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Election of 1789

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George Washington was the unanimous choice of the electors who cast their presidential ballots in February 1789. The Constitution (text) had not provided for the direct election of the chief executive, but instead had fashioned a more cumbersome Electoral College to temper democratic passions.

Federalist leaders generally agreed that John Adams should be the Vice President -- a Massachusetts resident would help establish a regional balance in the Executive Branch. Alexander Hamilton wisely diverted a few votes from Adams to avoid the embarrassment of a tie vote.

Each of the 69 electors was expected to cast two ballots. All voted for Washington, making him the unanimous choice as the first president.

Election of 1789 Candidates	Party	Electoral Vote	Popular Vote
George Washington (VA)	Federalist	69	*
John Adams (MA)	Federalist	34
John Jay (NY)	Federalist	9
John Rutledge (SC)	Federalist	6
John Hancock (MA)	Federalist	4
George Clinton (NY)	Anti-Federalist	3
Others		7
Electoral votes not cast		44

*Popular vote totals were not retained until the Election of 1824.

Washington took the oath of office on April 30, 1789 in New York City, the site of the capital for the next 18 months. North Carolina would not ratify the Constitution (narrative) until November 1789 and Rhode Island until 1790.

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Founding Rivals: Madison vs. Monroe, The Bill of Rights, and The Election that Saved a Nation by Chris DeRose.
DeRose tells the never-before-told story of the 1789 congressional election in Virginia's 5th district and of the two men who fought it: James Madison...