George Washington was inaugurated at Federal Hall on April 30, 1789, in the first presidential inauguration of the era commemorated by America250.
Washington had been unanimously elected in the first presidential election under the Constitution. He traveled from Mount Vernon to New York City, then the nation’s capital, after receiving official notification of his election.
The ceremony took place on the balcony of Federal Hall in New York City. Robert R. Livingston, chancellor of New York, administered the presidential oath in front of a large crowd. Washington then delivered his first inaugural address in the Senate chamber.
The date is often confused with March 4, 1789, when the first congressional term began under the new constitutional system. Delays prevented the executive branch from beginning operations that day, so Washington’s actual inauguration occurred nearly two months later.