George Washington’s first presidential inauguration in 1789 took place in New York City.
Washington took the oath of office on April 30, 1789, at Federal Hall on Wall Street. Chancellor Robert Livingston administered the oath before a large crowd, and Washington then delivered his inaugural address to Congress.
New York City was the first national capital under the government created by the Constitution. The federal government later moved to Philadelphia in 1790 and eventually to Washington, D.C., in 1800. This sequence often causes confusion when people identify the nation’s early capitals.
Washington’s inauguration followed the ratification of the Constitution and the first presidential election. It established traditions that later inaugurations retained, including the oath of office and a public address. America250 provides an opportunity to connect this early constitutional milestone with the nation’s longer institutional history.