This Day in History: February 4, 1789
Before looking at this day in history, it will behoove us to step back to January 7, 1789 to fully understand the significance of the two dates. On January 7, 1789, the first U.S. presidential election was held – so to speak. While generally considered to be the date of the first election, January 7 was actually the deadline established for the original states to elect their electors. On February 4th, 1789 George Washington is unanimously elected to be the first President of the United States by the U.S. Electoral College.
1789 Election Results
Candidate Party Electoral Votes George Washington Federalist 69 Others Independent 35 John Adams Federalist 34
In this election, the enormously popular Washington essentially ran unopposed.
George Washington overwhelmingly won that first election and was inaugurated in April 1789 along with John Adams as Vice-President. This was not the ultimate goal of Washington at the time. In the wake of America winning her independence, as well as overseeing the formation of a solid government, Washington truly felt like he had done enough. He did throw his hat into the ring at a big convention nor did he endure a lengthy, expensive campaign for the Presidency. It was the people who decided Washington was the man for the job. In fact, no other individual was even considered.George Washington 1772 Image Source: en.wikipedia.org |
George Washington 1792 Image Source: en.wikipedia.org |
America's first presidential campaign was really its citizens' efforts to convince Washington to accept the office. Letters poured into Mount Vernon—from citizens great and small, from former comrades in arms, even from other shores. Many told Washington that his country needed him more than ever and that there was no justification for his refusal. While he warmed slightly to the idea, he still told a friend, "I feel very much like a man who is condemned to death does when the time of his execution draws nigh."
Source: American President: A Reference Resource
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