John Adams' Vice Presidential Inauguration
- When
- 1789
- Where
- New York City, where Adams arrived to begin serving as vice president; United States Senate, sitting in New York City; Vice presidency during the federal government's first months in New York
- Episodes
- 3
John Adams, newly returned from his diplomatic post in Britain, became the first Vice President of the United States. Although his term formally began on March 4, 1789, he did not begin serving until April 21, 1789, because he had not reached New York City in time. The event belongs to the founding of the new federal government under President George Washington.
Episodes
- Adams' Assessment of the Vice Presidency
By mid-1789 Adams found the vice presidency inactive and mechanical, calling it the most insignificant office ever contrived.
- Adams Begins Serving as Vice President
Adams' term began March 4, 1789, but he only started serving as vice president on April 21 after arriving late in New York.
- Senate Titles Controversy
Early in his term Adams engaged the Senate in a lengthy debate over official titles for the president and executive officers.
Background and detail
Background. Adams returned to a triumphant welcome in Massachusetts on June 17, 1788, after asking John Jay to relieve him as ambassador, and took his leave of George III, who promised to uphold the treaty once America did the same. The nation's first presidential election was soon to take place, with each state's electors gathering on February 4, 1789, to cast their two votes for president.
Taking Office as First Vice President. Adams was the first vice president of the United States, serving from 1789 to 1797, and was elected to two terms under President George Washington. Although his term started on March 4, 1789, he did not begin serving as vice president until April 21, because he did not arrive in New York in time. The passage does not state the city of the April 21 start explicitly beyond his delayed arrival in New York.
Early Vice Presidency. Early in his term, Adams became deeply involved in a lengthy Senate controversy over official titles for the president and executive officers. He favored the style of Highness for the president, arguing the highest office must be marked with "dignity and splendor." By mid-1789 he had already found the office "too inactive, and mechanical," calling it the most insignificant office ever contrived, and his initial Senate behavior made him a target for critics of the Washington administration.
People involved
- John Adams · First Vice President of the United States
- George Washington · President of the United States, under whom Adams served
Sources
- John Adams Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-27
Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.