Washington Is Unanimously Elected as the First President of the United States

The Constitution of the United States was ratified by the necessary nine states in June of 1788. On February 4th of the following year, the electoral college met and cast their votes for the election of president. While everyone assumed that George Washington would be elected, the votes would not be counted until the new Congress convened. The newly elected Congress convened on March 4, 1789 in New York City, but it took a month for a quorum to be achieved. Finally, on April 6th the ballots were opened and counted and it was determned that George Washington had been unanimously elected as our nation's first president, and our only president to ever be unanimously elected. Even still, Washington himself was not officially notified of his election until April 14, 1789. Above is a print by Howard Pyle of Washington receiving official word of his election at his Mount Vernon home.