Final answer:
George Washington was the first president of the United States, serving two terms before stepping down and enabling John Adams to become the second president.
Step-by-step explanation:
The first president of the United States was George Washington. He served as the unanimous choice in both the first presidential election in 1789 and the subsequent election in 1792. Washington is widely regarded as the "Father of His Country" for his leadership during the American Revolution and his role in drafting the United States Constitution. He set many precedents for the office of the presidency, including the tradition of a two-term limit, which was later codified in the 22nd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. George Washington's decision to step down after two terms provided the country with its first experience of a peaceful transition of power, which occurred when John Adams, his vice president, was elected as the second president in the election of 1796.
In that election, the Federalist John Adams became president, and his vice president was the Republican Thomas Jefferson. This was America's first contested presidential election and the beginning of the country's first party system, with Adams representing the Federalists and Jefferson leading what would become the Democratic-Republican Party. The drafting of the Virginia Statute of Religious Freedom is an important event in American history, and was the work of Thomas Jefferson, highlighting his contributions to the founding principles of the United States.