Washington Elected First President

On 14 April 1789, George Washington learned that he had been unanimously elected first President of the United States of America

On 14 April 1789, George Washington learned at Mount Vernon that he had been unanimously elected first President of the United States. The first presidential election under the new Constitution had been held from 15 December 1788 to 10 January 1789.

  • Date: 14 April 1789
  • Location: Mount Vernon (Virginia)
  • Event: Notification of election to the presidency
  • Inauguration: 30 April 1789, Federal Hall, New York

The Election

The first presidential election under the new Constitution of the United States was held from 15 December 1788 to 10 January 1789. At that time, each state set its own rules for the conduct of elections and the selection of electors to the Electoral College, who would then vote for the president.

The electors were to be chosen before 7 January 1789. Each state had a number of electors equal to its number of senators plus its number of representatives in the House. Some states chose their electors by popular vote, others through their legislatures, or by a combination of both. Once designated, the electors were to meet in their respective states on 4 February to cast their votes. These votes were then transmitted to New York, where the federal government was then seated, to be counted by Congress.

The Vote Count

The first Congress officially began on 4 March 1789, but not all members were yet present. A quorum was not reached in the House of Representatives until 1 April and in the Senate until 6 April. On that day, the first date on which both chambers could meet in official joint session, the Electoral College votes were counted.

John Langdon of New Hampshire had been elected president pro tempore of the Senate. He opened, counted and announced the votes to Congress. Once it was established that George Washington had won the election and that John Adams had come in second, Langdon sent each of them a certification of election and a letter informing them of their victory.

The Notification

Washington’s letter was entrusted to Charles Thomson of Philadelphia, long-serving secretary of the Continental Congress. Thomson arrived at Mount Vernon on 14 April 1789. He stood in the great dining room of Mount Vernon where he announced to George Washington that he had been unanimously elected first President of the United States. Washington, with humility, immediately wrote a short letter to Senator Langdon:

“Sir, I have had the honour to receive your official communication, by the hand of Mr Secretary Thomson, about one o’clock today. Having concluded to obey the important and flattering call of my country, and having been impressed with an idea of the expediency of my being with Congress at as early a period as possible, I propose to commence my journey on Thursday morning, which will be the day after tomorrow. I have the honour to be, with sentiments of esteem, Sir, your most obedient servant. G. Washington”

Washington arrived in New York to great acclaim on 23 April and took the oath of office as President on 30 April at Federal Hall.

Henry Williams (SAR)

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