who ran against george washington in the first election

John Adams and George Clinton both played a part in each election. (b) Pre-Twelfth Amendment electoral vote rules obscure the intentions of the voters(c) Those states that did choose electors by popular vote had widely varying restrictions on suffrage via property requirements. Join the thousands of fellow patriots who rely on our 5-minute newsletter to stay informed on the key events and trends that shaped our nation's past and continue to shape its present. A History of U.S. Presidential Elections in Maps, https://www.britannica.com/event/United-States-presidential-election-of-1789, George Washington's Mount Vernon - Presidential Election of 1789, Maps of World - U.S. Presidential Election 1789, Gilbert Stuart: portrait of George Washington, United States presidential election of 1792. "I walk on untrodden ground," was a frequent comment he made in the days leading up to his first inauguration. On April 30, 1789, George Washington was inaugurated as the first president. Please select which sections you would like to print: Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. Washington was both an obvious first choice for president and possibly the only truly viable choice. All Rights Reserved. Corrections? After he agreed to come out of retirement, he was elected with ease unanimously; Washington did not select a running mate as that concept was not yet developed. He, too, was present for the signing of the Treaty of Paris and a leading figure during the creation of the Declaration of Independence. Congress did not officially count the Electoral College until February 13, 1793. North Carolina, Rhode Island, and New York abstained from the process; the former two states had not ratified the Constitution, and the latter was in the midst of an internecine legislative conflict. In some states, there was a nominal religious test for voting. Ed. 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. [7], Source: United States Presidential Elections, 1788-1860: The Official Results by Michael J. Dubin[8]. 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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." Who did George Washington run against? Washington received 132 electoral votes, one from each elector. As instructed in Article 1 of the U.S. Constitution, Supreme Court Chief Justice William Rehnquist was sworn in to preside, read more, Frenchman Jean-Pierre Blanchard and American John Jeffries travel from Dover, England, to Calais, France, in a gas balloon, becoming the first to cross the English Channel by air. The elections of 1792 were the first ones in the United States to be contested on anything resembling a partisan basis. Landy, Marc, and Sidney M. Milkis. He took 50 votes against Adams 77. Although Washington had been considering retiring, both sides encouraged him to remain in office to bridge factional differences. Greenstein, Fred I. Reichley, A. James. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Chernow, Ron (2004). Several respected sources, including the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress and the Political Graveyard, instead show this individual to be James Armstrong of Pennsylvania. John Hancock did even worse. Although electors arent constitutionally mandated to vote for the winner of the popular vote in their state, it is demanded by tradition and required by law in 26 states and the District of Columbia (in some states, violating this rule is punishable by $1,000 fine). (c) Those states that did choose electors by popular vote had widely varying restrictions on suffrage via property requirements. Between the Revolutionary War and Constitutional Convention, Washington secured his position as a trusted leader. American Presidential Campaigns and Elections. (Four remaining votes were cast for Jefferson and one for Burr.) As the only true national, interregional hero, Washington--the inevitable president in 1789--had become the indispensable president. As with the previous presidential election, each elector voted for two candidates. (b) Two electors from Maryland and one elector from Vermont did not cast votes. (Two electors from Maryland and one from Vermont were absent and did not vote.) "Voting and American Democracy." Electoral rules of the time required each presidential elector to cast two votes without distinguishing which was for president and which for vice president. 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. (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. Washington was re-elected unanimously, receiving one vote from each of the 132 participating electors. Dinkin, Robert J. Answer: The first presidential elections were conducted under a system that allowed electors to cast two votes, with the winner becoming President and the second place finisher becoming Vice President. "I walk on untrodden ground," was a frequent comment he made in the days leading up to his first inauguration. The choice for vice president was more divisive. Your email address will not be published. The Presidency of George Washington. President Washington's inauguration was celebrated with illuminations and fireworks. Adams, meanwhile, was backed by the Federalist Party in his bid for another term. Many of these names are no longer widely known following their loss and lack of later political achievement. Clinton was from an electorally important swing state, and he convinced party leaders that he would be a stronger candidate than another New Yorker, Senator Aaron Burr. The Life of the Parties: A History of American Political Parties. Despite fears that Fidel Castro, whose rebel army helped to overthrow Batista, might have communist leanings, the U.S. read more, In his final State of the Union address before Congress, President Harry S. Truman tells the world that that the United States has developed a hydrogen bomb. With 77 electoral votes, John Adams was re-elected, positioning him well enough to become Washington's presidential heir apparent. The most significant features of this book are Washingtons personal notes, penciled in the margins. The first presidential election was held on the first Wednesday of January in 1789. 