In the first U.S. presidential election, who became the nation's first president?

George Washington became the United States’ first president in the first presidential election.

The Constitution created the presidency, and Washington was the only candidate to receive every electoral vote in both 1789 and 1792. He took the oath of office in New York City on April 30, 1789, beginning the federal government under the new Constitution.

Washington had already become a national symbol through his command of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. His reputation for military leadership and public service helped unite supporters of the new government, even though he did not belong to a political party.

John Adams served as Washington’s vice president and succeeded him in 1797. Thomas Jefferson was secretary of state during Washington’s first administration, while James Madison helped shape the Constitution and later became the fourth president. Washington’s two-term example influenced the informal presidential tradition of limited service until the 22nd Amendment established a two-election limit in 1951.