The Cabinet: George Washington and the Creation of an American Institution

by Lindsay M. Chervinsky

Winner of the Daughters of the American Revolution’s Excellence in American History Book AwardWinner of the Thomas J. Wilson Memorial Prize“Cogent, lucid, and concise…An indispensable guide to the creation of the cabinet…Groundbreaking…we can now have a much greater appreciation of this essential American institution, one of the major legacies of George Washington’s enlightened statecraft.”—Ron ChernowOn November 26, 1791, George Washington convened his department secretaries—Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, Henry Knox, and Edmund Randolph—for the first cabinet meeting. Why did he wait two and a half years into his presidency to call his cabinet? Because the US Constitution did not create or provide for such a body. Faced with diplomatic crises, domestic insurrection, and constitutional challenges—and finding congressional help distinctly lacking—he decided he needed a group of advisors he could turn to for guidance.Authoritative and compulsively readable, The Cabinet reveals the far-reaching consequences of this decision. To Washington’s dismay, the tensions between Hamilton and Jefferson sharpened partisan divides, contributing to the development of the first party system. As he faced an increasingly recalcitrant Congress, he came to treat the cabinet as a private advisory body, greatly expanding the role of the executive branch and indelibly transforming the presidency.“Important and illuminating…an original angle of vision on the foundations and development of something we all take for granted.”—Jon Meacham“Fantastic…A compelling story.”—New Criterion“Helps us understand pivotal moments in the 1790s and the creation of an independent, effective executive.”—Wall Street Journal

Genres: History, American History, Nonfiction, Politics, Presidents, American Revolution, Us Presidents

418 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 7, 2020

Reviews

[Anthony Angelozzi · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Cabinet, by Lindsay Chervinsky, is a must-read for any person interested in early American history. I am a high school history teacher who likes to read books that change my views and interpretations of the events that I teach about. This book definitely was effective in that sense.

First, I will compliment the author for extensive research. The narrative was smooth and included a good mix of facts and analysis. The book was organized in a productive way, in the sense that the focus was always on the Cabinet, but each chapter was about a major event and how the Cabinet influenced that historical event. The book feels familiar for people well versed in the history of the early republic, but seeing everything from the vantage point of the Cabinet gives the events a new meaning.

Personally, my biggest takeaway from the book relates to Washington as a general and president. Chervinsky effectively highlights Washington's reliance on advice. Too often, Washington is depicted as a solitary, all-knowing figure in historical textbooks. Chervinsky proves in her work that the genius of George Washington was his ability to surround himself with talented men and use the talent of the men around him to make the best decisions, both in the Revolutionary War and as President of the United States. I came away from the book with key insights about good leadership as well as a better understanding of the key events of the Washington presidency.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I read a book, I look for two things: 1. Is it readable? 2. Am I learning something? If a book does not satisfy both, I don't finish it. I am getting older and my TBR list is too long to waste my time. This book definitely checked both blocks. White House historian Lindsay Chervinsky has written a very readable, scholarly, and interesting book on George Washington created the cabinet as we know it. She artfully shows how Washington's military experiences taught him lessons he brought into his presidency, and how he gradually, despite his initial reluctance, created the cabinet. His process of trial and error resulted in precedents for how presidents afterwards put cabinets together. As with many processes, Washington was starting from scratch, and proceeded carefully, as he knew that he was creating precedents in many areas. This is a very good book. I highly recommend it.

