George Washington

George Washington was a well-respected general in who eventually led the US army in the revolutionary war. When the USA became independent, Washington was the obvious choice as first President of the United States for many and won the election unanimously. He did a lot to establish what we now see as the normal features of a presidency.

For example, he decided presidents should be addressed ‘Mr President’, not ‘Your Highness’. He started the tradition of giving an inaugural address. He also started the trend of stepping down after two terms in office.

This trend was enshrined in law in 1951 after Franklin Roosevelt became the first president to break this tradition.