Today in Supreme Court History: April 30, 1789
On April 30, 1789, George Washington was inaugurated as the first President of the United States, marking the beginning of the federal government under the new Constitution. During his presidency, Washington appointed eleven individuals to the Supreme Court, including three Chief Justices. These appointments helped establish the early judiciary and shape the role of the Court in American government.
- ▪George Washington was inaugurated as the first U.S. president on April 30, 1789.
- ▪Washington appointed three Chief Justices: John Jay, John Rutledge, and Oliver Ellsworth.
- ▪He also appointed eight Associate Justices: James Wilson, James Iredell, William Cushing, John Blair, Thomas Johnson, William Paterson, Samuel Chase, and a second appointment for John Rutledge as Chief Justice.
- ▪The Supreme Court appointments by Washington laid the foundation for the federal judiciary under the U.S. Constitution.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
Politics Today in Supreme Court History: April 30, 1789 Josh Blackman | 4.30.2026 7:00 AM 4/30/1789: President Washington's inauguration. He would appoint eleven members to the Supreme Court: Chief Justices Jay, Rutledge, and Ellsworth, and Justices Wilson, Blair, Cushing, Rutledge, Iredell, Johnson, Paterson, and Chase. <img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" class="size-large wp-image-8052230" src="https://d2eehagpk5cl65.cloudfront.net/img/q60/uploads/2020/03/washington-appointees-919x1024.png" alt="" width="919" height="1024" srcset="https://d2eehagpk5cl65.cloudfront.net/img/q60/uploads/2020/03/washington-appointees-919x1024.png 919w, https://d2eehagpk5cl65.cloudfront.net/img/q60/uploads/2020/03/washington-appointees-269x300.png 269w,…
Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Reason Magazine.
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