[Kusaimamekirai · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Linda Chervinsky’s look into America’s first cabinet during the Washington administration.
Whole today we view the President choosing their advisors as a matter of course, back during Washington’s presidency, it was anything but.
Fresh from a bloody and financially ruinous war of independence from Britain, America was unsure how to proceed in the new republic.
Even once the office of “President” was decided (John Adams, god bless him, fought a losing battle for the office to be called ‘His Highness, the President of the United States of America and the Protector of their Liberties’) nobody was quite sure what to do after that.
Washington and the country realized that every move the new president made would set precedents for future presidents and as such, every decision was decided with the utmost care.
In particular, should the President have access to a “cabinet”? The very word conjured images of the hated British privy council” which many blamed on leading King George astray and eventually leading to the revolution.
Initially Washington, following Congress’s lead, agreed to only submit written queries to advisors, and expect written responses back in lieu of actually meeting in person.
With such forceful personalities as Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, and others however, Washington began meeting at first infrequently, then semi-regularly to discuss the problems of the nation. It was a brilliant decision and one that when Jefferson and others eventually left the cabinet to be replaced by less skilled men, Washington acutely felt their loss, and basically gave up meeting with their replacements.
The Cabinet itself however continued with the Adams presidency (despite his disastrous decision in the name of continuity to retain men extremely hostile to him and his policies) and with each administration after it up to the present day.
Impeccably researched and filled with fun anecdotes, (the petty squabbles between Jefferson and Hamilton with an exasperated Washington trying to play peacemaker is particularly fun) this is a wonderful glimpse at the origin of one of America’s oldest and perhaps under-appreciated traditions.
As an aside, I found this book via the "Abridged Presidential Histories with Kenny Ryan" podcast. If you're interested in presidential history like I am, this podcast is one of the best.

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating book with a focus on Washington and his use of an Executive Cabinet. I have read quite a bit about this time period but learned so much from this book. Not only is it great history, but modern day leaders should read it as a study in leadership and how to handle diverse personalities. Highly recommended.

[Xavier Bonilla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ever finish a book and wish it didn’t end? That’s how I felt with this book. Superb writing and great composition of thought about Washington’s genius in creating the cabinet. Excellent book!

[Joshua Pegram · Rating 4 out of 5]

A thorough look into the origins of an important American institution. Five-star content with three-star writing. Characters and research are fascinating, but literary style is somewhat dry and academic. Felt more like an academic essay at times than a book. I thought perhaps it may be a dissertation reworked for a book. However, the author showed great mastery of her subject.

The couple of paragraphs in the epilogue about current events felt joltingly out of place, given the rest of the book and the rest of the epilogue. Furthermore, the sweeping statements made there lacked supporting research and came off as vast, unsupported claims, which was not in keeping with the rest of the excellently-researched work.

[Scarlet Ingstad · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dr. Chervinsky has put together an incredible and complete work regarding America's first ever cabinet. Through her thorough research, we are given a more complete understanding of George Washington as President, and the inner-workings of not only the first cabinet, but in the precedents set that laid the foundation for future administrations and cabinets.
Her book is chock-full of information, but also reads so smoothly you forget you're reading a professional historical work. It's engaging, enlightening and exciting.
Dr. Lindsay Chervinsky is clearly a forerunner for a new age of historians and I am looking forward to her next projects. Highly recommend this book.

[Don Funaro · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are looking to educate yourself on our countries first cabinet I highly recommend reading Lindsay Chervinsky’s The Cabinet. A definite clear and concise study of how President Washington crafted his first political cabinet and how he used it for advice when making key decisions. Anyone who enjoys American history will enjoy this book.

[Alberto Nickerson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit repetitive at times but a good historical overview of how Washington came to form the first cabinet (2 and a half years into his presidency). Of particular interest is Washington's management style and the brief discussions of political culture in the Early Republic.

[Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this--and there's definitely a follow-up book to be written about 21st century cabinet dynamics and how they've diverged from the precedents set by Washington. Excellent companion book to Chervinksy's Making the Presidency too.

[Brad Bowles · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an amazing first book from Historian Lindsay Chervinsky. Dr. Chervinsky lets the reader walk with Washington as he fine tunes the first Cabinet and along the way creates policy and law that we still have today. Yet, this book is so much more than just the creation of Washington's cabinet, it is a historical telling of the United States in the late 1700s and early 1800s. I am looking forward to Chervinsky's next book.

