But Washington himself did absolutely no public campaigning, and even cast doubt on whether he would take the job if elected. Thomas Jefferson predicted that a popular Northern leader such as Governor John Hancock of Massachusetts or John Adams, a former minister to Great Britain who had represented Massachusetts in Congress, would be elected vice president. 2023 A&E Television Networks, LLC. Dinkin, Robert J. Mount Vernon is owned and maintained by the Mount Vernon Ladies' Association of the Union, a private, non-profit organization. Discover the Home of George and Martha Washington, The Fred W. Smith National Library for the Study of George Washington. President Washington ran unopposed, as he was the Federalist and Democratic-Republican parties nominee. Yet, his dreams of a tranquil retirement were at odds with his peers andthe American people at large. He, too, was present for the signing of the Treaty of Paris and a leading figure during the creation of the Declaration of Independence. Open 365 days a year, Mount Vernon is located just 15 miles south of Washington DC. The Federalist Party threw its support behind the incumbent vice president, John Adams of Massachusetts, while the Democratic-Republican Party backed the candidacy of New York Governor George Clinton. [7], Source: United States Presidential Elections, 1788-1860: The Official Results by Michael J. Dubin[8]. February 20, 2017. Considered the best artist in the city, he was the obvious choice for Washington's first presidential portrait. He won the Presidents job based on his influence and experience. The unanimity of the vote in favor of Washington masked the nascent emergence of political parties and the bitter partisanship that would come characterize the rest of the 1790s. The first presidential election Gilbert Stuart: portrait of George Washington (b) Less than 1.8% of the population voted: the 1790 Census would count a total population of 3.0million with a free population of 2.4million and 600,000 slaves in those states casting electoral votes. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday will release his book, "The Courage to be Free," to much anticipation ahead of his expected plunge into the 2024 presidential race. With 69 electoral votes, Washington won the support of each participating elector. Craig R. Coenen. On February 4, 1789, the Electoral College convened. 46. Federalist. Lawrence, KS: University Press of Kansas, 1988. Her father found a note on the floor asking for a $20,000 ransom. The Mount Vernon Ladies Association has been maintaining the Mount Vernon Estate since they acquired it from the Washington family in 1858. (a) Only 6 of the 10 states casting electoral votes chose electors by any form of the popular vote. Madison was at first a Federalist until he opposed the establishment of Hamilton's First Bank of the United States in 1791. Washington's victory in the election was inevitable, but the real contest in 1792 was for vice president. John Kerry was the democratic nominee for president in 2004 and ran against George Bush. Our Digital Encyclopedia has all of the answers students and teachers need. Mount Vernon is owned and maintained by the Mount Vernon Ladies' Association of the Union, a private, non-profit organization. Despite policy differences, Jefferson argued that the Union would fail without Washington, pointing out that, "North and South will hang together if they have you to hang on." Major General William Howe Howe directed British troops during the early years of the war. Washington was loath to leave the comforts of Mount Vernon, but his fellow Founding Fathers viewed his acceptance of the presidency as a foregone conclusion. In an August 1788 letter, U.S. Minister to France Thomas Jefferson wrote that he considered John Adams and John Hancock, both from Massachusetts, to be the top contenders. Open 365 days a year, Mount Vernon is located just 15 miles south of Washington DC. "The First Elections Under The Constitution." In short, we can celebrate that Founding Father George Washington was so highly beloved and respected that every elector cast their first vote for him. Florida Gov. He loved his life living on a large plantation on the Potomac River in Virginia. Collier, Christopher. This happened in the elections of 1824, 1876, 1888, 2000 and 2016. https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/first-u-s-presidential-election. The two men nearly crashed into the Channel along the way, however, as their balloon was weighed read more. Source: .mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit;word-wrap:break-word}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"\"""\"""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation:target{background-color:rgba(0,127,255,0.133)}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-free a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Lock-green.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg")right 0.1em center/12px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:none;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;color:#d33}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{color:#d33}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#3a3;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right{padding-right:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .citation .mw-selflink{font-weight:inherit}Dubin, Michael J. The Constitution created the offices of President and Vice President, fully separating these offices from Congress. Of the 72 electors, all but three cast their ballots (electors voted for two candidates). They find this improbable because Armstrong of Pennsylvania was not nationally famoushis public service to that date consisted of being a medical officer during the American Revolution and, at most, a single year as a Pennsylvania judge. The Washington Library is open to all researchers and scholars, by appointment only. But the divide apparent in the 1792 vice presidential race was a preview of the coming 1796 election. According to the law, appointed electors were to meet in each state on the first Wednesday in December, and on Dec. 5, 1792, electors from each of the 15 states (the 13 former colonies plus the new states of Vermont and Kentucky) duly assembled to cast their ballots. Of the remaining candidates, only Adams, Jay, and Hancock received votes from more than one state; with 34 votes, Adams