Capítulo 82: Overview of the Samuel Presidency
The prologue of "The People's Presidency: The First President of the United States"
Published in 2010, written by Justin Arnold
"The government must constantly be vigilant and provide for the well-being of the people. A populace that is poor, hungry, ignorant, and restless will become less accepting of a republic and will search for those that offer an improvement from their feeble conditions. A healthy, functioning republic must ensure that the people are healthy and functioning as well. Only then will the people be less susceptible to demagogues and authoritarians and fully embrace the founding ideals and liberties of this republic." - President Samuel Kim, the "Father" of the United States
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"President Samuel Kim was an enigma, not just due to his background, but also due to his actions. Unlike any other leaders during the time period, President Kim was focused on being a "president for the people" and worked not only to improve the nation's strength and finances but also the people's trust in the nation. As he stated during one of his public speeches in the first year of his presidency, "I do not consider myself above the law, or any greater than other American citizens. I was voted in by the people and for the people. And it is my duty to ensure that their voices are heard." As such, it was unsurprising to see that President Kim enacted over a dozen sweeping reforms during his first term, reforms that were aimed at improving the people's lives and the people's trust in the government.
Under the first President's directions, the nation was organized in a manner that was unseen in most nations before. The government was organized into eleven different departments (Department of State, Department of Defense, Department of the Treasury, Department of Justice, Department of Federal Lands and Resources, Department of Education and Research, Department of Commerce, Department of Agriculture, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Housing and Urban Development, Department of Internal Affairs), each with its own purpose and objective. Various agencies were created to deal with specific problems; for example, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) was created to become the investigating arm of the Judicial Branch and ensure domestic security. By the end of President Kim's first term, the American government employed over fifty thousand workers (excluding soldiers) and was consistently growing to deal with the influx of states and immigrants.
An interesting method that President Kim used to employ government workers was the Federal Employment Act of 1781. In the act, the president specified that the government was to allow those that were "unqualified" for a certain position to be trained and educated by the government for free. In return, those that were trained by the government joined the government's workforce at a reduced salary for two years. This meant that former slaves, illiterates, and even the physically disabled, were granted a chance to be educated and trained by the government and offered a government job. Indeed, after the passage of the Federal Employment Act, one of the biggest groups to apply for government jobs was former slaves with no educational background. By the year 1790, this group would consist of nearly forty percent of the government's workforce, a considerable amount considering the total population of African Americans in the United States (approximately 21% of the population).
Another important policy carried out by President Kim was the establishment of multiple federally funded schools throughout the nation. The Federal Education Act of 1780 enabled the government to build six universities and fifteen public primary schools (one in each state) throughout the nation. Through the act itself, the schools were not to discriminate based on sex, color, or beliefs and were ordered to "provide an inclusive environment for any bright minds of the United States." The construction of the first university and first primary school began in late 1780, and all of them were finished by the year 1794. The schools were strategically placed throughout the United States to ensure that a university was in place "within 300 miles of anyone living in one of the states" [The universities are known today as New England University, the University of Quebec, Federal New York University, the Federal University of Virginia, the Federal University of the South, and the Frontier University]. These schools proved to be critical in the development and advancement of American industries and technologies after their completion, as they helped thousands of bright minds to develop their talents with the government's support. And with the creation of the ARPA (Advanced Research Projects Agency), many graduates from these universities were funneled into the agency and played critical roles in the rapid growth of the United States.
ARPA was one of the biggest, if not the greatest, achievements of President Kim (and possibly the greatest achievement of the United States). The agency, which was created in the Departmental Organization Act of 1780, became the forerunner of America's technological developments. Employing any and all experts and researchers, ARPA gave a significant amount of funds to individuals for research and development purposes. Under the joint leadership of the Secretary of Commerce (Secretary Christophe Pelissier, one of the richest men in America) and the Secretary of Education and Research (Secretary Thomas Jefferson, future second president of the United States), the agency encouraged not only domestic researchers, but overseas researchers to join the agency and work on various projects with government approval and funding. Researchers were often given certain projects to work on by the government, but experienced and seasoned researchers were granted leeway to work on their own private research. Any researcher that was working in the agency signed an agreement that patents granted to any of their projects were to be controlled by ARPA. In return, the researchers themselves would receive sixty percent of any royalties received from the patent, while the remaining forty percent was split between the federal government itself and the agency (30% to the government, 10% to the agency). The patents themselves were released for the public in exchange for a 1% profit margin for any uses of the patents. By the year 1800, the agency employed over ten thousand researchers was self-sufficient in funding, and provided the federal government with millions of dollars in revenue. The agency exists to this day and is credited with the creation of dozens of critical inventions, ranging from railroads to the World Wide Web.
