1788–89 United States presidential election
Since no political parties existed, no process to decide Federalist and Anti-Federalist candidates existed at the time, and that caused most to expect Washington to win easily. For example, Alexander Hamilton agreed with the public's opinion when he wrote a letter to Washington attempting to persuade him to leave retirement on his farm in Mount Vernon to serve as President. He wrote that "...the point of light in which you stand at home and abroad will make an infinite difference in the respectability in which the government will begin its operations in the alternative of your being or not being the head of state."