US History and Civics Exam: First President and Vice President

The first President and Vice President of the United States is a memorization question, but the real story behind it is a crash course in how America started governing itself. We walk through the correct answer, George Washington and John Adams, and then pull back the curtain on the earliest version of the Electoral College, when the rules were new, state participation was uneven, and the election process looked more like a handwritten selection than the modern campaign machine.

We talk about why the first presidential election didn’t include every state even though there were 13 in the Union. North Carolina and Rhode Island had not ratified the US Constitution yet, so they could not participate. New York’s legislature couldn’t agree on a slate of electors, so it didn’t cast votes at all. That single detail turns a simple civics fact into a real lesson about ratification, state politics, and how fragile new systems can be.

Then we dig into a surprising mechanic: electors were asked to write down two names of two men they would accept as president, and the runner-up became vice president. With 69 total electoral votes among the 10 participating states, Washington is unanimous, and Adams comes in second. 

If you’re studying for the US citizenship test, brushing up on American history, or trying to understand the Electoral College beyond the headlines, this is a clean, memorable example to anchor the basics. Subscribe for more bite-sized civics questions, share this with a friend studying for naturalization, and leave a review with the next question you want us to tackle.

• Identifying George Washington as the first President and John Adams as the first Vice President
• Explaining why North Carolina and Rhode Island did not participate due to not ratifying the Constitution
• Describing how New York failed to vote because its legislature could not agree on electors
• Breaking down the early Electoral College totals and how states get electoral votes
• Clarifying the original two-name ballot system and how second place became Vice President

Transcript

Welcome To The Civics Exam

SPEAKER_00 0:01

This is Ken Mercer, and welcome to your United States History and Civics exam. Over the next year, at this 250th year anniversary, we're gonna share anywhere from 100 to 200 different questions about American history and civics questions to come directly from the test to become a United States citizen.

The Question And Multiple Choice

SPEAKER_00 0:24

And our first question is this Who was the first president and vice president of our United States? The first president and vice president. Was it A, George Washington and Thomas Jefferson? B George Washington and John Adams. C, George Washington and James Madison, or was it D, George Washington and Samuel Adams? And the answer is B. It was President George Washington and Vice President John Adams.

The First Electoral College Explained

SPEAKER_00 0:53

But I've got to share with you not just the civics, but some of the history that came along. This is the first time we used the Electoral College. And we had 13 states then, but only 10 states were allowed to participate in the election of the first president. Two states, North Carolina and Rhode Island, had not ratified their constitution. And the requirement of the U.S. Constitution, you had to establish a Republican

Two Names On One Ballot

SPEAKER_00 1:18

form of government in every state. North Carolina and Rhode Island had not ratified their constitution, therefore they could not vote in the first electoral college. In New York, the legislator could not agree on their slate of electors. They couldn't agree on it. So they could not vote. So ten of the states voted, and they had a total of 69 electoral college votes. Every state gets at least three votes, two U.S. senators and one member of Congress. And of course, the greater your population, the more members of Congress you have. So the 10 states had a total of 69 electoral college votes. Now, what was different though? What was different? Every one of the 69 electors was given a sheet of paper and asked to write down two names of two men who could be president. Either man you'd be satisfied with.

The Answer And Final Wrap

SPEAKER_00 2:39

What if it had been Washington and Adams? President and Vice President or Washington Jefferson or Washington Hancock or whatever. But those things weren't not happening back then. It was one election, you wrote down the names of two men who you would accept as being your president. And again, all 69 delegates unanimously wrote down one name is George Washington, and second place came the John Adams. So there you go. This is a great history question and a great civics lesson in American history. Who was the first president and vice president? It was George Washington and Vice President John Adams. Thank you, my friends. God bless you, and may God bless our United States of America.