New York City hosted George Washington’s first presidential inauguration under the United States Constitution.
Washington took the oath of office on April 30, 1789, at Federal Hall on Wall Street in New York City. Chancellor Robert Livingston administered the oath, and Washington then addressed Congress. New York was the temporary national capital at the beginning of the new federal government.
The inauguration followed the Constitution’s ratification and the first presidential election. Washington was the unanimous choice of the Electoral College, while John Adams became vice president after receiving the second-highest electoral vote.
Washington, D.C., did not host the ceremony because the federal district had not yet become the national capital. Philadelphia later served as the capital before the government moved to Washington, D.C., in 1800.