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Today in History: George Washington Is Elected First President of the U.S.
02/04/10
On February 4, 1789, following the ratification of the U.S. Constitution, the 69 members of the Electoral College unanimously elected George Washington as the first president of the United States. Revered as a hero for leading the Continental Army to victory over the British in the Revolutionary War, Washington was an obvious choice. Although he was reluctant to assume the difficult task of leading the new nation, he accepted the position out of a sense of duty. He took the oath of office on April 30, 1789, and delivered his first inaugural address.
During his two terms in office, Washington helped define the role of the executive branch in the U.S. government. He also promoted democratic values and consistently behaved as an elected representative of the American people rather than as a monarch. Before he stepped down in 1797, Washington made an influential farewell address in which he extolled republican virtues and warned against partisanship in politics.