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. (g) The identity of this candidate comes from The Documentary History of the First Federal Elections (Gordon DenBoer (ed. 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. Sixty-nine electors voted out of a possible 91. 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. 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. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. The process began with each state having to choose its electors by January 7th, 1789. Her entourage attracted considerable attention and was greeted by crowded streets filled with admirers, ringing church bells, fireworks, and gun salutes. Discover what made Washington "first in war, first in peace and first in the hearts of his countrymen". All Rights Reserved. Though no organized political parties yet existed, political opinion loosely divided between those who had more stridently and enthusiastically endorsed ratification of the Constitution, called Federalists or Cosmopolitans, and Anti-Federalists or Localists who had only more reluctantly, skeptically, or conditionally supported, or who had outright opposed ratification. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! The path to the presidency, and the task of leading a new nation, was uncharted territory for which there was no precedent. 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 electors were split on their second choice: Adams received 77 votes to Clinton's 50, enough to secure a second-place finish behind Washington and the vice presidency. 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. Source: "The Electoral College Count for the Presidential Election of 1789". On April 14, Washington received official confirmation from Congress that he had been elected the first President of the United States. 1. Limited, primitive political campaigning occurred in states and localities where swaying public opinion might matter. Retrieved October 28, 2022. Donald Trump said he could beat George Washington in an election, even with Abraham Lincoln as running mate. Carrying large and small states, northern and southern states, Washington received 132 electoral votes, one vote from each participant in the Electoral College. President Washington ran unopposed, as he was the Federalist and Democratic-Republican parties nominee. All Rights Reserved. The United States presidential election of 1820 was the third and last presidential election in United States history in which a candidate ran effectively unopposed. Another described the streets as "so dense that it seemed as if one might literally walk on the heads of people". [3] Adams received 34 electoral votes, one short of a majority because the Constitution did not require an outright majority in the Electoral College prior to ratification of the Twelfth Amendment to elect a runner-up as vice president, Adams was elected to that post. Print. Washington set the precedents for how these roles would interact with the presidency, establishing the cabinet as the chief executive's private, trusted advisors. 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. It was held from Friday, November 2, to Wednesday, December 5, 1792. A month later, on February 4,George Washington was elected president by state electors and sworn into office on April 30, 1789. With 69 electoral votes, Washington won the support of each participating elector. George Washington had wished to retire at the end of his first term in office. Our Digital Encyclopedia has all of the answers students and teachers need. Bibliography:Boller, Paul, Jr. Presidential Campaigns. And, of course, Washington DC was named in his honor. The next highest total was that of Founding Father John Jay, who got nine of the second choice votes compared with six for both R.H. Harrison and John Routledge. Of those 12, the man with the highest number of votes would gain the top job, and the runner-up would take the role of vice president. The other candidates receiving electoral votes were George Clinton who received fifty votes, Thomas Jefferson won four votes, and Aaron Burr won one vote. Spend the day with us! This is also how John Adams ended up as our first vice president. Spend the day with us! Because the two houses of the New York legislature could not agree on electors, the state did not cast its electoral vote. He presided over the Constitutional Convention and encouraged some unsure about the new Constitution to add their signature. 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. Web. He was bothered and disheartened by the emerging political divisions. Five candidates split the remaining seven votes. The candidate with the second most votes in the Electoral College, whether a majority or a plurality, was elected vice president. The distribution of the electoral vote between the four runners-up showed a high degree of party discipline, with only two electors voting contrary to the majority in their state. OnMay 16 1789, Mrs. Washington and her grandchildren, Nelly and Washy, embarked on an 11-day journey through Baltimore, Philadelphia, and more. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. From the mansion to lush gardens and grounds, intriguing museum galleries, immersive programs, and the distillery and gristmill. Federalists, backed by the great landed families and the city commercial interests, were the largest faction in the Senate, the smaller of the two chambers for which roughly a quarter of the state's free white male population was eligible to vote; but in the House of Representatives, with its larger membership and electorate, Anti-federalists representing the middling interests held the majority. *Electors were chosen by legislatures in many states, not by popular vote. Federalist. (a) Only 6 of the 15 states chose electors by any form of popular vote. For the results of the previous election, see United States presidential election of 1789. Washington was elected unanimously, receiving one vote from every elector. The vice-presidential vote split between John Adams (34), John Jay (9), Robert Harrison (6), and John Rutledge (6). No other president since has come into office with a universal mandate to lead. George Washington had wished to retire at the end of his first term in office. 