 
President Washington and Vice President John
Adams America elected its first president and vice president. General George Washington, a greatly revered and honored military leader was elected president and John Adams was elected vice president. Delegates from all the colonies
met in the US capitol, New York, to vote for the two men that will lead
this country. These delegates represent the wishes of the voters of each
state. The election was to take place weeks before, but there was trouble
in getting all the delegates to meet together. After all the delegates
had arrived, they all sat down and took a vote. April 6, 1789, quorum of
both houses met to open the packets containing the ballots. After all the
votes were counted, it was announced that the vote was unanimous and George
Washington won.
|
Washington
won with a total of 69 out of 69 votes. The vote for Washington was unanimous
among the Electoral College, those representatives the states elected to choose
our president. For vice president, because he won the second highest number of
electoral votes, John Adams
was elected with a count of 34 out of 69 votes. These two men are both
federalists. Federalists are advocates of the creation of a federal system
of government as outlined in the constitution. Other candidates included
Jay who received 9 votes, Harrison who received 6 votes, Rutledge who received
6 votes, Hancock who received 4 votes, Clinton who received 3 votes, Huntington
who received 2 votes, Hilton who received 2 votes, Armstrong, Lincoln,
and Telfair only received 1 vote.
The day of the inauguration, Washington had to travel from his home in Mount Vernon to New York. He was greeted with roaring cannons, pealing bells, flower carpeted roads, and singing and shouting citizens. With appropriate ceremony he solemnly and somewhat nervously took the oath of office on April 30, 1789 on a crowded balcony overlooking Wall Street. Here is an excerpt of his
inaugural address:
In tendering this homage to the Great Author of every public and private good, I assure my self that it expresses your sentiments not less than my own, nor those of my fellow-citizens at large less than either. No people can be bound to acknowledge and adore the Invisible Hand which conducts the affairs of men more than those ofThese poetic words reveal the nature of a man supported by the Almighty. With such a man at the helm of our republic our nation will surely prosper. |
| There are many people that feel George Washington should of been elected King of America instead of President. As a British subject and a loyal supporter of his majesty, our King, I protest the presumption of those colonials who would support the cause of monarchy for General Washington. Our King comes from a long line of noble rulers who have been trained since birth to prepare them for the day they will become King. General Washington is merely the leader of a rag tag army who got lucky. Under normal circumstances, England could have won the war. However the resources of our government and noble army were severely strained by European affairs. General Washington has no experience in governing a country or its people. He was a farmer from Virginia hardly the qualification necessary to be King of a country. It would be much better if the American people chose the head of their government in a manner that would allow them change leaders if their first choice was not the best one. Maybe there should of been another King George only time will tell us. | The following
is an editorial of what Abigail Adams, wife of current Vice President,
had to say after meeting the new President for the first time.
|
George Washington, the new President of the United States is the former commander and chief of the Continental American army and a gentleman farmer from Virginia.
George Washington was born February 22, 1732 in Westmoreland County, Virginia. He is the eldest son of Augustine and Mary Bell Washington. He is a well read man who likes to read books on geography, military history, and agriculture. He enjoys sports and is an excellent rider. He enjoys adventure and has in the past gone on survey expeditions into the Wilderness. In the summer of 1749, he was appointed the official surveyor for Culpepper County.
As a young man he decided
to pursue a career in the military and was given the rank of major and
appointed adjutant of one of the Virginia districts. Because of the role
he played in the French and Indian war, Washington was promoted to Lieutenant
Colonel. He was an aide to the late General Edward Braddock who so
courageously gave his life in that war. Washington was successful in keeping
the Virginia frontier from the French.
When his older half brother Lawrence died, Washington inherited the plantation known as Mount Vernon. This is where Washington currently resides although there is talk about building a home for the President to live in. He is married to the former Martha Custis, a young window whom he wed in 1759. Martha has a large estate that she acquired from her previous marriage. His fortunate marriage along with the rise in tobacco has made him one of the wealthiest men in Virginia. A year before his marriage, Mr. Washington was elected to the House of Burgesses where he served for 17 years.
Like other Virginia planners, Washington became sympathetic to the American viewpoint over the disagreements and conflicts rising with the British Parliament. In July of 1774, he presided over a meeting in Alexandria, Virginia that adopted the Fairfax Resolves. This called for a boycott of British Imports. Washington was appointed commander of the Continental army when war broke out between us and the colonists in 1775. In the early years of the war, General Washington suffered many defeats at the hands of the British. During this time Washington lost the city of Philadelphia to the General Howe and the British army. This forced Washington and his poorly dressed, hungry, rag tag army to spend a harsh winter at Valley Forge. At one point, General Washington narrowly avoided being removed as commander and chief. The American's luck began to turn when the French entered the war on the American side. The combined American and French forces won the war when they managed to surround Lord Cornwallis at Yorktown forcing him to surrender in the month of June in 1781.
After the war, Washington
resigned as commander and returned to Mount Vernon, hoping to lead a quiet
and peaceful as a gentleman planter. However he was soon called to help
form the Constitutional Convention of 1787. Later he was chosen to be president
of the convention. Washington played a strong role in helping to ratify
the constitution. Due to the high regard of the American people for his
abilities, Mr. Washington has been elected as the first President of the
newly formed United States of America.
Try A Short Quiz!!
George Cassutto's Cyberlearning World
[Lesson Plan of the Day] [Cassutto Memorial] [About the Author] [Search] [Civics Lesson Plans]
