| | The first major legislative accomplishment of the "Washington Administration" (the name given to the government under a particular president) was the Judiciary Act of 1789, which established federal court system. (Later, in the first major ruling of the Supreme Court in 1803, the Court declared a small portion of this Act unconstitutional in ''Marbury v. Madison''.) | | The first major legislative accomplishment of the "Washington Administration" (the name given to the government under a particular president) was the Judiciary Act of 1789, which established federal court system. (Later, in the first major ruling of the Supreme Court in 1803, the Court declared a small portion of this Act unconstitutional in ''Marbury v. Madison''.) |
| − | More legislation followed. The Patent Act of 1790 established a procedure under the Patent Clause of the Constitution (Art. I, Section 8, clause 8) by which people could obtain exclusive ownership of their inventions by obtain patents on them. This which created a unique incentive for Americans to invent useful new devices. This motivated Eli Whitney to invent in 1793 and patent in 1794 the cotton gin, which enabled the automated picking of bits of cotton by pulling them through a screen, which filtered out the thorns and seeds stuck to the cotton.<ref>https://science.howstuffworks.com/innovation/famous-inventors/famous-eli-whitney-inventions.htm</ref> A brush then removed the cotton from the blade on each rotation. This invention enabling picking as much cotton in one hour as the work of many men picking cotton all day, and allowed the South to vastly increase its production of cotton to sell to the entire world. The South then imported even more slaves to expand its cotton production. By the time of the [[Civil War]], some thought the South was invincible due to its tremendous ability to produce cotton ("King Cotton"), upon which the world depended as a basic ingredient for clothing, other fabrics, bedding, and insulation. | + | More legislation followed. The Patent Act of 1790 established a procedure under the Patent Clause of the Constitution (Art. I, Section 8, clause 8) by which people could obtain exclusive ownership of their inventions by obtain patents on them. This which created a unique incentive for Americans to invent useful new devices. This motivated Eli Whitney to invent in 1793 and patent in 1794 the cotton gin, which enabled the automated picking of bits of cotton by pulling them through a screen, which filtered out the thorns and seeds stuck to the cotton.<ref>https://science.howstuffworks.com/innovation/famous-inventors/famous-eli-whitney-inventions.htm</ref> A brush then removed the cotton from the blade on each rotation. This invention enabling picking as much cotton in one hour as the work of many men picking cotton all day, and allowed the South to vastly increase its production of cotton to sell to the entire world. The South then imported even more slaves to expand its cotton production. By the time of the [[Civil War]], some thought the South was invincible due to its tremendous ability to produce cotton ("King Cotton"), upon which the world depended as a basic ingredient for clothing, other fabrics, bedding, packaging materials, and insulation. |
| | In 1790, George Washington's top aide and the Secretary of the Treasury, Alexander Hamilton, gave a report on public credit to Congress. Hamilton urged Congress to create a national bank run by a private board of directors. Thomas Jefferson, who was a rival of Hamilton, opposed establishing a national bank, arguing that it was not authorized by the Constitution. But Hamilton persuaded Washington based on the "necessary and proper" clause<ref>U.S. Const., Article One, section 8, clause 18: "The Congress shall have Power - To make all Laws which shall be '''necessary and proper''' for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers, and all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States, or in any Department or Officer thereof."</ref> (implied powers) of the Constitution. Accordingly, in 1791 Hamilton was successful in persuading Congress to establish the First Bank of the United States, pursuant to the Bank Act. | | In 1790, George Washington's top aide and the Secretary of the Treasury, Alexander Hamilton, gave a report on public credit to Congress. Hamilton urged Congress to create a national bank run by a private board of directors. Thomas Jefferson, who was a rival of Hamilton, opposed establishing a national bank, arguing that it was not authorized by the Constitution. But Hamilton persuaded Washington based on the "necessary and proper" clause<ref>U.S. Const., Article One, section 8, clause 18: "The Congress shall have Power - To make all Laws which shall be '''necessary and proper''' for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers, and all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States, or in any Department or Officer thereof."</ref> (implied powers) of the Constitution. Accordingly, in 1791 Hamilton was successful in persuading Congress to establish the First Bank of the United States, pursuant to the Bank Act. |