[Carl Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a deeply engaging history of the genesis and evolution of the Cabinet and the significant effort involved in maintaining its effectiveness as a critical resource for the Executive. Chervinsky proposes that Washington's experience with his General Staff during the War of Independence prompted the idea of convening meetings of the various Secretaries of Finance, State, Defense, and War as well as the Attorney General to discuss major issues as they arose and to solicit written advice. Whereas each Department had previously acted more or less independently from the others, the new arrangement required a heightened level of cooperation and mutual respect among the various Secretaries, and Chervinsky details the skill, effort, and patience exercised by Washington through numerous national crises to maintain a unified Cabinet in support of an effective Executive. That the Cabinet has endured virtually unchanged through all subsequent administrations is testimony to the enduring importance and robustness of the precedents for roles & responsibilities, chain of command, authorized channels of communication, and regular meetings established by Washington.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a delightful book. I very much enjoyed reading it. It is clearly deeply researched, and brings a clear explanation of events that I had never quite understood before. Yet it is told in a clear and entertaining manner - I was able to use it right away in my own high school classes and in graduate classes at the same time!

[Patrick Macke · Rating 3 out of 5]

There's no doubt that George Washington was ahead of his time and a colonial stud when it came to providing measured, principled and collaborative leadership ... But the book reads like a textbook, right down to the summaries at the end and beginning of each chapter that reminds me about what I just learned ... George invented the modern cabinet, yawn

[Matthew Sparling · Rating 2 out of 5]

This has to be one of the worst edited books ever have ever read. The information contained was interesting and it wasn’t horribly written but it was very repetitive. So much so that at times I thought my bookmark was in the incorrect spot because I thought I was reading portions of the book over again. Then I realize the book was just simply poorly edited.

[Andrew Canfield · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Cabinet: George Washington and the Creation of an American Institution provides an in-depth look at the formation of a portion of the executive branch which was only vaguely defined by the Constitution. It was written by George Washington Presidential Library Executive Director Lindsay Chervinksy, and her expertise on the topic comes through well throughout the book.

Its thesis is straightforward and is (at times too much) frequently repeated throughout. Chervinksy drives homes that George Washington's time as a military commander and his usage of military councils to gain a broad range of opinions from those who reported to him spilled over into the manner in which he handled his Cabinet upon becoming the nation's first president.

Much of the book focuses on Washington's Cabinet, their concern with the precedent they would be setting for future administrations, and the manner in which their Revolutionary War experiences shaped how they handled the executive branch. The author noted that Washington wanted a broad array of both Federalist and republican voices in his administration (leading to the the inclusion of Thomas Jefferson as the first Secretary of State and Alexander Hamilton as the inaugural Treasury head) in order for competing opinions to be heard.

Edmund Randolph (Virginia) as Attorney General and Henry Knox (Massachusetts via Maine) as War Secretary rounded out the first Cabinet, and mini-biographies of these men are skilfully included by Chervinsky.

The first president also felt it was important to have geographical representation among his Cabinet, hence the spread of northern and southern presences appointed to them.

Washington did not begin making somewhat regular usage of his Cabinet prior to his third year in office.

There was an initial suspicion of Cabinets in general going back to experiences in Britain with cabals near the seats of power which ended up playing outsized roles.

Due to this, Washington was careful even using the word 'Cabinet' and initially experimented with a few different strategies. Among these were visiting the Senate in person to discuss foreign policy in keeping with the Constitution's framing of the Senate as having an advisory foreign policy role (this proved too plodding for the first president's taste) and even the notion of a sort of prime ministership taking shape with a member of the legislative branch playing this liaison role (this never really came to anything).

Early on in his first term (1789-1793) Washington developed the habit of asking his Cabinet members to submit written opinions to him, a practice he would continue even when in-person meetings at his house began to become more and more of a thing. The book notes that he did so in order to have cover when making unpopular decisions and to let each Cabinet member feel as that their voice was heard.

The crop of department heads which would replace Washington's originals during his forgettable second term were shown to have been of a lesser caliber than the firsts. The likes of William Bradford as the second Attorney General, Timothy Pickering as the second Secretary of War, and Edmund Randolph as the second Secretary of State (moving from Attorney General and ending the holding of this office in disgrace) would essentially be the B-team to Hamilton and Co.'s A-Team.