Education and employment were not the only areas that the United States enjoyed success in. Through the Freedmen Act of 1781 (which was passed after a close vote in Congress), African Americans saw a substantial increase in wealth and prosperity as they were given government assistance in acquiring their own farms. In fact, the eight years of President Kim's presidency were often recalled as the beginning of the "African American Golden Age," where African Americans increasingly grew in population and wealth. By the year 1788 (the end of President Kim's presidency), much of the southern farmlands were controlled by African Americans, many of them being former slaves or freedmen. For example, Georgia had the highest ratio of African American farmlands to White farmlands (a ratio that was nearly 3:1), while other states saw less, but still significant degrees of African Americans owning farms. Additionally, the Freedmen Act assisted any fleeing slaves seeking freedom and granted them a chance to integrate themselves into American society. Over the eight years of President Kim's presidency, nearly 50,000 slaves were granted asylum, many of them from the French colony of Hispanola (which saw significant amounts of action due to the British-European War and saw widespread devastation in the northern end of the colony). Many of these slaves were settled into the Florida territory (West and East Florida were merged due to the low population in both), and in the year 1792, Florida was granted statehood as the third black majority state (the two others being South Carolina and Georgia).
The new nation's capital was also developed and approved by President Kim. Columbia (after both Washington and Kim refused requests to name the capital city after them) was built on the former village of Harmer's Town and designed by Andrew Ellicott and Tadeusz Kosciuszko. Ellicott was a land surveyor and a formidable architect, while Kosciuszko was a military engineer. The two combined their efforts to create a new city from the ground up and ensure that it was spacious, "grand," and defensible from foreign invasions. The new capital was planned to be built over a large area that occupied northeastern Maryland and parts of southern Pennsylvania. The city was planned to be situated on both sides of the Susquehanna River, with the river flowing in the center of the planned city. Several key monuments and locations were also planned as well: the White House (which was in reference to the Presidential Mansion in Philadelphia, which was painted white), "Capitol Hill" (the home of the Capitol, the meeting place of Congress), the Hall of Heroes (a permanent memorial with the written names of those that died during military conflicts), the Tomb of the Unknown (a tomb with an eternally burning flame that was built in remembrance to the unknown soldiers that died during military conflicts), the National American Library (one of the most extensive and largest libraries in the world today), the American Museums of History and Culture (which carefully preserved everything from the original Constitution to the muskets used by President Kim during the Revolutionary War), and the Federal District National Park (a large park preserved in the northern side of the city from the original forests that were present before the construction of the capital). Two military bases were established near the city (the Columbia Army Base was built in the north in Pennsylvania, while Hart-Miller Island was developed and fortified into a naval base) and many defenses (earthworks and forts) were built around the city in the case of an invasion. The city was finished in 1792, during President Jefferson's first term in office, and served as the capital city from that year and onward. Thanks to the development of the capital in the area, the Delaware-Columbia Canal was approved and started in 1788 and finished by 1798.
Native Americans also saw substantial protection and growth under the Kim presidency. Historians often mention that President Kim had a soft spot for Native Americans and worked persistently to ensure that their cultures and lands were protected. It was due to his efforts that Iroquois joined the Union, along with the "Hisigi" state (admitted in 1783 along with Kentucky, Maine, Vermont, and Georgia to increase the number of states to twenty). Due to his guarantees that the Natives could develop their own unique state governments (which they would utilize to create the unicameral "Tribal Representative Council" in each state and the "National Native Council" for Native American states in the nation) and his offer to assist the Native American tribes in developing their economies, the Native American states' trust in the federal government grew increasingly. Their trust in the federal government was seen when the state of Iroquois accepted the offer from the state of New York and the state of Quebec to create the Erie Canal that would connect the east with the west in 1788. While the Native American states developed at a much slower pace than the other states in the early years of the republic, over time, they gradually adapted to create their own form of economics that benefitted them greatly. Often referred to as "naturism," the Native American states focused more on communal agriculture, livestock raising, mining, and tourism/studies of the national parks within their states in an effort to preserve nature and disrupt nature as "little as possible." While the Native American states generally avoided industry, they did develop minor industrial sectors to diversify their economies. For his efforts to protect the Native American tribes, President Kim was often granted many Native American names and titles, with some of them being "Great Peace", "Gayá:nä:sä" (meaning "The Power of Goodness in Onondaga), and "Equa-du-we-u-we wa-ni-da-tsi" (meaning "The Great Chief" in Cherokee).
