George Washington (1732–1799) commanded the Continental Army and served as the first President of the United States from 1789 to 1797. He helped create federal institutions and set important presidential precedents, though his legacy is complicated by his ownership of enslaved people.
As commander of the Continental Army and the nation’s first president, George Washington led the United States through its formative years, establishing key institutions and precedents such as the presidential cabinet, the federal judiciary, and the peaceful transfer of power.
He helped stabilize the new federal government and promoted neutrality in foreign affairs, but his record is mixed: his actions shaped federal authority and American diplomacy while his ownership of enslaved people and contested policies remain central to assessments of his legacy.
Led Continental Army to victory in the American Revolution; Unanimously elected first President (1789) and served two terms; Established the presidential cabinet and signed the Judiciary Act of 1789; Oversaw the ratification of the Bill of Rights; Issued the Neutrality Proclamation and wrote the Farewell Address advocating non-entanglement; Suppressed the Whiskey Rebellion and set the two-term presidential precedent
Key highlights and dated events associated with this presidency.
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On March 4, 1791, Congress admitted Vermont to the United States, making it the 14th state.
President George Washington signed the act chartering the First Bank of the United States, establishing a national bank with a 20-year charter.
President George Washington delivered his second Annual Message to Congress, reporting on the state of the union and outlining the administration's key concerns and recommendations.
On October 22, 1790, Brig. Gen. Josiah Harmar's expedition against Native American villages near Kekionga (near present-day Fort Wayne, Indiana) was defeated by a confederation of Native forces.
President Washington replied to an address from the Hebrew Congregation at Newport's Touro Synagogue, assuring them of equal rights and protection under the new government.
Representatives of the United States and leaders of the Creek Nation signed the Treaty of New York, establishing peace terms and defined boundaries between U.S. settlers and Creek lands.
Congress enacted the Funding Act of 1790, providing for federal assumption of certain state Revolutionary War debts and the funding of the national debt.
On August 2, 1790, census marshals began the first official enumeration of the U.S. population under the act of Congress, marking the start of the nation's decennial census.
Washington signed the Trade and Intercourse Act on July 22, 1790, a federal law regulating trade and land transactions with Native American tribes.
President Washington signed the Residence Act, authorizing a permanent national capital on the Potomac River and designating Philadelphia as the temporary capital for up to ten years.
On June 20, 1790, Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison met privately in New York and reached an informal agreement to support federal assumption of state debts in return for locating the national capital on the Potomac River.
On May 31, 1790, President George Washington signed the first federal copyright statute, granting authors exclusive rights to their printed works for a limited term.