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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Following his October proclamation, President Washington's nationally proclaimed Day of Thanksgiving was observed on Thursday, November 26, 1789.
On November 21, 1789, delegates at a convention in Fayetteville formally ratified the U.S. Constitution, bringing North Carolina into the Union.
On October 3, 1789, President George Washington issued a proclamation designating Thursday, November 26, 1789, as a national day of public thanksgiving and prayer.
President George Washington nominated Thomas Jefferson to serve as the first Secretary of State under the new government, and the Senate confirmed him on September 26, 1789.
President George Washington appointed Samuel Osgood as the first Postmaster General of the United States under the new federal government.
On September 26, 1789 President Washington nominated Edmund Jennings Randolph and the Senate confirmed him as the nation’s first Attorney General.
President Washington nominated John Jay to be the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, and the Senate confirmed his appointment late September 1789.
The First Congress approved twelve constitutional amendments and transmitted them to the states for ratification, ten of which later became the Bill of Rights.
President George Washington signed the Judiciary Act of 1789, establishing the federal judiciary, including the Supreme Court, circuit courts, and district courts.
On September 15, 1789, Congress passed legislation formally changing the Department of Foreign Affairs' name to the Department of State and clarifying its duties.
President Washington nominated Henry Knox, and the Senate confirmed him as the first Secretary of War under the new Constitution.
President Washington nominated Alexander Hamilton to be the first Secretary of the Treasury, and the Senate confirmed him in September 1789.