The Constitution had no limit on how many times a person could be elected as president. The nation's first president, George Washington chose not to try to be elected for a third term. This suggested that two terms were enough for any president.

Was Washington offered a third term?

George Washington had set an unofficial precedent in 1796 when he decided several months before the election not to seek a third term. (The concept of term limits was discussed at the Constitutional Convention but not enacted in the Constitution.)

Did George Washington serve more than 2 terms?

(Gilder Lehrman Collection) By 1798, George Washington had led America to victory in the Revolution, helped create the American government, and served two terms as the nation's first president (1789–1797).