5431 - The first President

I had this article sent to me about the first president of the USA.

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Pop quiz: Who was our nation’s first president? 

If you answered, “George Washington,” then congratulations!  You clearly paid attention in grade school.  Unfortunately, you’re wrong.  Sort of. 

Think back to your history books.  The United States declared independence in 1776.  The Revolutionary War ended in 1781.  Yet Washington did not take office until April 30, 1789.  So, who was running things during our country’s infancy? 

That would be our first eight presidents – starting with a man named John Hanson. 

You see, our country was technically formed in 1781 with the adoption of The Articles of Confederation.  Back then, both legislative and executive power was the domain of Congress.  But a president was needed to ensure order, moderate debates, and make administrative decisions.

Congress chose John Hanson by unanimous vote.  In fact, no one else even bothered to run against him.  (Hanson was a major player in the Revolution and an influential member of Congress.)  As the first president, Hanson had his work cut out for him.  After all, no one had ever been president before, and the role was poorly defined.  His title was technically President of the Confederation Congress but was often styled as President of the United States in Congress Assembled.    

Hanson took office just as the war ended.  Almost immediately, the Continental Army demanded payment.  Unfortunately, after such a long war, there were no funds to meet their salaries.  As a result, the soldiers threatened to overthrow the new government and install Washington as a monarch. 

Most members of Congress fled for their lives, leaving Hanson as the only one left to “keep the lights on.”  With Washington’s help, he deftly managed to calm the situation and keep the country together. 

As president, Hanson ordered all foreign troops off American soil.  This was quite the feat, considering many European countries had a stake in America.  Hanson established the Great Seal of the United States, which every subsequent president has used on official documents.  Hanson also oversaw creation of the first Treasury and Foreign Affairs Departments.  In 1782, he proclaimed the fourth Thursday of November a day of Thanksgiving, establishing a tradition that continues to this day. 

The law only allowed a president to serve a one-year term during any three-year period, so Hanson accomplished quite a lot in such a short time.  Following his departure, seven other presidents were elected before Washington.  These were Elias Boudinot, Thomas Mifflin, Richard Henry Lee, John Hancock, Nathan Gorman, Arthur St. Clair, and Cyrus Griffin. 

So, why don’t we ever hear about these men?  Well, the presidency was quite different back then, being more administrative than executive.  More importantly, the Articles didn’t work too well.  The states had difficulty agreeing on important issues, requiring a new frame of government.  (We call it the Constitution.)  Finally, it’s fair to say that any man who served before Washington would become a footnote in history.  After all, the six-foot-two general cast a very long shadow…figuratively and literally! 

That said, it’s time for Hanson and his successors to get their due.  They helped stabilize the country during a time of crisis.  They were public servants of a nascent nation, who paved the way for Washington and every other president to come.   

John Hanson’s story also shows just why Presidents Day is so important.  It gives us a chance to reflect on the challenges our country has faced, as well as the men who helped us overcome them.  A chance to love and appreciate our nation even more. 

We wish you a happy Presidents Day!

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Then I found this on Wikipedia.

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On November 5, 1781, Congress elected Hanson as its president. Under the Articles of Confederation, both legislative and executive government were vested in the Congress (as it was and still is in Britain); the presidency of Congress was a mostly ceremonial position, but the office did require Hanson to serve as neutral discussion moderator, handle official correspondence, and sign documents.^[17] Hanson found the work tedious and considered resigning after just one week, citing his poor health and family responsibilities.^[6] Colleagues urged him to remain because Congress at that moment lacked a quorum to choose a successor.^[6] Out of a sense of duty, Hanson remained in office, ^[1][18] although his term as a delegate to Congress was nearly expired. The Maryland Assembly reelected him as a delegate on November 28, 1781, and so Hanson continued to serve as president until November 4, 1782.^[6]

The Articles of Confederation stipulated that presidents of Congress serve one-year terms, and Hanson became the first to do so.^{[1][19] [20]} Contrary to the claims of some of his later advocates, however, he was not the first president to serve under the Articles nor the first to be elected under the Articles.^[21] When the Articles went into effect in March 1781, Congress did not bother to elect a new president; instead, Samuel Huntington continued serving a term that had already exceeded a year.^[22] On July 9, 1781, Samuel Johnston became the first man to be elected as president of Congress after the ratification of the Articles.^[23] He declined the office, however, perhaps to make himself available for North Carolina's gubernatorial election.^[24] After Johnston turned down the office, Thomas McKean was elected.^[25][22] McKean served just a few months, resigning in October 1781 after hearing news of the British surrender at Yorktown. Congress asked him to remain in office until November when a new session of Congress was scheduled to begin.^[19] It was in that session that Hanson began to serve his one-year term. A highlight of Hanson's term was when George Washington presented Cornwallis's sword to Congress.^[26]

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^{And then this.}

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While not known for extensive learning or brilliant speech, Huntington's steady hard work and unfailing calm manner earned him the respect of his fellow delegates. As a result, when John Jay left to become minister to Spain, Huntington was elected to succeed him as President of the Continental Congress on September 28, 1779, which is one reason why he is sometimes considered the first president. The President of Congress was a mostly ceremonial position with no real authority, but the office did require Huntington to handle a good deal of correspondence and sign official documents.^[6] He spent his time as president urging the states and their legislatures to support the levies for men, supplies, and money needed to fight the Revolutionary War. The Articles of Confederation were ratified during his term.

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So was John Jay the first "President"? And were there 11 "Presidents" before Washington?