On February 4, 1789, the Electoral College unanimously elected George Washington as the first President of the United States. The decision, while historic, came as little surprise.
At the time, Washington was living at Mount Vernon and remained closely connected to Alexandria through Christ Church, civic relationships, and commercial ties to the Potomac port town. For Alexandrians, his election confirmed what they had long witnessed firsthand—leadership exercised locally for decades was now entrusted to the nation.
Writing from Mount Vernon on April 14, 1789, Washington accepted the presidency as a matter of duty, declaring that he had “concluded to obey the important & flattering call of my Country,” and announcing his immediate departure to join Congress.
Washington’s election marked a turning point for Alexandria. The Constitution and presidency it created were soon felt directly here, as the Virginia town would later be drawn into the new federal district—binding Alexandria’s civic life to the governance of the United States.