What precedent did Washington set when he announced he would not run for a 3rd term?

George Washington, as the first President of the United States, set a significant precedent when he announced he would not run for a third term. This decision established the tradition of a two-term limit for U.S. Presidents.

Here are the steps to understand this:

1. George Washington was elected as the first President of the United States in 1789 and re-elected in 1792.

2. Despite the fact that there were no constitutional or legal limitations on how many terms a President could serve at that time, Washington decided not to run for a third term in 1796.

3. In his farewell address, he explained his reasons for this decision, expressing his belief that a longer tenure would give too much power to one person and could lead to a monarchy, which was against the principles of the new republic.

4. This decision set a precedent, or a tradition, for future presidents to only serve two terms. This tradition was followed by all subsequent presidents until Franklin D. Roosevelt, who was elected to four terms starting in 1932.

5. The 22nd Amendment, ratified in 1951, made this two-term limit a formal part of the U.S. Constitution.

So, the precedent Washington set when he announced he would not run for a third term was the tradition of a two-term limit for U.S. Presidents.