The determination of how strong the executive branch would be was tested by confrontations like the Whiskey Rebellion as well as the Jay Treaty and Edmund Genet controversies. Chervinsky demonstrated that Washington and his Cabinet frequently came down on the side of a strong executive tempered by a willingness to tame factionalism.

There was brief mention of John Adams's inability to effectively manage the Cabinet system during his one term as well as Thomas Jefferson's largely successful maneuvering of his own department heads during his tenure.

The Cabinet: George Washington and the Creation of an American Institution is a fantastic book for those looking to learn about how as amorphous a body as the executive Cabinet came to be.

It is a succinct book and sometimes repeats itself more than it should, but it effectively relays how this system evolved during President Washington's two terms. Knowledge of this is important to understanding how the Cabinet functions today as a further check on the power of the nation's executive.



-Andrew Canfield Denver, Colorado

[Thomas Mackie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dr. Chervinsky has given us another team of rivals to explain the major influences George Washington still has on the American presidency and as her reflection back to Doris Goodwin’s award-winning work on Lincoln’s leadership. Surprisingly, this institution has had little attention. Oh, what glories for a historian to find a subject like this.
The Cabinet explores the origins of an American Institution created during the fluid time of George Washington’s first administration. The Constitution Convention’s discussions of a formal cabinet, like the British, maintained, were rejected out of memories of the too recent Revolutionary War and suspicions of British institutions. As the first President and the most respected leader from the Revolution, Washington was the only expected person to tackle the ominous task of putting life into the Constitutional language of the American presidency. Everything he did, he knew, would become precedent.
Washington did not begin his administration with a cabinet in mind, but it had been his practice from earlier military service to assemble a Council of War at which to gain group support, new ideas, or diverse opinions and expertise. As any good leader, he selected advice and opinions from strong personalities not fearful of his reputation but men of strong ego as well.
The cabinet was assembled, like his former commanding officers in the Continental Army, of secretaries of each federal department managed within the Executive Branch. At first, the Senate was the assumed official advisors for the president, especially in foreign affairs. This proved fruitless and Washington instead selected the Secretaries he had already chosen to discuss affairs in their departments. This grew through each national crisis into an advisory body and support group. This team, composed of men of very divergent opinions and large egos included Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, Henry Knox, and Edmund Randolph. Dr. Chervinsky demonstrates Washington’s leadership mastery through his ability to curb the arguments, and personalities of these four dominating men. They were all members of the political elite. Each prided on previous histories with Washington and their Revolutionary credentials.
Even though this fellowship did not survive the two terms it set an expected precedent that allowed later Presidents to select their own favored advisors. It also set up the practice of powerful executives that were not dependent on the legislature but capable of creating a check to that branch.
It would be a very sloppy history to move directly from Washington’s administration to current politics without fully reviewing the two centuries of change between. This is the origins of an important American political institution most of us have watched. The numbers are much larger, and they are no longer all men, but the egos if feel has not shrunk.

[Stephen Morrissey · Rating 4 out of 5]

George Orwell famously said that "to see what is in front of one's nose needs a constant struggle." In the American political tradition, the cabinet of the executive branch is most certainly right in front of us, but obscured in its origins by its very obviousness and seeming familiarity. Lindsay Chervinsky peels back the layers by dissecting in great detail the origins of the cabinet under George Washington.

Chervinsky delivers a very fine origin story as to the cabinet, including chapters on Washington's generalship during the Revolutionary War and his use of the council-of-war, the struggles of the Continental Congress and Confederation period, and the early vagueness of the cabinet in light of the lack of reference in the final draft of the Constitution of 1787.

