Who was the first President of the United States?

The first President of the United States after the Constitution was ratified was George Washington. The Constitution required an election every four years to fill the office of the President and of the Vice President. At that time, there were no limits on the how many terms a president could serve. All presidents, except one, have followed President Washington’s decision to serve only two terms. Franklin D. Roosevelt was the only President to serve more than two terms. He was President during the Great Depression and during World War II. With the passage of the 22nd amendment, a president is now limited to two terms.

In the election of 1788, our people wanted George Washington to run and to be elected as President. The real race was who the Vice President would be. John Adam served as our Vice President during the two terms George Washington was President.

George Washington was our first President to be elected under the Constitution.