On this day in 1792, George Washington writes to James Madison. His first term was coming to a close, and he wanted to retire from public life. He asked Madi...

On this day in 1793, members of George Washington’s cabinet send him memos regarding the so-called “Citizen Genêt Affair.” Have you ever heard of Edmond-Char...

On this day in 1789, George Washington is inaugurated as the first President of the United States. The inauguration occurred in New York: There was no such t...

On this day in 1789, George Washington leaves Mount Vernon. He is headed to New York, where he would be inaugurated as the first President of the United Stat...

On this day in 1789, the United States Congress meets for the first time in New York. Or, at least, it tried to. The Constitution had just been ratified and ...

On this day in 1792, George Washington signs an act to establish a post office. You would not recognize the 1700s version of the United States Postal Service...

On this day in 1788, Massachusetts becomes the sixth state to ratify the Constitution. It was a close call, though. The state had nearly rejected the Constit...

On this day in 1790, New Hampshire ratifies eleven amendments to the United States Constitution. These amendments (plus one other) had been submitted to the ...

On this day in 1788, Fisher Ames addresses delegates at the Massachusetts state ratifying convention. Would his state ratify the U.S. Constitution and join t...

On this day in 1788, Connecticut becomes the fifth state to ratify the U.S. Constitution. The state had come a long way! Just one year earlier, Connecticut ...

On this day in 1790, George Washington delivers the very first State of the Union address. Did you know that Presidents are constitutionally required to give...

On this day in 1789, the first presidential electors are selected. Just a few weeks later, the Electoral College would elect George Washington as the nation’...

On this day in 1799, George Washington writes one of the last letters that he would ever write. He couldn’t then know it, but he was mere hours away from com...

On this day in 1819, a delegate to the Constitutional Convention passes away. Caleb Strong of Massachusetts attended the Convention, but he never signed the ...

On this day in 1787, the Constitutional Convention draws to a close. The delegates turned to the subject of constitutional amendments. The then-existing draf...

On this day in 1784, the State of Franklin declares its independence from North Carolina. Did you know that a state named Franklin could have been the 14th s...

On this day in 1794, the so-called Whiskey Rebellion reaches its high point. The rebellion ultimately failed, but George Washington would later say that it h...

On this day in 1797, Tennessee senator William Blount is impeached by the House of Representatives. But Blount was one of the signers of the Constitution! How...

On this day in 1787, the Constitutional Convention is scheduled to begin—but nothing happened! The Convention couldn’t get started, because only a handful of...

On this day in 1789, the first inaugural ball is held. It wasn’t quite what we think of as a presidential ball, but it was a celebration, nonetheless! Can yo...