The United States presidential election of 1789 was the first presidential election in the United States of America, and was the only one to not take place in an even numbered year. The election took place following the ratification of the United States Constitution in 1788. The polls opened on December 15, 1788, and closed on January 10, 1789. In this election, George Washington was elected for the first of his two terms as President of the Unit...
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The United States presidential election of 1789 was the first presidential election in the United States of America, and was the only one to not take place in an even numbered year. The election took place following the ratification of the United States Constitution in 1788. The polls opened on December 15, 1788, and closed on January 10, 1789. In this election, George Washington was elected for the first of his two terms as President of the United States, and John Adams became the first Vice President of the United States.
Before this election, the United States had no chief executive. Under the previous system—the Articles of Confederation—the national government was headed by the Confederation Congress, which had a ceremonial presiding officer and several executive departments, but no independent executive branch.
In this election, the enormously popular Washington essentially ran unopposed. The only real issue to be decided was who would be chosen as vice president. Under the...
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