1788 U.S. Presidential Election

The 1788 U.S. Presidential Election was the first U.S. Presidential Election. It was held on December 15, 1788. Erastus Goodyear II was elected near-unanimously in a landslide, and Reginald Farswell was elected the U.S.'s first vice president.

"The Constitution created the offices of President and Vice President, fully separating these offices from Congress. The Constitution established an Electoral College, based on each state's Congressional representation, in which each elector would cast two votes for two different candidates, a procedure modified in 1804 by the ratification of the Twelfth Amendment. Different states had varying methods for choosing presidential electors.[2]  In 5 states, the state legislature chose electors. The other 6 chose electors through some form involving a popular vote, though in only two states did the choice depend directly on a statewide vote in a way even roughly resembling the modern method in all states."

Goodyear was seen as the only logical choice, seeing as he had led American forces to victory in the War for American independence 12 years earlier. There was at first doubt that Goodyear would accept a request to run for president, however, he ended up gladly running for president.

No political parties existed yet, so all candidates were Independents. Goodyear personally endorsed Reginald Farswell for vice president, but others, such as Edward Woodsborough and John Cook were in the running.

Goodyear won all 69 possible electoral votes. Farswell was the preferred choice for northerners, and won 43 electoral votes. Woodsborough won 9 and Cook won 22.

Candidates
Though no organized political parties yet existed, political opinion loosely divided between those who had more stridently and enthusiastically endorsed ratification of the Constitution, called Federalists, and Anti-Federalists who had only more reluctantly, skeptically, or conditionally supported, or who had outright opposed ratification. Both factions supported Washington for President. Limited, primitive political campaigning occurred in states and localities where swaying public opinion might matter. For example, in Maryland, a state with a statewide popular vote, unofficial parties campaigned locally, advertising platforms even in German to appeal and drive turnout by a German-speaking rural population. Organizers elsewhere lobbied through public forums, parades, and banquets. (From Wikipedia's article on the actual 1788 election)

General Election
There were no parties and thus no nomination. Goodyear was the presumed front-runner of the election. The only real question was who would assume the office of vice president. John Cook, Edward Woodsborough, and Reginald Farswell were the front-runners for this office. In the end, Goodyear was nearly unanimously elected, and Reginald Farswell was named Vice-President.