In addition, Chervinsky walks through Washington's early struggles with presidential advice: first musing whether to consult the Senate as his primary foreign policy advisers, and then whether to utilize the Supreme Court as a sort of Privy Council. Frustrated by the glacial pace of committee-oriented, responsibility-averse senators and a Supreme Court that sought to preserve its independence from the executive branch, Washington finally arrived at an internal deliberative process among his department heads: Jefferson at State; Hamilton at Treasury; Knox at War; and Randolph as Attorney General.

The most interesting aspect of Chervinsky's origin story is the universal bent of the secretaries, including even Jefferson, to protect executive power and prevent any backsliding towards the mess of the Confederation period. Jefferson and the others, in Chervinsky's telling, all take away from their prior government experience that a strong executive is critical to sound governing and delivering on material and moral promises to constituents.

Despite an early focus on lesser lights of Washington's cabinet like Knox and Randolph, one wishes that the narrative sketched out those characters more, especially as, thanks to Lin-Manuel Miranda, the early cabinet has been overwhelmed by the personalities of Jefferson and Hamilton. However, Chervinsky does more of a service to those personalities, and the institutional role of the cabinet, than any other book that comes to mind.

[John Munro · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author details the evolution of the President's cabinet and how its development was influenced by Washington's experience with his military advisors during the Revolution and the precedence for governmental advisors in the British system. She notes that the first formal cabinet meeting didn't occur until two and a half years into Washington's first term, reflecting his concern for creating precedents that would bind future presidents and the widespread view that the British cabinet of the day was in part responsible for many of the fateful decisions that led to war with the Colonies. In the current environment of frequent turnover in the executive branch, it is interesting to note that Washington ended his second term with none of the original cabinet members in office. He selected the first group of department heads based on his familiarity with them and the divergence of views they brought to the table. In addition to their management responsibilities , they were increasingly called upon to advise Washington on key decisions during his administration. The author often notes how they were concerned about the retention of power in the executive branch, mainly due to the lack of it in the Articles of Confederation.

The reader can't help but notice the contrast with the current executive branch, which has tripled in the number of departments over the years since the Republic's founding, and the concomitant accretion of power in relation to the legislative and judicial branches. This has been fed by the growth in population and the military, as well as the increasing complexity of modern life. However, the story of a seemingly simpler time is illustrated in an engaging narrative by the author and makes for an enjoyable read.

[Old Time Tales · Rating 5 out of 5]

Prepare for a lecture.

I enjoy Dr. Chervinsky on the "Thomas Jefferson Hour" podcast. She is witty, learned, interesting and has a take no nonsense attitude.

That is what I was expecting here. Instead we got her classroom lecture, which was informative and instructional but none of the scathing humor I was expecting.

Dr. Chervinsky is well prepared. She makes a statement and then she proves it, thoroughly. She avoids opinion and presents facts. It is not open to interpretation, this is what was said and done. Washington's thoughts and motivations are clearly presented and explored.

This is a slow read. Chervinsky wants to make sure we are prepared for her message, which we don't get until the epilogue.

I get the idea that this book was motivated by concern regarding how Donald Trump created and used his Cabinet. Trump organized his Cabinet to suit his leadership style. Which is fine, that is what every president since Washington has done.

Chervinsky's message, I believe, is that the Cabinet MUST also reflect America, which did not happen under Trump.

I believe Dr. Chervinsky's concern is well founded. Our government MUST reflect who we are, how we think, how we live.

Which is why I wish that she had been stronger about pushing her message. I understand her caution. She does not want to be dismissed simply as yet another Trump hater. Her message is important and needs to be heard.

Perhaps she can publish a 2nd edition, after Mr. Trump is, um, no longer a public figure. She could include a forword or an afterword focusing deeper into Mr. Trump's Cabinet. Or simply write a book on Trump's presidency.

Yes, I do recommend reading this book, it is well worth the effort.

