George Washington: First Inaugural Address

Context

In mid-June 1783, after eight years as commander in chief of the American military forces fighting for independence from Great Britain, George Washington wrote his last circular letter to the states, in which he offered his advice to make America a great nation. The letter also contained Washington's promises to retire from the army at the end of the hostilities and refrain from serving again in public office. Six months later Washington surrendered his commission to Congress and retired to the life of “a private citizen on the banks of the Potomac … free from the bustle of a camp & the busy scenes of public life” (Washington to Lafayette, February 1, 1784; Abbot and Twohig, vol. 1, pp. 87–88).

Washington's countrymen did not follow his advice. When a severe economic depression enveloped America in 1784, political turmoil swept through the country. Demagogic state assemblies succumbed to the demands of desperate debtors in about half the states. Violence erupted throughout the country that included the burning of courthouses in western Virginia and the closing of the civil courts in western Massachusetts to halt foreclosures on debtors' farms. The Confederation Congress, with only limited “expressly delegated powers” from the Articles of Confederation, could do little to revive the economy or suppress the violence. Alarmed at what he saw, Washington wrote that there were combustibles in every state ready to be ignited by a single spark.

To address the country's problems, Congress called a general convention of the states to amend the Articles of Confederation and strengthen Congress. Setting an example for other states, the Virginia legislature quickly appointed a delegation to the convention, which was to be led by Washington. Washington, however, refused the appointment primarily because of his 1783 promise not to serve in public office again. Owing to the continuing pressure from prominent Virginians such as James Madison and Governor Edmund Randolph, Washington finally relented and accepted the appointment. To no one's surprise, Washington was elected president of the convention that sat from May 25 to September 17, 1787.

The convention proposed a new constitution that was ratified in June 1788. Washington was the only person Americans wanted to lead them. Although he preferred retirement, Washington realized that duty required him to accept the unanimous election as the country's first president.

Washington asked his close friend and adviser David Humphreys, of New Haven, Connecticut, to draft his inaugural address. Humphreys, an aide-de-camp to Washington during the war, had been residing at Mount Vernon for over a year while going through Washington's papers in preparation to write a biography. When Humphreys's lengthy draft of the inaugural address took two and a half hours to read, however, Washington abandoned it and asked James Madison to write a second draft.

The draft in Humphreys's handwriting has not been located. Washington copied Humphreys's draft and sent it to Madison, who returned the copy to Washington at Mount Vernon in February 1789 when Madison was traveling north to attend Congress in New York City. Jared Sparks, the editor of Washington's papers in the 1830s, cut Washington's copy of Humphreys's draft into pieces and sent it to autograph seekers. Only a fraction of the snippets have been recovered.

Clad in a dark brown suit of Connecticut broadcloth with metal buttons displaying a spread-winged eagle, white silk stockings, and an ornate ceremonial sword, Washington took the oath of office about 1:00 pm on April 30, 1789, on the balcony of Federal Hall (Old City Hall), located where Wall Street meets Broad Street and Nassau Street in New York City. New York's chancellor, Robert R. Livingston, the highest-ranking judicial officer in the state, administered the oath. As the crowd shouted “God bless our Washington! Long live our beloved president” (Twohig, vol. 2, p. 155), Washington, Vice President John Adams, and the other attending dignitaries reentered the building and proceeded to the Senate chamber, where Washington delivered his four-page address in about twelve minutes to a joint session of Congress. Seated close to Washington, Massachusetts congressman Fisher Ames wrote,

Time has made havoc upon his face. That, and many other circumstances not to be reasoned about, conspire to keep up the awe which I brought with me. He addressed the two Houses in the Senate chamber; it was a very touching scene, and quite of the solemn kind. His aspect grave, almost to sadness; his modesty, actually shaking; his voice deep, a little tremulous, and so low as to call for close attention … produced emotions of the most affecting kind upon the members. I sat entranced. It seemed to me an allegory in which virtue was personified. (Fisher Ames to George Richards Minot, May 3, 1789; Ames, vol. 1, p. 34.)

Following the address, the company walked about 700 yards to Saint Paul's Episcopal Chapel for services conducted by the Rev. Dr. Samuel Provost, the newly elected chaplain of the Senate. After the services, the president was escorted to his residence, where he dined with a small group of friends and advisers. The inaugural events ended that evening with a brilliant display of fireworks.

Each house, sitting separately, appointed committees to draft responses to the president. Madison chaired the House of Representatives' five-man committee and wrote that the speech was warmly received. The House joined with Washington in seeking the blessings of God for the country and in particular “on the most beloved of her citizens.” The Senate rejoiced with all Americans “that, in Obedience to the Call of our common Country, you have returned once more to public life.” They told Washington that “in you all Interests unite; and we have no doubt that your past Services, great as they have been, will be equaled by your future Exertions; and that your Prudence and Sagacity as a statesman will tend to avert the Dangers to which we were exposed, to give stability to the present Government, and Dignity and Splendor to that country, which your Skill and Valor as a Soldier, so eminently contributed to raise to independence and Empire.” Members of the Senate assured Washington that they would work with him “in every Measure, which may strengthen the Union, conduce to the Happiness, or secure and perpetuate the Liberties of this great confederated Republic” (U.S. Senate to President Washington, May 16, 1789; Twohig, vol. 2, p. 311). Washington responded that he would “readily engage” with them “in the arduous, but pleasing, task, of attempting to make a Nation happy” (Washington to the U.S. Senate, May 18, 1789; Twohig, vol. 2, p. 324).