Who Were The Forgotten Presidents Before George Washington?

A Different Government: The Articles of Confederation

Before the U.S. Constitution created the strong federal government we know today, the newly independent states were governed by the Articles of Confederation. Ratified in 1781, the Articles established a "firm league of friendship" among the states, with a minimal central government. The primary governing body was the Congress of the Confederation, commonly referred to as the Continental Congress.

This government had neither an executive branch nor a president in the modern sense. Instead, Congress elected one of its members to serve as a presiding officer, or chairman. His official title was the "President of the United States in Congress Assembled."

The First President: John Hanson (1781-1782)

On November 5, 1781, John Hanson, a delegate from Maryland, was the first person to be elected to a full one-year term as "President of the United States in Congress Assembled" under the newly ratified Articles of Confederation. As the presiding officer, Hanson's role was primarily administrative and ceremonial in nature. He signed official documents, dealt with correspondence, and presided over the sessions of Congress.

During his one-year term, Hanson faced immense challenges, including securing funding for the new government and navigating the final stages of the Revolutionary War. While his powers were not comparable to those of a modern president, he was the highest-ranking official in the first government of the United States.

The Presidents Who Followed:

Hanson was not the only "forgotten" President. Several other men served one-year terms as President of the Continental Congress after him, including:

• Elias Boudinot of New Jersey
• Thomas Mifflin of Pennsylvania
• Richard Henry Lee of Virginia
• John Hancock of Massachusetts (who had also served as President before the Articles were ratified)
• Nathaniel Gorham of Massachusetts
• Arthur St. Clair of Pennsylvania
• Cyrus Griffin of Virginia

A Different Role: Why Washington is Still "First"

So, if these men were presidents, why is George Washington celebrated as the first? The answer lies in the profound difference between the two forms of government.

The "President of the United States in Congress Assembled" was a legislative officer, not an executive one. He had no power to enforce laws, no veto power, and served at the pleasure of Congress for a short term.

The U.S. Constitution, ratified in 1788, created a brand-new system with three coequal branches of government. The new role of "President of the United States," to which George Washington was unanimously elected in 1789, was the head of the executive branch. This new President had the power to command the military, appoint officials, veto legislation, and truly lead the nation in a way that John Hanson and his successors never could.

While it's a fantastic piece of historical trivia that John Hanson was the first man to hold the title of "President of the United States," George Washington remains the undisputed first President of the United States under the Constitution. The distinction is crucial. Hanson was the presiding officer of a loose confederation of states, while Washington was the first chief executive of the powerful, unified federal republic we know today. Recognizing the presidents who served before Washington doesn't diminish his legacy; instead, it enriches our understanding of the complex and challenging journey our nation took to become a more perfect union.

Sources:

• The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration (for the Articles of Confederation)
• The Library of Congress
• The Office of the Historian, U.S. House of Representatives
• Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Journals of the Continental Congress
• Historical societies of Maryland and Pennsylvania