[Lora Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very interesting book. To see how Washington utilized strategies from orchestrating Councils of War and further utilized his military experiences in the formation and conducting of the affairs of his Cabinet. How he initialized the Cabinet when the concept was very unpopular and a final decision of its organization could not be reached. Chervinsky discusses three key events, the Neutrality Crises, the Whiskey Rebellion and the Jay Treaty to illustrate how the Cabinet was employed by George Washington to serve his purposes in dealing with these affairs while serving in the Executive Office. Very interesting and it is not a dull read. I grew further in respecting these founding fathers. How they dealt with supply chain issues, how they communicated with out phones or computers. The fact that they generated 50,000 documents during war and kept these papers organized while they were on the war front amazed me! How did they even keep these written communications timely in the function of war and presiding over a new country was exhausting to think about. But they did it! Also the society of war, how their wives and servants would join the men during the winter holidays. I had never considered or contemplated before. The dates of my reading is misleading. This is actually a quick smooth read. Once I cleared my schedule, the book held my attention and I quickly came to its conclusion.

[Chevy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first encountered Lindsay in a Zoom presentation on a related subject sponsored by a library in the Midwest during the height of the pandemic. I have not met her personally and I've only read the one book: The Cabinet. Two decades ago, I wrote a positive review of a friend's book on economics which opened wide that arcane topic for me. All this in the way of disclosure. Not a pro at this!

But I genuinely enjoyed The Cabinet. President Washington and our young country were truly walking on a tightrope, with the major powers of Europe still eyeing the New World and Native Americans resisting our intrusion westward. How Washington handled the forceful personalities and explosive issues of the Early Republic is a testament to a singular man at a critical time in our history.

Lindsay brings this alive in a most readable and informative way: just enough background, just enough intrigue, and all without drawing more and wilder conclusions than are justified by the material she presents. I particularly liked the summary at the end of each chapter and the epilogue to the entire effort, even as it briefly brought us up to date and tied in past history to the present with Trump's total disregard for the tradition of the Cabinet. Perspective makes for useful history.

I will be looking for more of the same to stock my library.

[John Petersen · Rating 5 out of 5]

There were no rules or clauses put into the US Constitution for an advisory council to the President. In fact, the idea was brought up a couple times at the Constitutional Convention of 1787 and shot down both times. So how did we get the idea of a Presidential Cabinet? Professor Chervinsky tells that story here in a fascinating analysis. George Washington was well known during the Revolutionary War for eliciting the advice of his generals and aides, taking time to think through the answers and advice, and reach his own conclusion after much personal deliberation. Chervinsky asserts it was this same process that brought about a council of advisors to him when he was President in order to tackle the numerous crises that reared their heads: trade disputes with Britain, the French Revolution and its eventual radicalization, the issue of neutrality as Britain and France went to war, the Genet Affair, the Whiskey Rebellion, and accusations of treason. And all the while, Washington became acutely aware he was setting important precedent with his actions as the first President, and that posterity could sometimes be fickle. Amidst all this the first rifts began to form, and not just between Jefferson and Hamilton, who detested each other. The rifts became fissures, and the fissures became our first political parties: the Federalists and the Democratic-Republicans.

[Philip J Cardella · Rating 5 out of 5]

This deep dive into a very specific aspect of the first presidency at first glance may seem unnecessarily wonkish. It is not. Chervinsky expertly illustrates what the origins of the cabinet are, both from the British cabinet and Washington's Revolutionary War Councils and how the American cabinet was a creation that was in fact unlikely. More importantly, Washington understood that by creating a Cabinet he was setting a precedent for future Presidents. Indeed, several key concepts of American foreign and domestic policy where established not by the Constitution or by Congress, but by the extraordinary group of men Washington assembled for his first cabinets. Jefferson and Hamilton and their hatred of each other are certainly important parts of this history, but these men worked together to fashion not only the Cabinet, but also the strong Presidential powers we see to this day. Other key figures in American history also served in Washington"s cabinets, including Knox, Randolph, and McHenry or worked with the Cabinet in meaningful ways (John Jay). The relationships of these important figures and their efforts to define a nation while working in a tiny study in the President's House are a fascinating and illuminating read that sheds light on every presidency and Cabinet.

[Donald Leitch · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Cabinet was a thoroughly interesting read. Lindsay Chervinsky's writing is clear and engaging.

