Who served as the first president of the United States under the Constitution, inaugurated in 1789?

George Washington served as the first president of the United States under the Constitution, inaugurated in 1789.

Washington took the presidential oath on April 30, 1789, at Federal Hall in New York City. Chancellor Robert Livingston administered the oath, and Washington then delivered his inaugural address to Congress. The ceremony occurred nearly two months after the new government was scheduled to begin because electoral and congressional arrangements took time.

Washington had been unanimously chosen by the Electoral College, while John Adams became vice president. His election reflected his military leadership during the American Revolution and his role as president of the Constitutional Convention. Washington’s decision to accept the office helped establish the legitimacy of the new federal government.

As president, he created precedents for executive administration, including appointing a cabinet and leaving office after two terms. Many later presidents followed those practices, although the two-term limit did not become a constitutional rule until the Twenty-Second Amendment was ratified in 1951.