John Hanson: First President?

John Hanson was a delegate to the Continental Congress from Maryland. He has been called the First President of the United States because he was the first man to serve a full term as President of the Continental Congress under the Articles of Confederation in 1781 and 1782.

HP11_081105.mp3

The following men served as the President of the Continental Congress:

• Peyton Randolph (September 5, 1774 – October 21, 1774) and
  
• Henry Middleton (October 22, 1774 – October 26, 1774)
  
• Peyton Randolph (again) (May 10, 1775 – May 23, 1775)
  
• John Hancock (May 24, 1775 – October 31, 1777)
  
• Henry Laurens (November 1, 1777 – December 9, 1778)
  
• John Jay (December 10, 1778 – September 27, 1779)
  
• Samuel Huntington (September 28, 1779 – March 1, 1781)

The following men served as President of the United States in Congress Assembled:

• Samuel Huntington (March 1, 1781 – July 9, 1781)
  
• Thomas McKean (July 10, 1781 – November 4, 1781)
  
• John Hanson (November 5, 1781 – November 3, 1782)
  
• Elias Boudinot (November 4, 1782 – November 2, 1783)
  
• Thomas Mifflin (November 3, 1783 – October 31, 1784)
  
• Richard Henry Lee (November 30, 1784 – November 6, 1785)
  
• John Hancock (November 23, 1785 – May 29, 1786)
  
• Nathaniel Gorham (June 6, 1786 – November 5, 1786)
  
• Arthur St. Clair (February 2, 1787 – November 4, 1787)
  
• Cyrus Griffin (January 22, 1788 – November 2, 1788)

Links:

That Podcast Song
Podcast411
http://www.marshallhall.org/hanson.html
Wikipedia Entry on John Hanson

Disscussion on the topic:

Message 1
Message 2
Message 3
View Sept. 2000

Books on the Subject:

The Forging of the Union, 1781-1789 (New American Nation Series)