It is January 30th. Welcome to Episode 30 of History in a Year. Today, the experiment officially begins. We travel to New York City—the first capital of the United States—to watch George Washington invent the Presidency. We see him borrow money just to afford the trip, wear a suit made of American cloth to make a point, and stand on a balcony on Wall Street to take an oath that would change the world.
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STEPHEN:
Welcome to History in a Year: America’s First 250 Years.
LEAH:
Join us every single day as we journey from the Revolution of 1776 to the 250th anniversary of the United States.
STEPHEN:
You can find every episode and join the discussion at PointedWords.com. I’m Stephen.
LEAH:
And I’m Leah.
STEPHEN:
It is January 30th. Welcome to Episode 30. Yesterday, we watched the fierce battle to ratify the Constitution. The Federalists won. The document was law. But a piece of paper can’t run a country.
LEAH:
They needed a man. And there was really only one choice. In the first presidential election of 1788, there were no campaign speeches. There were no debates. There was just an assumption.
STEPHEN:
On April 6, 1789, the Senate opened the ballots. It was unanimous. Every single elector cast a vote for George Washington. To this day, he is the only President to be elected unanimously.
LEAH:
But at Mount Vernon, the “President-Elect” wasn’t celebrating. He was dreading it.
STEPHEN:
Washington was 57 years old. He felt old. His health wasn’t great. He had teeth problems. He had rheumatism. And honestly, he was broke.
LEAH:
This is a detail people often miss. Washington was land-rich but cash-poor. The war had devastated his finances. He actually had to borrow £600 from a neighbor just to pay off his debts and afford the travel expenses to New York for his own inauguration.
STEPHEN:
He wrote a letter to his friend Henry Knox that reveals his state of mind. He didn’t sound like a winner. He sounded like a prisoner.
LEAH:
He wrote: “My movements to the chair of government will be accompanied by feelings not unlike those of a culprit, who is going to the place of his execution.”
STEPHEN:
He felt like he was marching to the gallows. He knew that everyone expected him to be perfect. If he failed, the whole American experiment would fail. He said, “I walk on untrodden ground.”
LEAH:
He left Mount Vernon on April 16, 1789. He wanted a quiet trip. He didn’t get one.
STEPHEN:
It was a triumphal procession. Every town he passed through—Alexandria, Baltimore, Wilmington—fired cannons and rang bells.
LEAH:
The most emotional moment came at Trenton, New Jersey. This was the place where he had crossed the Delaware in the snow to save the Revolution back in 1776.
STEPHEN:
Now, thirteen years later, the women of Trenton had built a massive floral arch over the bridge. It said “The Defender of the Mothers will be the Protector of the Daughters.”
LEAH:
As Washington rode across the bridge on his white horse, a choir of young girls dressed in white threw flowers in his path and sang a song written just for him. Washington was deeply moved. It was a reminder of what was at stake.
STEPHEN:
He arrived in Elizabeth, New Jersey, and boarded a magnificent ceremonial barge to cross the harbor to New York City.
LEAH:
New York was the capital back then. The barge was rowed by thirteen pilots in white uniforms—one for each state. As they rowed across the harbor, a Spanish warship fired a 13-gun salute. The harbor was filled with boats. It was a water parade.
STEPHEN:
He landed at Wall Street. The stairs were covered in carpet. Thousands of people packed the streets. They cheered so loud that observers said the sound was like thunder.
LEAH:
But the actual inauguration didn’t happen for another week. They were waiting for Congress to get organized. Finally, the date was set: April 30, 1789.
STEPHEN:
The morning started with church bells. Washington got dressed. And his outfit was a political statement.
LEAH:
He didn’t wear a military uniform. He wanted to show that the President was a civilian. But he also didn’t wear expensive European silk or velvet.
STEPHEN:
He wore a suit made of brown broadcloth that was woven in Hartford, Connecticut. It was 100% American-made. He was sending a message: We don’t need Britain. We can manufacture our own clothes. He wore it with white silk stockings and shoes with simple silver buckles.
