George Washington was inaugurated as the first U.S. president at Federal Hall in New York City in 1789.
Washington took the oath of office on April 30, 1789, on the balcony of Federal Hall on Wall Street. Chancellor Robert Livingston administered the oath, and Washington then delivered his inaugural address to Congress. The building served as the first national capitol under the Constitution.
Federal Hall had already played a major role in the independence era. The First Congress met there, helped create the new federal government, and passed important measures including the Judiciary Act of 1789. The original building was later demolished, and the present Federal Hall National Memorial occupies the site.
A common mix-up places Washington’s first inauguration at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. That city became the national capital later. In 1789, New York City was the temporary capital, making Federal Hall a key bridge between the Revolution and the constitutional government celebrated through America250.