George Washington Event Timeline

George Washington (1) Event Timeline

04/30/1789-03/04/1797

09/17/1787

Constitution finalized at Constitutional Convention (“Constitution Day”).

06/21/1788

Constitution ratified when New Hampshire became 9^th state to ratify.

1789

02/04/1789

Electors cast ballots in Electoral College, New York City; Washington elected.

03/04/1789

First Congress convenes in New York City.

04/30/1789

First Inaugural Address.

05/08/1789

Message Replying to House of Representatives .

05/18/1789

Message Replying to the Senate.

06/01/1789

Signs 1st Act of Congress; (1 Stat 23) procedures for administering oaths of office.

06/11/1789

Message to Senate Regarding Convention with France of 1788.

07/04/1789

Signs Tariff Act of 1789, first substantive legislation protecting trade and raising revenues.

07/27/1789

Signs Act (1 Stat 28) establishing the Department of Foreign Affairs.

08/07/1789

Signs Act (1 Stat 49) establishing the Department of War.

08/07/1789

Lighthouse Act signed.  Financial responsibility for lighthouses transferred to federal government from states provided related lands and tenements are ceded to the United States.

09/02/1789

Signs Act (1 Stat 65) establishing the Treasury Department.

09/15/1789

Signs Act (1 Stat 68) to provide for the safe keeping of the Acts, Records and Seal of the United States, and for other purposes; changing name of Department of Foreign Affairs to Department of State.

09/24/1789

Signs Act (1 Stat 73) to Establish the Judicial Courts of the United States; setting the size of the Supreme Court at six, and creating 13 judicial districts, and dividing most of the districts into three circuits and specifying that Supreme Court justices serve as Circuit Judges.

09/24/1789

Nominates John Jay as the 1^st Chief Justice of Supreme Court;  Jay unanimously confirmed 09/26/1789.

09/25/1789

Congress adopts 12 Constitutional Amendments (including the Bill of Rights) (1 Stat 97) which are sent to the states for ratification by Washington on 10/02/1789.

09/26/1789

Nominates Thomas Jefferson as 1^st Secretary of State.

10/03/1789

Proclamation- Day of National Thanksgiving.

1790

01/08/1790

First Annual State of the Union Address to Congress.

01/14/1790

Hamilton’s First Report on Public Credit submitted to Congress.

03/01/1790

Signs first Census Act (1 Stat 101), "Act providing for the enumeration of the inhabitants of the United States.

03/22/1790

Jefferson begins service as Secretary of State.

03/26/1790

Signs “An Act to establish a uniform rule of Naturalization” (1 Stat 103) outlining steps for “a free white person” to become a citizen.

04/10/1790

Signs first Patent Act (2 Stat 109), "An Act to promote the progress of useful Arts."

04/30/1790

Signs Act (1 Stat 112) defining a set of Federal Crimes (on government lands or the high seas) inclulding treason, murder, robbery, piracy, counterfeiting, bribery, etc.  Punishments include imprisonment, fines, death and "public whipping."

05/29/1790

Rhode Island ratifies Constitution, the last of the 13 original colonies.

05/31/1790

Signs copyright law.

07/16/1790

Signs the Residence Act, provided for defining of a “district of territory” to be the permanent seat of the government of the United States, not exceeding 10 miles square, on the banks of the Potomac, (Later the “District of Columbia”).  Called for relocating the government to this location no later than the first Monday in December 1800.

07/22/1790

Signs "An Act to regulate trade and intercourse with the Indian Tribes," requiring that traders must be licensed and regulated by the Federal government.

08/04/1790

“An Act making provision for the [payment of the] Debt of the United States.”  Outstanding Revolutionary War debt of the states is assumed by the United States.

08/14/1790

Proclamation—Publishing a treaty of Peace and Friendship Between the United States and the Creek Nations of the Indians.

08/26/1790

Proclamation—Warning Against Violation of Treaties Between the United States and the Cherokee, Choctaw, and Chickasaw Indians.

12/06/1790

Capital moves from New York to Philadelphia.

12/08/1790

Second Annual Address to Congress.

12/15/1790

Hamilton proposal to Congress for a national bank, Second Report on Public Credit.

1791

01/24/1791

Proclamation 1 –Defining the Boundaries of the District of Columbia.

02/18/1791

Signs Act admitting the State of Vermont into the Union. The effective date is 03/04/1791.

03/03/1791

First revenue law, creating fourteen revenue districts and placing a tax on all distilled spirits.

03/04/1791

Special message: Vermont admitted as 14th state.

03/19/1791

Proclamation 2—Respecting the Acts of James O’Fallon in Kentucky  O’Fallon was “levying an armed force” which “disturbs the public peace.”

03/30/1791

Proclamation- Ordering the Completion of a Survey to Establish the boundaries of the permanent seat of government.

09/09/1791

Commissioners name the territory within the District of Columbia (and the future seat of the Federal Government) as the “City of Washington” in honor of the nation's first President.

10/25/1791

Third Annual State of the Union Address.

11/04/1791

A confederated force of Indians (Miami, Shawnee, and Delaware) soundly defeat an American military force of 1400 men on the banks of the Wabash River (today Fort Recovery, Ohio). Over 900 American were killed or wounded.

12/15/1791

Bill of Rights declared ratified.

1792

01/12/1792

Thomas Pinckney appointed first United States Minister to England.

