Today in History

February 4 , 1789

George Washington Elected President

There were giants in those days. The Electoral College unanimously elected Washington, the only time a president has received 100% of the vote in 1789. He was not a member of a political party. John Adams was elected vice president. Washington took office on April 30, 1789 and at first declined and then accepted a salary of $25,000 annually, a very large sum of money for the time. He was elected to a second term, again unanimously, but refused to stand for a third term. In his farewell speach, he argued that America should to the extent possible remain free of foreign involvement and warned against partisanship in domestic politics, calling on men to act for the common good. Washington died in 1799. Speaking at the funeral, Henry Lee said that of all Americans, he was "first in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen."

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