Hello everyone, and welcome to the first instalment of my series on U.S. presidential elections. In this series, I will explore each election in chronological order, from the very first in 1788/89 up to the most recent in 2020. Along the way, I’ll provide background information leading up to each election, summarize the candidates involved, discuss the campaign dynamics (if applicable), and review the results.
Please note that some articles will be more detailed than others as we progress through this series. With that said, let’s dive into the first election, which took place from December 15, 1788, to January 10, 1789.
The Election of 1788; Background Information
The first U.S. presidential election was unique in that it spanned two calendar years, from December 15, 1788, to January 10, 1789. Voting was conducted manually—no electronic machines back then!
In June 1788, the United States Constitution was ratified by several states. The Constitution outlined various provisions, including the establishment of legislative power in Congress, the roles of the President and Vice President, the powers of the Supreme Court, and the process for adding new states.
Not all states had ratified the Constitution by the time of the first election, but enough had to proceed with the electoral process. The Constitution introduced the Electoral College system for presidential elections. Electors were to cast votes, with the candidate receiving the most electoral votes becoming President and the runner-up becoming Vice President. However, the initial rules did not specify how electors should vote for these roles.
This lack of clarity meant that if a candidate running for Vice President received more electoral votes than a candidate running for President, the Vice Presidential candidate could become President, and the Presidential candidate could become Vice President. This potential for confusion would become a topic of debate in future elections, but we’ll explore that in future articles.
The Candidates
George Washington, celebrated for his leadership during the Revolutionary War, was overwhelmingly popular and became the first President of the United States. Despite some advocates wanting him to become King, Washington declined and was instead elected President, although he was reluctant to assume the role.
The primary question was who would serve as Washington’s Vice President. Several prominent figures vied for the position, including John Adams, John Jay, John Hancock, and Samuel Huntington. These individuals were Federalists, supporting the ratification of the Constitution. In contrast, George Clinton, another candidate for Vice President, was an Anti-Federalist. However, Anti-Federalists would later be known as Democratic-Republicans, a group distinct from today’s Democratic and Republican parties.
The Results
George Washington won the presidency, receiving all 69 electoral votes and becoming the only candidate in U.S. history to achieve 100% of the electoral vote. However, the election had some complications. Vermont was not yet officially recognized as a state, and several states, including North Carolina and Rhode Island, had not ratified the Constitution by the time of the election and therefore could not participate. Additionally, New York did not cast any electoral votes due to a deadlock in its legislature.
John Adams came in second place with 34 electoral votes, becoming the first Vice President of the United States. Alexander Hamilton, a key advocate for the Constitution’s ratification, played a crucial role in ensuring a clear outcome by influencing the distribution of votes to avoid a potential deadlock or the unintentional election of Adams as President. Other Vice Presidential candidates received significantly fewer votes but had enough to prevent a deadlocked election.