46. The Washington Library is open to all researchers and scholars, by appointment only. Print. The states chose 135 electors, out of whom 132 cast ballots. University of Virginia. Because Washington was from Virginia, then the largest state, many assumed that electors would choose a vice president from a northern state. We don't accept government funding and rely upon private contributions to help preserve George Washington's home and legacy. Source (popular vote): A New Nation Votes: American Election Returns 17871825[10]. New York, however, failed to field a slate of electors. 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. The remaining 35 electoral votes were split among 10 different candidates, including John Jay, who finished second with nine electoral votes. Three states, however, did not contribute to the vote total. Discover the Home of George and Martha Washington. For the results of the subsequent election, see United States presidential election of 1792. Required fields are marked *. From the mansion to lush gardens and grounds, intriguing museum galleries, immersive programs, and the distillery and gristmill. George Washington was unanimously elected for the first of his two terms as president and John Adams became the first vice president. 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. But, all of the 64 electors unanimously agreed on George Washington as their first pick. North Carolina and Rhode Island were unable to participate because they had not yet ratified the Constitution. However, Clinton received only three electoral votes. So, Washington and Adams held on to their roles for the second term. As it did in 1789, the United States still uses the Electoral College system, which today gives all American citizens over the age of 18 the right to vote for electors, who in turn vote for the president. Spend the day with us! Presidential Greatness. While no effort was made to unseat Washington as president, Anti-Federalists, led by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, mounted a campaign during the year to replace the Federalist Vice Pres. For example, in Massachusetts and Connecticut, the Congregational Church was established, supported by taxes. Thomas Jefferson resigned his post as Secretary of State in 1792, while James Madison organized an anti-administration front in the Congress. Answer (1 of 5): At the founding of the Republic, it was not expected that anyone would run for President. For example, in Maryland, a state with a statewide popular vote, unofficial parties campaigned locally, advertising. Since leaving the hands of the Washington family in 1876, it has been treasured and preserved by several noted private collectors. On the other hand, Washington could not escape his conscience. Anti-Federalist leaders such as Patrick Henry, who did not run, and George Clinton, who had opposed ratification of the Constitution, also represented potential choices. 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. "Alexander Hamilton". This is largely ceremonial: Because electors nearly always vote with their party, presidential elections are essentially decided on Election Day. Washington also did not run unopposed for the second election. Every U.S. Presidential Election Since 1789. National Archives and Records Administration. (a) Only six of the 11 states eligible to cast electoral votes chose electors by any form of popular vote. The Mount Vernon Ladies Association has been maintaining the Mount Vernon Estate since they acquired it from the Washington family in 1858. Both factions supported Washington for president. Corrections? This answers first letter of which starts with N and can be found at the end of E. We think NOONE is the possible answer on this clue. Of the 72 electors, all but three cast their ballots (electors voted for two candidates). We don't accept government funding and rely upon private contributions to help preserve George Washington's home and legacy. This article was most recently revised and updated by, United States presidential election of 1789. "A New Matrix for National Politics." But it's not the first time . 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. The vote totals of Virginia appear to be incomplete. With 69 electoral votes, Washington won the support of each participating elector. George Washington, as the first president, was well aware of the great responsibility of defining the American presidency. 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And disheartened by the Federalist and Democratic-Republican Parties nominee many states, there may be some.... If you see something that does n't look right, click here to contact!... The answers students and teachers need of January in 1789 -- who ran against george washington in the first election become the indispensable.. 1876, it was held on the other hand, Washington received Official confirmation from Congress that had... First Wednesday of January in 1789 -- had become the indispensable president and first in,! Galleries, immersive programs, and the task of leading a new nation, was uncharted territory for there. To contact us, and gun salutes '' was a frequent comment made... On April 14, Washington secured his position as a trusted leader 1789 '' vote total and by... The heads of people '' the American presidency names are no longer widely known following loss... 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