finished second behind only Washington, and by virtue of which fact was elected vice president. The battle for the vice presidency is interesting, looking at the votes cast for the second choice. Then on March 4, 1793 in Philadelphia, Washington, as required by Article II of the Constitution, took the presidential oath of office for the second time. The 1792 United States presidential election was the second quadrennial presidential election. Skeptics observe that Armstrong received his single vote from a Georgia elector. The Democratic-Republican Party, which had organized in opposition to the policies of Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton, supported Clinton for the position of vice president. No nomination process existed at the time of planning, and thus, the framers of the Constitution presumed that Washington would be elected unopposed. Regional and partisan divisions were evident in the vote distribution. So, Washington and Adams held on to their roles for the second term. Greenstein, Fred I. For example, in Maryland, a state with a statewide popular vote, unofficial parties campaigned locally, advertising. For the results of the subsequent election, see United States presidential election of 1796. In both the election of 1789 and 1792 Washington received all votes from the Electoral College. However, Washington also feared that the country would irreparably pull and split apart, and was implored by his close associates to serve an additional four years. George Washington, as the first president, was well aware of the great responsibility of defining the American presidency. This page was last edited on 25 February 2023, at 20:03. Washington also did not run unopposed for the second election. United States presidential election of 1792, American presidential election held in 1792, in which George Washington unanimously won a second term as president of the United States. All Rights Reserved. [2] Adams easily secured re-election. Photo: Brandon Bell/Getty. Mount Vernon Ladies Association. Discover what made Washington "first in war, first in peace and first in the hearts of his countrymen". Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. "I walk on untrodden ground," was a frequent comment he made in the days leading up to his first inauguration. His candidacy and subsequent victory are of little surprise, considering his place in United States history and politics. Historian Edward J. Larsen discusses Washington's first inauguration in this video from Mount Vernon on Vimeo. New York: Oxford University Press, 1996. Cooper, William J., Jr. Liberty and Slavery: Southern Politics to 1860. At the time, party organizations were still in their infancy, and the partisan allegiance of the candidates was not always evident: it is therefore difficult to say whether the Pennsylvania vote for Clinton was an instance of a faithless elector, or an elector voting as pledged.[5][6]. Please select which sections you would like to print: John M. Cunningham graduated from Kalamazoo College in 2000 with a B.A. George Washington had wished to retire at the end of his first term in office. Because the two houses of the New York legislature could not agree on electors, the state did not cast its electoral vote. However, this would have cost them the state of Virginia, as electors were not permitted to vote for two candidates from their home state and Washington was also a Virginian. [2] In five states, the state legislature chose electors. Between December 15, 1788 and January 10, 1789, the presidential electors were chosen in each of the states. Following the Constitutional Convention of May 1787, over which George Washington had presided, his ascent to the presidency was all but a fait accompli. The sitting took place on October 3, 1789, probably in the president's official residence on Cherry Street in New York. HISTORY reviews and updates its content regularly to ensure it is complete and accurate. The Washington Library is open to all researchers and scholars, by appointment only. When Washington, in his Farewell Address, published in September 1796, announced his intention to . The Khmer Rouge, organized by Pol Pot in the Cambodian jungle in the 1960s, advocated a radical Communist revolution that would wipe out read more, You know Dasher and Dancer and Prancer and Vixen because of the 1823 poem A Visit From St. Nicholas (aka Twas the Night Before Christmas), but your knowledge of Rudolphthe most famous reindeer of allcomes courtesy of a department store copywriter named Robert L. May, Mays read more, On January 7, 1999, the impeachment trial of President Bill Clinton, formally charged with lying under oath and obstructing justice, begins in the Senate. OnMay 16 1789, Mrs. Washington and her grandchildren, Nelly and Washy, embarked on an 11-day journey through Baltimore, Philadelphia, and more. All Rights Reserved. Although at the time of her death in 1960, Hurston had published more books than any other Black woman in America, she was unable to capture a mainstream audience in her lifetime, and read more, A massive mine explosion leaves nearly 100 dead in Krebs, Oklahoma, on January 7, 1892. Southeastern Oklahoma was a prime location for mining at read more, Six-year-old Suzanne Degnan is kidnapped from her home in an affluent Chicago neighborhood. "Alexander Hamilton". Adams as the second-place finisher was elected vice president, serving until his election to the presidency in 1797; each of his three rivals would go on to serve as vice president in turn, Jefferson from 1797 to 1801 (when he alike succeeded to the presidency), Burr from 1801 to 1805, and Clinton from 1805 until his death in 1812. United States presidential election of 1789, American presidential election held on Feb. 4, 1789, in which George Washington was unanimously chosen as the first president of the United States by electors from 10 of the 13 extant states. It was the first contested American presidential election . The vote totals of Kentucky and Virginia appear to be lost. North Carolina and Rhode Island were unable to participate because they had not yet ratified the Constitution. Omissions? Though he's repeatedly (and falsely) claimed that the 2020 presidential election was rigged against him, Donald Trump believes he could have won a race . It was held from Friday, November 2, to Wednesday, December 5, 1792. Sixty-nine electors voted out of a possible 91. On Feb. 4, 1789, electors convened in 10 states to cast their ballots. Those secondary votes allowed for the first vice president and would determine the direction of domestic politics for years to come. From what I understand, in the early days whoever had the most votes became President, and whoever came in second became the Vice President (it wasn't until later that they ran in pairs). Neither party had fully organized, and partisan divisions had not yet solidified. It was held from Friday, November 4 to Wednesday, December 7, 1796. Two months passed after the election before the votes were counted and Washington was notified that he had been elected president. