george washington was elected as the first president of the united states.
who was elected as the first president of the united states?
george washington
bullet::::- in the short story "the father of his country" by jody lynn nye contained in the anthology "alternate presidents" by mike resnick, benjamin franklin was elected as the first president of the united states by the 1st united states congress on april 6, 1789, defeating his sole opponent george washington and achieving a clear mandate to govern in the process. in spite of the fact that franklin was 83 years old and was rumored to have fathered numerous illegitimate children while serving as ambassador to france from 1778 to 1785, he ultimately won the election in part due to reservations voiced by prominent members of congress such as john hancock and charles thomson regarding washington. they were concerned that it would set a bad precedent for the first president to be a general. furthermore, franklin's supporters stressed that he was well liked and respected by foreign heads of state friendly to the united states, had been prominent in matters of diplomacy and government at home and abroad and had already proven that he had the best interests of the nation at heart. when he was offered the presidency after his election, franklin emulated the fictionalized julius caesar's stance in the shakespearean tragedy of the same name who denied the crown of rome three times in act 1, scene 2 of the play. consequently, he only accepted the position on being offered it for the fourth time. he was inaugurated in federal hall in new york city on april 30, 1789. his vice president was john adams who had supported washington in congress, as had his second cousin samuel adams. during his tenure in office, president franklin attempted to create a more democratic society and managed to live longer than he did in real life. shortly after taking office, he began to insist on organizing the government as if it were a business. in a letter to his wife abigail adams, vice president adams was scornful of the idea that a government "could run with the same dispatch and efficiency as a printshop." however, the notion proved to be extremely popular with the citizenry as president franklin was often surrounded by his supporters, friends and former subscribers while walking through the streets of philadelphia. adams believed that his role as president of the senate would mean that the vice presidency would soon eclipse the presidency in importance and prestige. in september 1789, president franklin made a speech decrying ambition and avarice as the two principal sins besetting the united states. the speech, which was published in the "philadelphia gazette", was popular with quakers, small merchants and farmers but less so with the landowners and aristocrats who made up the congress. congress also moved to insist that franklin limit his writings to only the most serious of topics so as not to adversely affect the dignity of his office. although he outwardly complied, adams was aware that he continued to write his satires and hoaxes, which he published under various pseudonyms. one of these was a playful satire regarding great britain's position on trade with the united states which was attributed to a "mr. newly." on being confronted by adams about the piece, franklin did not admit or deny writing it but "his eyes twinkled with mischief." losing patience with the elderly president, adams told him that he must accede to congress' request to cease from publishing such ephemera as the united states had gained the upper hand in its trade negotiations with britain and did not want it to be ruined by a trivial matter. to adams' annoyance, the newly piece had become very popular with the general public and encouraged them to support the trade negotiations. while this proved advantageous to the government in the short-term, adams confided in his wife that could also serve to set a precedent which he and his colleagues sought to avoid, namely allowing the public control of their government. in defiance of congress' numerous requests, franklin continued to publish articles using pseudonyms. in one commentary published in march 1791, the president stated that a trade agreement with britain should be reached with great alacrity. furthermore, franklin attempted to manipulate the public through these articles by voicing the opinion that proposed bills should be presented to the public before being presented to congress. this led to adams being accosted by a tavern owner who objected to the new duty on rum. adams was concerned that, if this trend continued, he and his fellow politicians would be forced to the indignity of consulting their constituents before voting in congress, which he regarded as an absurd notion which would delay the workings of government. in a letter dated april 29, 1792, adams confided in his wife abigail that he regarded franklin as "a meddlesome old man" and was privately relieved that his advanced age meant that he was coming to the end of his life. when that day came, adams stated that he and his colleagues would be able to get on with the business of government unhindered.
list of fictional united states presidencies of historical figures (e–g)
bullet::::- first president born after the death of his father.





























bullet::::- first president to be a presbyterian.





























bullet::::- first president elected as democrat to the presidency.





























bullet::::- first president to have been a major general.





























bullet::::- first president to be inaugurated at the east portico of the united states capitol building.





























bullet::::- first president to marry a divorced woman.





























bullet::::- first president to kill someone in a duel.





























bullet::::- first president to be targeted by an assassin.





























bullet::::- first president to be older than his predecessor.





























bullet::::- first president to ride on a railroad train.
list of united states presidential firsts