Synopses & Reviews
Volume 3 covers most of the summer of 1789 and focuses primarilyon the problems facing the new administration. Because of the president's seriousillness during this period, a larger proportion of the documents than usual areletters and papers sent to Washington, including massive reports from the Board ofTreasury describing the financial status of the new nation, detailed descriptions ofIndian and military affairs from Henry Knox, and a plethora of applications forpublic office. The letters to Washington come from a cross section of Americans andpresent a rich resource on such divers topics as foreign affairs, overseas trade, and public attitudes toward the new government. Washington in these months wasestablishing the great departments of the federal government, and he devoted aconsiderable amount of his time to appointments and to the staffing of the new civilservice.