Idea Starter: Selecting a Title for The President

December 11, 2009 by  

An Original Article – Massachusetts Centinel – May 23, 1789Today’s post is another idea starter for teachers. Here is some background for an exercise in colonial political debate for grade school students. In the weeks following the first presidential election, the issue of how to address the President, what his official title should be, arose in both the Senate and House of Representatives. The vote in the House was swift with the members casting the topic of titles aside and recommending that George Washington be referred to simply as “President of the United States”. The situation in the Senate was far different. Vice President John Adams, President of the Senate, became deeply involved in the debate believing that the highest of elected officials should have a title that showed the proper respect for the office and the individual holding it. Early suggestions included: “His Elective Majesty”; “His Highness the President of the United States of America and Protector of the Rights of the Same”; and “His Excellency the Supreme Commander in Chief”. One of John Adams’ main adversaries in the process was William Maclay, senator from the state of Pennsylvania. Senator Maclay was against any titles that denoted nobility, as the Constitution strictly forbade this, while Adams argued that the titles suggested denoted nothing of the sort. David McCullough addresses this debate in the Senate and its impact on the Vice President in his Pulitzer-Prize winning book John Adams. On May 14, 1789, after a few weeks of passionate deliberation, the Senate decided to agree with the House of Representatives and voted that George Washington’s title should be “President of the United States”. The original article pictured in this post is from the May 23, 1789 issue of the Massachusetts Centinel. It is a wonderful primary source document. When your students view it, you might have them picture how people holding and reading this actual paper the day it came out could have reacted to the news. Have half of the students write why they agree with the Resolve adopted by the Senate while the other half writes why they support the opinion of John Adams, perhaps coming up with their own honorable titles for the President. Then – have both sides debate the issue on the Senate (classroom) floor.

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