LEAH:
At noon, he rode to Federal Hall on Wall Street. This was the building where Congress met. (It’s not there anymore, but there is a statue of Washington marking the spot).
STEPHEN:
He went to the second floor, to the Senate Chamber. John Adams was there. Adams had been elected Vice President (he came in second). Adams was a nervous wreck about protocol. He was obsessing over how to introduce Washington.
LEAH:
Washington walked out onto the balcony overlooking Wall Street. A huge cheer went up from the crowd below. He bowed three times. Then, he sat in a chair.
STEPHEN:
The crowd went silent. Robert Livingston, the Chancellor of New York, stepped forward to administer the oath.
LEAH:
There was a small problem. They realized at the last second… they didn’t have a Bible!
STEPHEN:
It was a massive oversight. A messenger ran to a Masonic Lodge down the street and borrowed a heavy Bible bound in red leather. He ran back just in time.
LEAH:
Washington stood up. He placed his hand on the Bible. He repeated the oath that is still written in the Constitution:
“I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.”
STEPHEN:
There is a legend—though historians debate it—that he added “So help me God” at the end and kissed the Bible. Whether he said it or not, every President since has followed that tradition.
LEAH:
Chancellor Livingston turned to the crowd and shouted, “Long Live George Washington, President of the United States!”
STEPHEN:
The crowd roared. The flag was raised on the roof. Cannons fired from the Battery. The first President was installed.
LEAH:
But the hard part was just starting. Washington went back inside the Senate Chamber to give his inaugural address.
STEPHEN:
And here, we see the human side of the legend. Washington was a great general. He was a great rider. But he was a terrible public speaker.
LEAH:
Senator William Maclay wrote in his diary that Washington was shaking. He said, “This great man was agitated and embarrassed more than ever he was by the leveled cannon or pointed musket.”
STEPHEN:
He trembled so much he had trouble reading his speech. His voice was so quiet that the people in the back of the room couldn’t hear him. He shifted his weight from one foot to the other.
LEAH:
It wasn’t a speech of triumph. It was a speech of humility. He admitted he was unfit for the job. He prayed for divine guidance.
STEPHEN:
He knew that every single thing he did would set a precedent.
LEAH:
If he bowed, was that too royal? (He decided to bow).
If he hosted a dinner party, who should be invited?
What should people call him?
STEPHEN:
Oh, the title debate! That was the first big controversy. John Adams wanted a fancy title like “His Highness the President of the United States and Protector of the Liberties of the Same.”
LEAH:
Washington hated that. He wanted something simple. Eventually, James Madison convinced Congress to settle on the simple title we use today: “Mr. President.”
STEPHEN:
Just think about how radical that was. In a world of “Your Majesty” and “Your Highness,” the leader of America used the same title as the guy who ran your local cricket club. Mr. President.
LEAH:
After the speech, Washington walked up Broadway to St. Paul’s Chapel for a prayer service. That church is still there, too. It’s the one that miraculously survived 9/11 right next to the World Trade Center. Washington’s pew is still marked.
STEPHEN:
That night, there were fireworks. The city was illuminated. But Washington went to bed early. He knew the party was over.
LEAH:
He had a government to build. He had no cabinet. He had no staff. He had no money in the treasury.
STEPHEN:
And he had two geniuses on his team who hated each other’s guts.
LEAH:
Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson.
STEPHEN:
Washington appointed Hamilton as Secretary of the Treasury and Jefferson as Secretary of State. He thought he could harness their brilliance for the good of the nation.
LEAH:
He didn’t realize he was starting a political war that would tear his cabinet apart and create the two-party system.
STEPHEN:
Join us tomorrow for Episode 31.
LEAH:
I’m Leah.
STEPHEN:
And I’m Stephen.
STEPHEN:
You can find every episode at PointedWords.com. And this… is our story.