The first-ever election for speaker of the House took place on April 1, 1789, at the start of the 1st Congress, following the 178889 elections in which candidates who supported the new Frame of Government won a majority of the seats. Frederick A. Muhlenberg, who had promoted the ratification of the Constitution, received a majority of the votes cast and was elected speaker. Though political parties did not yet exist, political factions, from which they evolved, formed almost immediately after Congress began its work. Those who supported the Washington administration were referred to as "Pro-Administration", while those in opposition were known as "Anti-Administration".