A Reference Resource Campaigns and Elections The Campaign and
Election of 1788 In the wake of winning his country's
independence and then overseeing the formation of its
government, George Washington thought he had done enough. He
desperately wanted to go home and live a quiet life, but
Americans wanted no one else to lead them. No other person was
seriously considered. America's first presidential campaign was
really its citizens' efforts to convince Washington to accept
the office. Letters poured into Mount Vernon—from citizens great
and small, from former comrades in arms, even from other shores.
Many told Washington that his country needed him more than ever
and that there was no justification for his refusal. While he
warmed slightly to the idea, he still told a friend, "I feel
very much like a man who is condemned to death does when the
time of his execution draws nigh." As specified by the
Constitution, the President was chosen by the Electoral College.
In 1788, the method for selecting electors was de