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. George Washington was the first President of the United States. We don't accept government funding and rely upon private contributions to help preserve George Washington's home and legacy. (a) Only 6 of the 15 states chose electors by any form of popular vote. "I walk on untrodden ground," was a frequent comment he made in the days leading up to his first inauguration. Mount Vernon Ladies Association. This time, the field was narrow. On January 6, as a formality, the electoral votes are counted before Congress and on January 20, the commander in chief is sworn into office. With 69 electoral votes, Washington won the support of each participating elector. Discover what made Washington "first in war, first in peace and first in the hearts of his countrymen". The deadlock still stood on January 7, 1789, the last day for electors to be chosen by the states, and New York thus failed to appoint the eight electors allocated to it by the constitution. The retired general said that he had "no wish which aspires beyond the humble and happy lot of living and dying a private citizen" at his Mount Vernon farm. He was bothered and disheartened by the emerging political divisions. Washington was clad in a brown suit of American manufacture, but he wore white stockings and a sword after the fashion of European courts. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2000. Thomas Jefferson resigned his post as Secretary of State in 1792, while James Madison organized an anti-administration front in the Congress. Voting was hampered by poor communications and infrastructure and the labor demands imposed by farming. Vice PresidentJohn Adamsfrom Massachusetts, Born out of the Anti-Federalist faction that had opposed the Constitution in 1788, the Democratic-Republican Party was the main opposition to the agenda of Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton. in English. On the other hand, Washington could not escape his conscience. He presided over the Constitutional Convention and encouraged some unsure about the new Constitution to add their signature. 3 (September 2006): 373-390. The president and vice president are the only elected federal officials chosen by the Electoral College instead of by direct popular vote. However, some advisers and fellow statesmen argued that the volatile political climatemarked not only by the ongoing conflict between Great Britain and France but also by a growing internal dispute between Federalists and Anti-Federalists that often divided along regional linesdemanded a president who could reliably maintain the young countrys stability. February 2011. Washington Papers. The complete list of candidates was as follows. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1998. The other candidates receiving electoral votes were George Clinton who received fifty votes, Thomas Jefferson won four votes, and Aaron Burr won one vote. Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot is the first incumbent in 40 years to be ousted after just one term. This is also how John Adams ended up as our first vice president. All Rights Reserved. New York, however, failed to field a slate of electors. The results of the 1789 U.S. presidential election are provided in the table. On Democracy. The inaugural ceremony was performed on Wall Street, near the spot now marked by John Quincy Adams Wards statue of Washington. Suffering from diminished physical abilities, Pres. Bowling, Kenneth R., and Donald R. Kennon. Marianne Williamson, a progressive Democrat who ran for president in 2020, confirmed that she plans to run for president in 2024, becoming the first Democrat to publicly confirm her intent enter . Of the 69 participating electors, each cast one vote for Washington, who was elected president. ISBN9780786410170. People were so concerned about a President who would try to take too much power, that anyone who tried to obtain the job would not be considered. [6] Also, Federalists spread rumors that Anti-Federalists plotted to elect Richard Henry Lee or Patrick Henry president, with George Clinton as vice president. Donald Trump said he could beat George Washington in an election, even with Abraham Lincoln as running mate. Of the states with complete returns, only Pennsylvania saw real partisan competition; a Federalist electoral slate pledged to Washington and Adams was selected, although one elector voted for Washington and Clinton. The remaining 35 electoral votes were split among 10 candidates, including John Jay, who finished third with nine electoral votes. It was just three years earlier on January 31, 1950, that Truman publicly announced that had directed the Atomic Energy read more. Other candidates receiving multiple electoral votes were John Jay (9), Robert Harrison (6), John Rutledge (6), John Hancock (4), and George Clinton (3). Federal power, strictly limited, was reserved to the Congress of the Confederation whose "President of the United States in Congress Assembled" was also chair of the Committee of the States which aimed to fulfill a function similar to that of the modern Cabinet. And 2016. https: //www.history.com/this-day-in-history/first-u-s-presidential-election his conscience that had directed the Atomic Energy read more family 1858... Parties campaigned locally, advertising surprise, considering his place in United States presidential Elections 1788-1860., all but three cast their ballots ( electors voted for two candidates ) chosen the. Comment he made in who ran against george washington in the first election table his peers andthe American people at large Cherry Street in new York could. Press, 1996. 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