Washington took an active role in uniting the states around the new government by

A.
traveling through them.

B.
publishing newspaper articles.

C.
naming cabinet members from all states.

D.
mentioning them all in the State of the Union.

The correct answer is A. traveling through them.

Explanation:

When George Washington became the first President of the United States in 1789, one of his primary goals was to unite the states under the new government. To achieve this, Washington took an active role in personally traveling through the states. He embarked on several tours or "presidential tours" during his presidency, which allowed him to connect with the people and leaders of each state.

During these tours, Washington met with local officials, visited prominent individuals, and engaged in conversations with citizens. This enabled him to understand the concerns and needs of the various states and foster a sense of unity among the states. Washington's personal engagement and accessibility to the states helped to establish a strong foundation for the newly formed government and build trust among the states.

Publishing newspaper articles (choice B) was not a major method used by Washington to unite the states. While some articles were published in newspapers during his presidency, they were not a primary means of directly engaging with the states.

Similarly, while Washington did appoint cabinet members from different states (choice C), this action, in itself, was not a direct method of unifying the states. The role of the cabinet members was to assist and advise the President in his duties, rather than directly working to unite the states.

As for choice D, mentioning all states in the State of the Union, this practice did not start until later Presidencies. George Washington did not mention every state in the State of the Union addresses he delivered.

Therefore, the most accurate answer is A. traveling through the states.