Why and When was the electoral college created?

The electoral college was created by the U.S. Constitution. It was created so the average people (you and I) could not vote directly for the president, The founding fathers didn't think the average person was smart enough to be trusted to do that, so they put a layer between the voter and the candidates. In presidential elections, voters actually vote for electors, people on a slate who have promised to vote for a specific candidate. Of course, these electors can change their minds, but they haven't done that in 200 years.