George Washington acted as the first U.S. president from 1789 to 1797, creating many constitutional practices and federal precedents. He organized the president's cabinet, asserted executive authority, and employed the veto for the first time; his nonintervention policy during the French Revolutionary Wars and his leadership during the Whiskey Rebellion also shaped early U.S. governance. He advocated Hamiltonian programs, contributed to establishing the nation's capital site, and guided the Bill of Rights' early implementation. He directed the Northwest Indian War and secured the Jay Treaty and the Treaty of San Lorenzo, fortifying frontier security. The Navy re-emerged under the Naval Act of 1794 to protect commerce.