As mentioned in the paragraph above, national parks were also created and developed under Kim's presidency. Over three dozen sites were declared national parks during President Kim's eight years in office, and all of them were preserved to this day. In light of his creation of the national parks, President Kim stated in a newspaper interview in 1782, "While we may enjoy the sights of these wonderous national preserves, we must ensure that the future generations may also see what their ancestors once saw and recognize that over time, many of these sights will disappear due to expansion and development." National parks were often patrolled and maintained by Native Americans, many of them which would form the backbone of the National Park Rangers. Over time, these natural preserves would assist the studies of wildlife and protect endangered species from extinction.
The military also saw a substantial increase in strength and size under the "Iron Commandant" (a nickname given to President Kim due to his service during the Revolutionary War). A military man, President Kim believed in the idea of a strong but small national military to act as the "core" of the military if it needed to be expanded rapidly during a widespread war (indeed, this was the case in the first major conflict that the United States after its independence, the Anglo-American War of 1832). Additionally, three military academies were established (one for the Army, one for the Navy, and one for the Marine Corps), and all of them would develop into prestigious and famous military academies that would churn out some of the greatest military leaders in American history (Lieutenant General Napoleon "Nathaniel" Bonapart of the Army, Admiral Reynold John Jones of the Navy, and Major General Andrew Jackson of the Marine Corps). By 1788, the United States Military boasted a well-disciplined, well-trained Army of 25,000 men, a Navy with 40 ships, a Marine Corps with 5,000 men, and a Coast Guard with 30 small ships. The military gave significant pay to all its servicemen, which resulted in the military becoming one of the most popular employers of former slaves and freedmen (an estimated 35% of the military were minorities and nonwhites, according to the records kept by the Department of Defense). For example, over half of the Marine Corps was filled with former slaves, freedmen, and Native Americans (a small minority of them being veterans from the Revolutionary War), which led to Georgia being nicknamed "the Marine State" (as much as 15% of the Marines were Georgians). Over time, this would help the white population view minorities in a more positive light as many minorities willingly served to defend the United States, a country that gave them rights and opportunities. Veterans were also taken care of consistently; the Veteran Pensions Act of 1781 saw thousands of Revolutionary War veterans receiving regular payments for their service. Injured veterans were also provided the best healthcare the government could provide, which also greatly contributed to the founding of many hospitals and the discovery of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). All in all, President Kim enabled the United States to be fully prepared for a potential invasion and also helped establish the military as a prestigious and excellent career opportunity.
In addition to the military, the first police forces were created in each individual state and were funded by both the state and the federal government. The motto of the Police was "to uphold the law and to protect the people," a motto which has carried over to this day. The police acted as the "enforcers" of the peace and also ensured that the people's rights, liberties, and possessions were protected. While the police force in each state remained small during the first few years of the republic, they increasingly grew in size and evolved into an effective and trustworthy security force that was held accountable by the public. Another important agency created during this time period was the "National Intelligence Service," which was led personally by Director George Washington (the interim president and legendary Revolutionary War general). The NIS was established to collect political and military information about other countries, specifically European nations. Based in Mount Vernon, the agency would employ fifty agents within its first eight years of its existence and branch out into Britain and France to acquire valuable information about the mood of the public, underground movements, government, and military units and bases in the two nations. The NIS was severely restricted in terms of responsibilities, specifically, they were prohibited from directly assisting any underground movements and interfering with the government of other nations. However, the NIS collected several important pieces of information under Director Washington's direction (who proved to be a valuable "spymaster" until his death in 1806), which greatly contributed to the decisions President Jefferson made against the First French Republic.
