1st President of the United States
George Washington
“Father of His Country”
- In office
- April 30, 1789 – March 4, 1797
- Party
- Unaffiliated
- Home state
- Virginia
- Lived
- 1732–1799
- Days in office
- 2,865
- In order
- No. 1: the first, before John Adams
- Vice president
- John Adams
Key achievements & events
- Commanded the Continental Army to victory in the Revolutionary War, then presided over the 1787 Constitutional Convention
- Only president elected unanimously by the Electoral College, twice
- Built the federal government's foundations: the first Cabinet, federal courts and Hamilton's national bank
- Kept the young nation neutral in the French Revolutionary wars (1793 Neutrality Proclamation)
- Stepped down after two terms, setting a precedent that held until 1940
Remember: The only president who never belonged to a political party; he warned against "the spirit of party" in his Farewell Address.