User:Rhea829

The First President
The 57 year-old president-elect made his way slowly toward New York City, which was then the nation's capital. After the Constitutional Convection, George Washington had looked forward to a quiet retirement. Instead his fellow citizens elected him to the highest office in the land. On April 30th, 1789, Washington took the oath of office as the first ever President of the United States under the federal constitution(there had been several presidents under the Articles of Confederation). John Adams became the first Vice President. Perhaps no office in the new government created more suspition among the people than the office of the president. Many americans feared that a president would try to become king, but they trusted Washington. They belived that his leadership had brought them victory in the Revolutionary War. Washington was aware of the difficulties he faced. He knew that the precendents, or traditions, he established as the nation's first president would shape the future of the United States.