Healthcare was also established and expanded during President Kim's presidency. Secretary Benjamin Rush, the first Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Resources, took pre-emptive measures to control disease and funded efforts to research diseases and medicine. It was under Secretary Rush that the United States became one of the first countries to accept and support the germ theory of disease, which stated that diseases were caused by unseeable microorganisms. During this time period, all of Europe accepted Aelius Galen's miasma theory. However, after extensive research (in hand with the infant ARPA and the Department of Education and Research), Secretary Rush concluded that diseases weren't spread through "bad air" or the such but through microorganisms that potentially carried through the air and fluids as well. Under this new direction, Secretary Rush established the first "Medical Doctrine of the United States," which emphasized sanitation (to clean any of these microorganisms and prevent their spread), prevention (alcohol and heating could be utilized to destroy the harmful microorganisms) and identification (while they were invisible to the naked eye, Secretary Rush correctly theorized that they could be seen through tools such as microscopes and pushed for advances to identify the microorganisms). Due to this newly established theory, radical measures were taken to ensure that diseases could be controlled and prevented throughout the nation. Mosquitoes were identified to be carriers of yellow fever (after observing that areas near swamps, which were often breeding grounds for mosquitoes, experienced severe outbreaks of yellow fever) and swamps near major population centers were cleared. Several anti-mosquito methods (such as smoke and peppermint oil) were enacted to prevent mosquito bites. The smallpox vaccines were provided by the government for free, and over time, it became a requirement to work in any government post. The blood of those infected by disease was seen as infected blood as well, so infected patients were separated by disease category to prevent contamination. The first case of "quarantine" was also enacted during a yellow-fever outbreak in Stateburg (South Carolina). Infected patients were identified and isolated into makeshift government hospitals, doctors and civilians were ordered to wear a mask to prevent breathing in any microorganisms carried in the air, warnings of the symptoms were posted throughout the city and suggested preventive measures prevent the spread of the disease, travel in and out of the city was heavily restricted by the military, and large assemblies of people were banned during the outbreak. As a result of these methods, the yellow fever outbreak in Stateburg (and nearby towns) was contained and only resulted in the death of fifty individuals. While other European nations refused to accept the Medical Doctrine of the United States, this early development of germ theory and disease prevention greatly improved the healthiness of the American population and the United States generally avoided the mass spread of panic and devastation caused by worldwide global pandemics that were increasingly common in the 19th and 20th century.
One of President Kim's main aims was to create a sense of national unity and trust throughout the United States. As such, he acted openly and transparently that was placed as a precedent for future American presidents. Despite all his achievements and honors, President Kim remained a humble man that openly believed himself as a servant of the people. During his eight years in office, President Kim regularly met ordinary citizens in his Presidential Mansion in Philadelphia. Every Saturday, from 1780 to 1787, President Kim personally met and spoke with people from all over the colonies in the "Presidential Meet and Greet" (a tradition that has carried on to this day, though with more security measures and precautions). Ordinary citizens, ranging from beggars to rich business owners and even slaves, were able to express their grievances or propose solutions to the president of the United States himself. Estimates believe that nearly 10% of all Americans had a conversation with President Kim over his lifetime (over 200,000 individuals), a staggering amount considering the fact that many of these individuals spoke with the president during his time in office. This "small" act paid off immensely, and when Thomas Jefferson entered office, the people's faith and expectations in the government grew rapidly, especially after Jefferson continued this tradition during his two terms as well. Additionally, the president banned his businesses from carrying out any direct dealings with the government and enacted strict controls on the influence of businesses within the politics of the government. Quoted directly from President Kim, "A president should never have a conflict of interest; they should never personally favor a certain establishment over another. A president must remain impartial at all times, regardless of the circumstances."
President Kim was also one of the most principled defenders of many of America's guaranteed rights, something that he displayed publicly. When a newspaper in Maryland criticized him for his support of fleeing slaves, a mob of the president's supporters surrounded the establishment and threatened to burn it down if they refused to rescind their statement. When the president received the news about this event, he applauded the newspaper and congratulated them for exercising their freedom of the press and freedom of speech. While he didn't outright belittle his supporters, he firmly announced that "No matter how different their opinions are, the Constitution, the supreme law of the land, protects their freedom of the press and freedom of speech. Opposing opinions should not be belittled or silenced but welcomed and discussed through peaceful discourse. One of our nation's greatest strengths is that the people have the right to debate and exercise their thoughts freely without governmental interference. Violence should never be the answer to a differing opinion." After his statements were published throughout the nation, the protesters backed down from their rioting and newspapers started to publish more controversial opinions and criticism of the state (in fact, Kim's words were said to have affected the court case Rhode Island v Roberts (1792), a court case which protected the right of an individual to criticize and protest the government in front of a government building). Also, the president supported the freedom of religion and was often seen in various churches, synagogues, and temples (and even participated in Native American spiritual worship) despite his Presbyterian faith. While some criticized his actions as heresy and claimed he betrayed his Christian beliefs, President Kim was firm in his decision and his support for the people to choose and worship any religion they desired. As such, all religious establishments were taxed at an equal, fixed rate, and no religion was favored over the other. In fact, when the motto of the United States was voted on by Congress, President Kim countered the motto "In God We Trust" and suggested the motto "E pluribus unum" (Out of Many, One). "E pluribus unum " was established as the official motto of the United States in 1784 and would go on to be displayed in most American coins and bills, along with seals and documents.
