The 1st United States Congress assembled for the first time at Federal Hall in New York City, marking the start of operations of the federal government under the U.S. Constitution.
Congress tallied the Electoral College ballots and unanimously chose George Washington as the first President, clearing the way for the first constitutional transfer of executive authority.
Washington took the oath of office on the balcony of Federal Hall in New York City and delivered the first inaugural address, formally launching the executive branch under the new Constitution.
Washington signed the Tariff Act of 1789, establishing duties on imports to raise revenue for the new federal government and help address Revolutionary War debts.
Congress created the Department of Foreign Affairs (renamed the Department of State later in 1789), laying the institutional foundation for U.S. diplomacy and foreign policy administration.
Washington signed the Judiciary Act of 1789, organizing the federal judiciary by establishing district and circuit courts and providing the early framework for the Supreme Court’s operation.
The First Congress approved and transmitted 12 proposed amendments to the states; ten would later be ratified as the Bill of Rights, addressing concerns about federal power and individual liberties.
The Residence Act established a permanent federal district on the Potomac River and set Philadelphia as the temporary national capital while the new seat of government was built.
Congress began meeting in Philadelphia’s Congress Hall, implementing the Residence Act’s temporary-capital plan and shifting the center of federal governance to Pennsylvania for the 1790s.
Washington signed legislation incorporating the First Bank of the United States, a key element of Alexander Hamilton’s financial program to stabilize credit, manage federal revenues, and support economic development.
With enough states approving the amendments, the first ten constitutional amendments took effect as the Bill of Rights, embedding core protections such as freedoms of speech, press, and religion into federal law.
Washington signed the Coinage Act of 1792, creating a national mint and defining a standardized, decimal-based coinage system with the U.S. dollar as the unit of account.
Washington was inaugurated for a second term in Philadelphia at Congress Hall, with a notably brief address, reaffirming the constitutional norm of limited, periodic executive tenure.
Washington proclaimed U.S. neutrality in the conflict sparked by Revolutionary France’s war with Britain and others, shaping early American foreign policy and sparking major constitutional and partisan debates.
In response to violent resistance to federal excise taxes in western Pennsylvania, Washington personally led militia forces partway westward, demonstrating federal capacity to enforce laws under the Constitution.
U.S. envoy John Jay signed the Jay Treaty in London, addressing unresolved issues from the Revolutionary era and aiming to reduce the risk of renewed war with Great Britain, though it proved deeply controversial domestically.
After years of conflict in the Northwest Territory, the Treaty of Greenville was signed at Fort Greenville, establishing a boundary line and ceding large areas to the United States, accelerating U.S. settlement expansion.
The United States and Spain concluded the Treaty of San Lorenzo (Pinckney’s Treaty), settling key boundary disputes and granting U.S. navigation rights on the Mississippi River and access through New Orleans.
Washington’s Farewell Address appeared in print, announcing his decision to retire after two terms and offering guidance on national unity, partisanship, and foreign relations—an enduring precedent for presidential transitions.
Establishment of the Federal Government and George Washington's Presidency (1789–1797)