03/01/1792

Signs Presidential Succession Act; outlines process for selection and voting of electors; providing for case in which neither President nor Vice-President can serve.

04/05/1792

Vetoes Act of Apportionment of Representatives on grounds that it contradicts the language of the Constitution. Veto is sustained in the House on 04/06/1792.

06/01/1792

Kentucky Admitted as a state.

09/15/1792

Proclamation 3b-Cessation of violence and obstruction of Justice in Protest of Liquor Laws.

10/13/1792

The cornerstone for the President's mansion is laid in Washington D.C.

11/06/1792

Fourth Annual State of the Union Address.

12/05/1792

Electors cast ballots; Washington reelected unanimously.

12/12/1792

Proclamation 3A---Offering Reward for the Capture of Participants in the Burning of a Georgia Cherokee Indian Town.

1793

02/12/1793

Signs Fugitive Slave Act. ("An Act respecting fugitives from justice, and persons escaping from the service of their masters.") The act requires authorities in every state to arrest, secure, and return fugitives from other states when notified.

03/04/1793

Inaugural Address.

04/22/1793

Neutrality Proclamation;  In precedent-setting act, Washington declared (without Congressional advice or consent) United States neutrality in the War Involving Austria, Prussia, Sardinia, Great Britain, and the United Netherlands against France.

05/18/1793

President Washington receives France's envoy to the United States, Edmond Charles Genet, who unsuccessfully sought US help in European war and subsequently provoked controversy and scandal.

08/19/1793

Summoned Randolph for explanation of French dispatch.

09/18/1793

Participates in laying the southeast cornerstone of Capitol Building in federal district.

10/01/1793

US relations with Britain worsen after Britain orders confiscation of ships trading with the French in the Caribbean.

12/03/1793

Fifth Annual State of the Union Address.

12/31/1793

Jefferson resigned as Secretary of State.

1794

03/20/1794

Signs An Act to provide for the Defense of certain Ports and Harbors in the United States (in response to British naval activity).

03/22/1794

Signs An Act to prohibit the carrying on the Slave Trade from the United States to any foreign place or country.

03/24/1794

Proclamation 5- Respecting Enlisting Men in Kentucky to Invade a Neighboring Nation. Warns against raising forces for the purpose of invading territories of a nation at peace with the United States.

03/27/1794

Signs Act to Provide Naval Armament (response to British seizing of US ships).

04/16/1794

Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, John Jay, is sent as Special Envoy to attempt to quell the tensions between U.S. and Britain.

07/21/1794

Opponents to Whiskey Tax begin to organize in Mingo Creek, PA (Whiskey rebellion).

08/07/1974

Proclamation—Cessation of Violence and Obstruction of Justice in protest to liquor laws in Pennsylvania.

08/20/1794

Battle of Fallen Timbers, Final Battle of Northwest Indian War between the United States troops, led by General Anthony Wayne, and the Nortwest Indian Confederation.

09/25/1794

Proclamation—Authorizing Military Intervention to end violence and Obstruction of Justice in Protest of Liquor Laws in Pennsylvania.

11/19/1794

Jay Treaty Signed included withdrawal of British troops from Northwest Territory (“Treaty of Amity Commerce and Navigation”). [Link to PDF of Treaty text.]

11/19/1794

Sixth Annual State of the Union Address.

11/29/1794

Signs An Act authorizing President to call out and station a corps of Militia in the four Western Counties of Pennsylvania.

12/01/1794

Hamilton submits resignation as Secretary of Treasury.

1795

01/29/1795

Signs An Act to establish a uniform rule of Naturalization (repealing act of 1790).

01/31/1795

Hamilton resignation as Secretary of the Treasury becomes effective.

02/07/1795

11^th Amendment to Constitution ratified;  restricts the ability of individuals to bring suit against states in federal court.

06/08/1795

Jay Treaty submitted to Senate (see 11/19/1794).

06/24/1795

Jay Treaty ratified by Senate.

07/10/1795

Proclamation—granting pardon to certain persons formerly engaged in violence and obstruction of Justice in Protest of Liquor laws in Pennsylvania (Whiskey Rebellion).

08/03/1795

Treaty of Greenville, defining land open to settlement as result of Battle of Fallen Timbers 1794.

08/18/1795

Washington signs Jay Treaty. (See 11/19/1794)

10/27/1795

Treaty of San Lorenzo, The United States Treaty with Spain, granting Americans the right to ship goods through the port of New Orleans without having to pay duties to the Spanish Government.

12/08/1795

Seventh Annual State of the Union Address.

1796

03/30/1796

Special Message to the House regarding The Jay Treaty;  Washington refuses to provided papers requested.

06/01/1796

Tennessee becomes a state.

09/17/1796

Washington Farewell Address. ("The nation which indulges toward another an habitual hatred or an habitual fondness is in some degree a slave.") Famously known for emphasizing the importance of national unity and warning against entanglement, partisanship, and regionalism. 

11/04/1796

Treaty with Tripoli, US agrees to pay a yearly tribute to Pasha Tripoli in exchange for the peaceful treatment of US shipping in the Mediterranean.

12/07/1796

Eighth Annual State of the Union Address.

12/07/1796

Electors Cast Ballots; John Adams elected President.

1797

02/28/1797

Vetoes Bill to reduce Cavalry contingent of army. Veto sustained in the House 03/01/1797.

03/04/1797

John Adams inaugurated.