Who became the first president of the United States when George Washington was inaugurated in 1789?

George Washington became the first president of the United States when he was inaugurated in 1789.

Washington took the presidential oath on April 30, 1789, at Federal Hall in New York City. The ceremony occurred after Congress certified the Electoral College results from the nation’s first presidential election. Washington had been elected unanimously, and John Adams became vice president.

Robert R. Livingston, the chancellor of New York, administered the oath because the federal judiciary had not yet been fully established. Washington then delivered his first inaugural address in the Senate chamber. The event marked the practical beginning of the executive branch under the Constitution.

Washington’s presidency lasted from 1789 to 1797. He set several precedents for the office, including the practice of serving two terms and voluntarily retiring. His inauguration belongs to the constitutional founding era that America250 places within the broader story of the United States.