The Korean-American president was also accredited with coining and enforcing the term "American" and created various folklore and ideas to establish what an "American" was. According to the president himself, an American was "one who supports the principles of equality, liberty, and justice and one who accepts these ideas and incorporates them into their lives." In order to reinforce this belief, President Kim published several novels that carried these themes discreetly. The most prominent example of this was the book titled "The Avengers: The Revolution," in which the main characters of the book would go on to be some of the most recognized fictional American heroes. The book, which portrayed a team of misfits and strange individuals, displayed the team fighting in the Revolutionary War and "avenging" the death of General Benedict Arnold by fighting against Colonel Francis Marion and his "Devil's Brigade." The team, which consisted of Captain America (the embodiment of the American spirit, a former slave from South Carolina that was struck by a meteor, gained superhuman abilities, and carried a shield with the American stars and stripes made from the metals of the meteor), Doctor Strange (a racist inventor from Philadelphia that created advanced machines and tools from garbage and junk), Bess (a female sharpshooter from the rural areas of Massachusetts who was equipped with a rifled breechloader and never missed a shot in her life), Yeti (creation of a mythical Native American goddess that was half-human, half-beast with enormous strength, enhanced senses), and Sarge (an ordinary Marine sergeant from Virginia that was the only "common" man in the team), portrayed all aspects of American society at the time and carried the message that an American was "not a specific race or creed," but someone that believed in the principles of the nation. Historians believe that the team was purposely filled with minority members to help push the idea that African Americans, women, and Native Americans were also citizens as well (these groups were often treated less fairly by the majority white population during this time). Unknown to President Kim at the time, his "odd" book would grow increasingly popular as time went on and helped foster an interesting and new perspective on other races and minorities by the general population. On top of this, the president promoted new and original artworks, literature pieces, and political ideologies to help grow an American identity and worked constantly to have the people identify as "Americans" instead of the states they hailed from (ex. Virginians, Marylanders, New Yorkers).
Not only did President Kim defend the rights of all Americans and create a national sense of unity, but he defended the rights of immigrants as well. President Kim was an immigrant himself, a man that journeyed several continents to discover a place he could call home. Due to this, he remained steadfast in his support for immigrants and refugees. The Immigration and Refugee Act of 1783, passed by Congress, was an example of this. The Act declared that the government could not discriminate against immigrants based on beliefs, race, religion, or region, provided a clear path for immigrants to become permanent residents, and only restricted immigration during wartime (which was to be lifted immediately after peace was established). During President Kim's eight years in office, approximately two hundred fifty thousand immigrants would travel to the United States and call it their home. Many ventured out west to the undeveloped parts of the nation such as Kentucky and the Ohio Territory (created from the Northwestern Territory after the defeat of the Shawnee Indians), but some remained in various cities in the eastern United States and eventually grow to assist other immigrants fleeing from war and devastation that plagued Europe and the Americas during the 19th century. Various charitable organizations were created by American citizens and the federal government to aid in translation, employment, and housing (President Kim created the Naturalization Assistance Agency (NAA) during his term in office and created a charity of his own after his retirement, the Immigrant Integration Foundation).
By the time Thomas Jefferson took office in 1788, the nation was stable and growing rapidly. Various economic protections that were created under the Kim presidency allowed domestic businesses to flourish and grow. The United States still lagged behind Britain economically, but they were quickly catching up to the world's biggest power. With the discovery of a method to mass-produce steel and several key inventions (such as the iron plow, the cotton gin, and the grain cradle), America's industrial and agricultural output was rising at an exponential rate. The number of states had also expanded as well, including five new states (President Kim eased the requirements for a territory to become a state, establishing that a territory could apply for statehood if it matched the population of the least populated state in the Union and that Congress must vote on the matter within six months after a territory applied for statehood). The government was on its way to becoming a large, organized structure, with positions filled by merit (President Kim was explicitly clear on providing any positions being filled for personal reasons and worked hard to ensure that the best, most knowledgeable minds occupied appropriate positions). The national military was expanding and consolidating itself to be a formidable power. The people were united, and their liberties were protected, with no major revolts or signs of unrest during the Kim presidency. The capital city, called "Columbia." was nearing completion, along with the first universities and primary schools. The United States was safe, prosperous, and free. The future looked bright, and the peaceful transition of power exemplified this fact.
However, while the United States remained strong and prosperous, a nation across the ocean was about the erupt into flames and test the new leader of the United States, President Thomas Jefferson, on how to deal with a foreign crisis. President Jefferson's dealings with the crisis would create ripple effects far and wide, which would greatly affect the future of the United States of America.
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