The Cabinet offers considerable insight into the workings of George Washington's first cabinet and the personalities that sat around the small Cabinet table in George Washington's home study. Washington's first Cabinet dealt with the endless crises, domestic and international, that the new American republic faced. Washington and the four secretaries (Hamilton, Jefferson, Knox and Randolph) become multi-dimensional people with strengths, flaws and biases. Washington was aware that in holding these Cabinet meetings, he was setting the precedents that would guide decision-making by subsequent presidents and their administrations. He exercised this power carefully and wth great political acuity. A fascinating point relates to the term "Cabinet". Washington refused to use the term until after the conclusion of his presidency as he feared people may have identified it with the British crown.

I would recommend this well-researched book to anyone wishing to learn more of the formative years of the United States and its government.

[Kathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well researched, with lots of historical information I hadn't appreciated before. I was interested to learn about the history of a 'cabinet' and the fact that at that time, the concept of a small, personal advisory group to a leader was not looked on at all favorably by Americans, because of their negative experiences with the British monarch and his cabinet's machinations behind the scenes. The other thing I don't think is known or appreciated is Washington's genius as a leader -- that he was able to bring together the knowledge and experiences of his advisors to give him advice where he had only general knowledge, to make the best integrated decisions for a new government. The blindness that all of us experience about events that happened even a few years before we were born, tends to compound as years go on. The fact that almost all of his early advisors & ultimate cabinet members were, literally, war veterans, clearly influenced so much of the early decisions about setting up and organizing a totally new form of government. Well-written, detailed but not confusing, I loved this book1

[Matthew Bramer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lindsay Chervinsky’s The Cabinet is a fascinating look at how George Washington created the first presidential cabinet, shaping an institution that wasn’t originally outlined in the Constitution. The book does a great job of explaining why Washington felt the need for this advisory group and how key figures like Hamilton, Jefferson, Knox, and Randolph influenced its development.

What I really appreciate about The Cabinet is how detailed yet readable it is. Chervinsky explains the political challenges of the time without overcomplicating things, making it easy to follow along. She also does a great job of showing how Washington’s leadership decisions shaped the presidency going forward.

If you’re interested in early American history or how the government evolved, this book is definitely worth a read. It’s well-researched, engaging, and provides a deeper understanding of how the cabinet became such an important part of the U.S. government.

[Travis · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting read concerning the background and creation of the American presidential cabinet. Does an excellent job of contextualizing the development of the cabinet based on previous history, personalities, and experiences of all involved - especially George Washington, whose involvement clearly took center stage in establishing executive precedent.

My main critique of the book is that - when read straight through - there are several main points that are emphasized redundantly. While it does establish a throughline, it did make the reading a little less enjoyable. However, if you're reading just a chapter or two for specific research purposes, that shouldn't be an issue.

Recommended for those interested in the development of American government and the transition from a collection of colonies to a Constitutional republic. Very well-sourced.

[Laurie Manson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Last year I was looking for a detailed exploration of the origins of the Cabinet in the US political system - and couldn't find one! Here it is, Lindsay Chervinsky has more than done this fascinating subject justice: it's an engrossing read. Using the personalities and personal strengthens and weaknesses of both familiar characters, and some still in the shade of history Dr Chervinsky draws together the historic forebears of the US form of the Cabinet, the ways in which a flexible and adaptive advisory body was created, how the awareness of preceded echoed through its initial years, and its role in the major events of the Early Republic. A must read for anyone interested in the Early Republic, or indeed, in US political history of any period.

[Gil Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic Book that takes you back to the creation of what we know as the Cabinet of the President of United States. So much depth and thought went into this book as you lean again about the players of the day and How our first President brought together these historical figures of our time to form what would be the first Presidential cabinet. I found this full of information in a digestible format. Highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys history or just loves a good read. The detail about figures and the the discussion that went on about the Ideas to have this type of form for the president as well as how President Washington would be lead to form what we call the cabinet was remarkable to me.