United States Presidential Election of 1788–89
- When
- 1788–1789
- Where
- United States under the Congress of the Confederation; New Hampshire and Massachusetts; New York; United States; Electoral assembly sites in the several states; New York City
- Episodes
- 8
The first United States presidential election was held from December 15, 1788 to January 7, 1789 under the newly ratified Constitution, alongside elections for the first House of Representatives. George Washington was unanimously elected president and John Adams became the first vice president. The election was the first national presidential election in American history and the only one to span two calendar years without a contingent election.
Episodes
- Congress of the Confederation Announces Election Procedure
The outgoing Congress set the schedule for choosing electors and casting votes.
- Popular Votes for Electors in New Hampshire and Massachusetts
Two states held popular votes for presidential electors alongside congressional elections in December 1788.
- Completion of Elector Selection
States completed the choice of presidential electors by the January 7, 1789 deadline.
- House of Representatives Elections
Elections for the first House of Representatives were held alongside the presidential election process.
- New York's Deadlock Prevents Appointment of Electors
A legislative deadlock left New York unable to appoint its eight electors by the deadline.
- Electors Assemble and Cast Votes
Electors assembled on February 4, 1789 to cast their votes for president and vice president.
- Washington Unanimously Elected; Adams First Vice President
Washington won unanimous election and Adams became the first vice president.
- Washington Inaugurated in New York City
Washington was inaugurated on April 30, 1789, 57 days after the First Congress convened.
Background and detail
Background. The election took place under the new Constitution ratified in 1788. The outgoing Congress of the Confederation announced the procedure on September 13, 1788, stipulating that electors be chosen on the first Wednesday in January 1789 and assemble to vote on the first Wednesday in February.
Electoral Procedure. Though all states allowed some rudimentary form of popular vote, only six ratifying states allowed any form of popular vote specifically for presidential electors. Early presidential elections used a form of plurality block voting that preceded the widespread adoption of the general ticket. New Hampshire and Massachusetts held popular votes for electors on December 15 and December 18, 1788, respectively.
Participation. Less than 1.8% of the population voted, according to figures tied to the 1790 census, which counted a total population of 3.0 million, including a free population of 2.4 million and 600,000 slaves in the states casting electoral votes.
Outcome. George Washington was unanimously elected to the first of his two terms as president, and John Adams became the first vice president. Washington was inaugurated in New York City on April 30, 1789, 57 days after the First Congress convened.
People involved
- George Washington · Unanimously elected for the first of his two terms as president (identity: George Washington, 1732–1799, first President of the United States)
- John Adams · Became the first vice president (identity: John Adams, 1735–1826, 2nd President of the United States)
Sources
- 1788–89 United States presidential election Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-30
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.