The United States presidential election of 1788–89 was the first quadrennial presidential election. It was held from Monday, December 15, 1788, to Saturday, January 10, 1789. It was conducted under the new United States Constitution, which had been ratified earlier in 1788.
Under the first federal Constitution ratified in 1781, known as the Articles of Confederation, the United States had no ceremonial head of state and the executive branch of government was part of the Congress, as it is in countries that use parliamentary systems of government. All federal power was reserved to the Congress of the Confederation, whose "President of the United States in Congress Assembled" was also chair of the de facto cabinet, called the Committee of the States. It was not until the United States Constitution was enacted, that government was separated into co-equal legislative, executive, and judicial branches
Under the new constitution, the executive branch consisted of an "Executive Council", with 3 "Presidents". The Presidents were elected to a single six year term, with a president being elected every two years by the Electoral College.