46. Who ran against George Washington in the first election? In 1792, the second presidential election, George Washington was unanimously re-elected president of the United States. Presidential candidates of the 21st century spend millions of dollars winning the endorsements of their parties and mounting nationwide campaigns. John Adams and George Clinton both played a part in each election. This election was the first in which each of the original 13 states appointed electors, as did the newly added states of Kentucky and Vermont. Dinkin, Robert J. The remainder of the votes were divided among 10 other candidates. Different state legislatures chose different methods:[11]. 12 other men were on the ballot for that first election in 1789. But there was never any evidence that it was true. George Washingtons cabinet included just four original members: Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson, Secretary of Treasury Alexander Hamilton, Secretary of War Henry Knox, and Attorney General Edmund Randolph. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. George Washington was unanimously elected for the first of his two terms as president and John Adams became the first vice president. President Washington ran unopposed, as he was the Federalist and Democratic-Republican parties nominee. (f) One elector from Virginia did not vote and another elector from Virginia was not chosen because an election district failed to submit returns. 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. Considered the best artist in the city, he was the obvious choice for Washington's first presidential portrait. 2023 Mount Vernon Ladies Association. Shade, William G., and Ballard C. Campbell. There was no precedent for this office in a world full of kings, leaving Washington the monumental task of figuring out how to act like a president. During the first election, Washington won the electors of all ten eligible states. ", D. Jason BerggrenGeorgia Southwestern State University. (a) Only six of the 11 states eligible to cast electoral votes chose electors by any form of popular vote. The Globetrotters were the creation of Abe Saperstein of Chicago, who took over coaching duties for a team of African American players read more, The confessed Colorado cannibal Alferd Packer is released from prison on parole after serving 18 years. ISBN9780786410170. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Every U.S. Presidential Election Since 1789. According to Article II of the Constitution, each elector in the Electoral College possessed two votes. Sign up now to learn about This Day in History straight from your inbox. Boller, Paul, Jr. Presidential Campaigns. Source: A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 1787-1825[10], The Constitution, in Article II, Section 1, provided that the state legislatures should decide the manner in which their Electors were chosen. Of the 69 participating electors, each cast one vote for Washington, who was elected president. Under the Articles of Confederation, which were ratified in 1781, the United States had no head of state. The vote totals of Kentucky and Virginia appear to be lost. Spend the day with us! It was held from Friday, November 2, to Wednesday, December 5, 1792. No one contested the election of George Washington, but he remained reluctant to run until the last minute, in . Print. One of the reasons we rarely hear about the presidential race and competition for the top job was that Washingtons presidency was a foregone conclusion. 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. Of course, everyone also loves a president that served in the military as General Washington did. "Presidential Difference in the Early Republic: The Highly Disparate Leadership Styles of Washington, Adams, and Jefferson," Presidential Studies Quarterly 36, no. He worked at Britannica from 2004 to 2018. President before election. The fight to ratify the United States Constitution was still fresh in the memories of the legislators, and the Anti-federalists were resentful for have been forced by events to accept the constitution without amendments. Historically, over 99 percent of all electors have cast their ballots in line with the voters. John Adams. Defenders of Washingtons policies would become the Federalist Party. Congress did not officially count the Electoral College until February 13, 1793. No other president since has come into office with a universal mandate to lead. Washington believed that the precedents he set must make the presidency powerful enough to function effectively in the national government, but at the same time these practices could not show any tendency toward monarchy or dictatorship. In 1788, fifty six year old George Washington, was chosen to be the first president of the United States of America. By then, Anderson was in the twilight of a career that was equal parts acclaimed and hamstrung by racism. 6577. 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. It was held from Friday, November 4 to Wednesday, December 7, 1796. 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]. The Twelfth Amendment would eventually replace this system, requiring electors to cast one vote for president and one vote for vice president, but this change did not take effect until 1804. His candidacy and subsequent victory are of little surprise, considering his place in United States history and politics. This was the only U.S. presidential election that spanned two calendar years without a contingent election and the first national presidential election in American history. [6] Also, Federalists spread rumors that Anti-Federalists plotted to elect Richard Henry Lee or Patrick Henry president, with George Clinton as vice president. 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. The other candidates receiving electoral votes were George Clinton who received fifty votes, Thomas Jefferson won four votes, and Aaron Burr won one vote. All Rights Reserved. Regional and partisan divisions were evident in the vote distribution. