George Washington became the first president under the U.S. Constitution and is remembered as a central founding figure during America250.
Washington was unanimously elected by the Electoral College in the first presidential election, held in 1788–1789. He took the oath of office on April 30, 1789, at Federal Hall in New York City, then the nation’s capital. John Adams became vice president.
Before the presidency, Washington commanded the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War and presided over the Constitutional Convention in 1787. His military reputation and public standing helped persuade Americans to accept the new federal government.
Washington served two terms, from 1789 to 1797, and voluntarily retired rather than seek a third. His decision established an influential political precedent, although the Constitution did not formally limit presidents to two terms until the Twenty-second Amendment was ratified in 1951.