<P> The new Constitution empowered the president to appoint executive department heads with the consent of the Senate . Three departments had existed under the Articles of Confederation : the Department of War , the Ministry of Foreign Affairs , and the Finance Office . The Department of War was retained , while the latter two departments became the Department of State and the Department of the Treasury , respectively . The leaders of these three departments constituted the initial positions in Washington 's cabinet . In September 1789 , Congress established the position of Attorney General to serve as the chief legal adviser to the president . Though the Attorney General did not oversee a department ( the United States Department of Justice would be established in 1870 ) , the position nonetheless became a part of the cabinet . Edmund Randolph became the first Attorney General , while Henry Knox retained his position as head of the Department of War and Thomas Jefferson served as the first Secretary of State . For the key post of Secretary of the Treasury , which would oversee economic policy , Washington chose Alexander Hamilton , after his first choice , Robert Morris , declined . Morris had recommended Hamilton instead , writing `` But , my dear general , you will be no loser by my declining the secrataryship of the Treasury , for I can recommend a far cleverer fellow than I am for your minister of finance in the person of your aide - de-camp , Colonel Hamilton . '' Washington 's initial cabinet consisted of one individual from New England ( Knox ) , one individual from the mid-Atlantic ( Hamilton ) , and two Southerners ( Jefferson and Randolph ) . </P>
<P> The new Constitution empowered the president to appoint executive department heads with the consent of the Senate . Three departments had existed under the Articles of Confederation : the Department of War , the Ministry of Foreign Affairs , and the Finance Office . The Department of War was retained , while the latter two departments became the Department of State and the Department of the Treasury , respectively . The leaders of these three departments constituted the initial positions in Washington 's cabinet . In September 1789 , Congress established the position of Attorney General to serve as the chief legal adviser to the president . Though the Attorney General did not oversee a department ( the United States Department of Justice would be established in 1870 ) , the position nonetheless became a part of the cabinet . Edmund Randolph became the first Attorney General , while Henry Knox retained his position as head of the Department of War and Thomas Jefferson served as the first Secretary of State . For the key post of Secretary of the Treasury , which would oversee economic policy , Washington chose Alexander Hamilton , after his first choice , Robert Morris , declined . Morris had recommended Hamilton instead , writing `` But , my dear general , you will be no loser by my declining the secrataryship of the Treasury , for I can recommend a far cleverer fellow than I am for your minister of finance in the person of your aide - de-camp , Colonel Hamilton . '' Washington 's initial cabinet consisted of one individual from New England ( Knox ) , one individual from the mid-Atlantic ( Hamilton ) , and two Southerners ( Jefferson and Randolph ) . </P>
how did the first president to choose federal officials
how did the first president to choose federal officials
with the consent of the Senate
with the consent of the Senate