George Washington served as the first president.
George Washington ( [ ˈdʒɔɹdʒ_ˈwɒʃɪŋtən ] -- , 1799 ) was an American politician and soldier who served as the first President of the United States from 1789 to 1797 and was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States . Washington was widely admired for his strong leadership qualities and was unanimously elected president by the Electoral College in the first two national elections . Following his election as president in 1789 , he worked to unify rival factions in the fledgling nation . He was revered in life and in death ; scholarly and public polling consistently ranks him among the top three presidents in American history .