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2000. was voting in a mayoral election for the first time since moving to the city four years ago . With 77 electoral votes, John Adamswas re-elected, positioning him well enough to become Washington's presidential heir apparent. The Presidency of George Washington. Greenstein, Fred I. This is also how John Adams ended up as our first vice president. Discover what made Washington "first in war, first in peace and first in the hearts of his countrymen". Five candidates split the remaining seven votes. The Washington Library is open to all researchers and scholars, by appointment only. ", On April 30, 1789, at Federal Hall in New York City, the first capital of the United States, Washington took the presidential oath of office. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription. In most states, the congressional elections were recognized in some sense as a "struggle between the Treasury department and the republican interest," to use the words of Jefferson strategist John Beckley. Answer: The first presidential elections were conducted under a system that allowed electors to cast two votes, with the . Yet, his dreams of a tranquil retirement were at odds with his peers andthe American people at large. With 69 electoral votes, Washington won the support of each participating elector. As per the terms of the unamended constitution, each elector was permitted two votes for president, with a majority of "the whole number of electors appointed" necessary to elect a president. Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot is the first incumbent in 40 years to be ousted after just one term. Skeptics observe that Armstrong received his single vote from a Georgia elector. We don't accept government funding and rely upon private contributions to help preserve George Washington's home and legacy. But Washington himself did absolutely no public campaigning, and even cast doubt on whether he would take the job if elected. Following the ratification of the Constitution by the necessary nine states in July of 1788, Congress set January 7 of the following year as the date by which states were required to choose electors. Having lost the vice president position, he was appointed the 1st Chief Justice by President Washington. Corrections? President Washington's inauguration was celebrated with illuminations and fireworks. George Washington was the first President of the United States. Other candidates receiving multiple electoral votes were John Jay (9), Robert Harrison (6), John Rutledge (6), John Hancock (4), and George Clinton (3). "A New Matrix for National Politics." For example, Hamilton aimed to ensure that Adams did not inadvertently tie Washington in the electoral vote. In New York, the race for governor was fought along these lines. The first presidential election was held on the first Wednesday of January in 1789. This time, the field was narrow. Updates? Washington received 132 electoral votes, one from each elector. Dahl, Robert A. Almost seven years later, there is still no evidence. Neither party had fully organized, and partisan divisions had not yet solidified. On Democracy. He won the Presidents job based on his influence and experience. The other six chose electors through some form involving a popular vote, though in only two states did the choice depend directly on a statewide vote. All Rights Reserved. Open 365 days a year, Mount Vernon is located just 15 miles south of Washington DC. Adams received 77 votes as Washington's running mate on the Federalist ticket to 50 for Democratic-Republican George Clinton, 4 for Thomas Jefferson, and 1 for Aaron Burr. The executive function of government remained with the legislative similar to countries that use a parliamentary system. The second inauguration was in Philadelphia, held in the Senate Chamber of Congress Hall on March 4, 1793. He received the congressional notification about his win on April 16th before taking part in the first-ever inauguration on April 30th. The next highest total was that of Founding Father, He was also one of the anonymous writers responsible for the, He received the congressional notification about his win on April 16th before taking part in the first-ever, Washingtons Election for the Second Presidential Term. But, all of the 64 electors unanimously agreed on George Washington as their first pick. The remaining 35 electoral votes were split among 10 different candidates, including John Jay, who finished second with nine electoral votes. In addition to defining the actual powers of the office, Washington also needed to show the new nation how the leader of a democracy should behave socially. A series of electors from each state would cast their votes for the chosen candidates one first-choice pick and one second-choice. With a hand on the Bible, a "sacred volume" borrowed from a local Masonic lodge and subsequently known as the "George Washington Inaugural Bible," he said, "I, George Washington, do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States." Craig R. Coenen. Reichley, A. James. READ MORE: Every U.S. Presidential Election Since 1789. Ten states cast electoral votes: Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Virginia. Voting was hampered by poor communications and infrastructure and the labor demands imposed by farming. It was held from Monday, December 15, 1788, to Saturday, January 10, 1789, under the new Constitution ratified that same year. (b) Less than 1.8% of the population voted: the 1790 Census would count a total population of 3.0 million with a free population of 2.4 million and 600,000 slaves in those states casting electoral votes. On the first Monday after the second Wednesday in December of a presidential election year, each states electors meet, usually in their state capitol, and simultaneously cast their ballots nationwide. The disaster, the worst mining catastrophe in Oklahomas history, was mainly due to the mine owners emphasis on profits over safety. (2002). And, of course, Washington DC was named in his honor. One exhilarated eyewitness recalled that " my sensibility was wound to such a pitch that I could do no more than wave my hat with the rest, without the power of joining in the requested acclamations which rent the air!" The Mount Vernon Ladies Association has been maintaining the Mount Vernon Estate since they acquired it from the Washington family in 1858. 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