsay M. Chervinsky - Available

The Cabinet

George Washington and the Creation of an American Institution

by Lindsay M. Chervinsky
Janet Metzger
Audiobook
2 of 2 copies available
Borrow Listen to a sample Listen to a sample
2 of 2 copies available
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.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    April 7, 2020

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9781705218457
      • File size: 347110 KB
      • Duration: 12:03:08

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • AudioFile Magazine
      This study of how George Washington turned the Department Heads named in the Constitution into the Cabinet is given an able, if not necessarily inspiring, narration by Janet Metzger. As the first president, Washington was traveling uncharted ground and used his cabinet as more of a council, much like his councils of war during the Revolution. Metzger has a clear voice that is very precise with enunciation and quite steady pacing. She is easy to follow and understand. However, sometimes her performance seems to lag, but that may be a function of the text she is delivering. M.T.F. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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