Which president created the Cabinet and Why?

Answer 1

Every U. S. President, including George Washington, has had a Cabinet. However, not all cabinet positions were instituted under Washington....

• The 1st President, Washington, had 4 Cabinet members:
  • Secretary of State
  • Secretary of the Treasury
  • Secretary of War (later replaced)
  • Attorney General
• The 2nd President, J. Adams, added a 5th Cabinet position in 1798:
  • Secretary of the Navy (later replaced)
• The 3rd-6th Presidents, Jefferson - J.Q. Adams, had 5 Cabinet members.
• The 7th President, Jackson, added a 6th Cabinet position in 1829:
  • Postmaster General (later abolished)
• The 8th-11th Presidents, Van Buren - Polk, had 6 Cabinet members.
• The 12th President, Taylor, added a 7th Cabinet position in 1849:
  • Secretary of the Interior
• The 13th-21st Presidents, Fillmore-Arthur, had 7 Cabinet members.
• The 22nd President, Cleveland (during his 1st term), added an 8th Cabinet position in 1889:
  • Secretary of Agriculture
• The 23rd-"25th" Presidents, B. Harrison - McKinley, had 8 Cabinet members.
• The "26th" President, T. Roosevelt, added a 9th Cabinet position in 1903:
  • Secretary of Commerce and Labor (later replaced)
• The "27th" President, Taft, had 9 Cabinet members.
• The "28th" President, Wilson, brought the total to 10 in 1913 by replacing the position of Secretary of Commerce and Labor with the...
  • Secretary of Commerce
  • Secretary of Labor
• The "29th"-"32nd" Presidents, Harding - F.D. Roosevelt, had 10 Cabinet members.
• The "33rd" President, Truman, brought the total back to 9 in 1947 when he merged the positions of Secretary of War and Secretary of the Navy into the...
  • Secretary of Defense
• The "34th" President, Eisenhower, added a 10th Cabinet position in 1953:
  • Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare (later replaced)
• The "35th" President, Kennedy, had 10 Cabinet members.
• The "36th" President, L. Johnson, added the 11th & 12th Cabinet positions in 1966 and 1967:
  • Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
  • Secretary of Transportation
• The "37th" President, Nixon, had 11 Cabinet members after he abolished the position of Postmaster General in 1971 when the U. S. Postal Service was privatized.
• The "38th" President, Ford, had 11 Cabinet members.
• The "39th" President, Carter, added a 12th Cabinet position in 1977:
  • Secretary of Energy
• In 1980, Carter made the total 13 when he replaced the position of Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare with the positions of...
  • Secretary of Health and Human Services
  • Secretary of Education
• The "40th" President, Reagan, had 13 Cabinet members.
• The "41st" President, G.H.W. Bush, added a 14th Cabinet position in 1989:
  • Secretary of Veterans Affairs
• The "42nd" President, Clinton, had 14 Cabinet members.
• The "43rd" President, G.W. Bush, added a 15th Cabinet position in 2003:
  • Secretary of Homeland Security
• The "44th" President, Obama, has had 15 Cabinet members.

Answer 2

George Washington in an effort to coordinate the Executive Branch's position,

in 1789

Answer 3

George Washington in 1789