George Washington was inaugurated as the first president of the United States in 1789.
Washington took the oath of office on April 30, 1789, at Federal Hall in New York City. The ceremony followed the ratification of the Constitution and the establishment of the new federal government under its presidential system.
Washington had led the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War and later presided over the Constitutional Convention. His unanimous election by the Electoral College reflected his national reputation, although he did not campaign in the modern sense.
John Adams became vice president and succeeded Washington in 1797. Washington served two four-year terms and declined to seek a third, establishing a precedent later followed by presidents until the Twenty-Second Amendment limited presidents to two elected terms.