69 Votes Wins the Presidency
Happy President’s Day from Washington, DC. With the primary in full swing, I thought I might review the roots of the first presidential election and the Learning Center at the home of George Washington.
In both the first and second election for President (1789 and 1792) after the ratification of the U.S. Constitution, General George Washington received only 69 votes. But at that time, it was a landslide.
Since there was no popular vote for president by citizens at the time, only members of the elected electoral college cast votes, making Washington the only president to win 100 percent of the vote.
Congress set the president’s salary at $25,000, (worth about $500,000 in 1789), a sum that remained unchanged until after the Civil War. Their thought was that the office should be available to any man, not just the wealthy who could afford to work for little or no pay.
Washington, as the president of a new nation and a new democracy, wanted his title to be less formal and to avoid resembling any of the titles that might be used on European royalty. Suggestion as to how to address the president ranged from "His Exalted High Mightiness", to "His Highness the President of the United States and Protector of their Liberties. He preferred simply "Mr. President".
Surveyor, farmer, revolutionary, soldier, statesman, president, whiskey maker, and finally country gentleman, Washington set the standard for future presidents.
His image is on the U.S. quarter and $1 bill, he’s honored on Mt. Rushmore, and the nation’s capitol city is named after him.
In the DC area, there are several major monuments to George Washington; the Washington Monument, the George Washington Masonic Memorial Temple in Alexandria, along with many places in Virginia he visited (creating the classic "George Washington slept here" line). But none are more notable than his home and estate in Mt. Vernon.
George Washington’s Mt. Vernon Estate is one of the most well maintained historical homes in America. I recently took a tour of the renovated museum and education center and it is a must-see site. Besides the house and grounds, the museum completes the story of George Washington, from young man to his death. With a large collection of personal possessions and images of the president, it is a learning experience for kids and adults alike.
The center includes 23 galleries, ten original videos, and over 500 historical artifacts. There are also three life-size wax models of Washington as a 19-year-old surveyor, a 45-year-old general, and lastly as a 57-year-old president, taking the oath of office.
George Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate and Gardens
3200 Mount Vernon Memorial Highway
Mount Vernon, VA, 22121 (map it)
Dates and Times - Daily
- November through February, 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
- April through August, 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
- March, September, and October, 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Admission - Adults - $13.00, Seniors - $12.00, kids 6-11 with an adult - $6.00, under 5 - free.
Nearest Metro subway station - Huntington - Yellow line, the catch the Fairfax Connector bus to Mount Vernon.
You may also reach Mt. Vernon form Washington, DC via Gray Line Bus Tours or on a Tourmobile.
Parking - free parking is available.
Images - personal collection - © 2008 - Jon Rochetti
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3 Comments
Found your site on technorati, under “Alexandria Masonic Memorial Temple”.
Cool post. Traveling to DC for business, need to know where to kill some time. Thanks.
Glad you found it. Check out the Must See sites catergory for more ideas SA
Glad you found it. Check out the Must See sites category for more ideas SA.