George Washington wasn't the first President of the United States.
The first President of the first Continental Congress of the United States was Peyton Randolph of Virginia who was elected on September 5, 1774. He served for 1 month, and then resigned due to poor health preventing President Peyton Randolph ed him from attending the last few days of the session, so Henry Middleton of South Carolina was elected to replace him.
When the Second Continental Congress convened on May 10, 1775, Peyton Randolph was again chosen as president, but he returned to Virginia two weeks later to preside over the House of Burgesses. Middleton declined to serve in the office again, and so John Hancock, the president of the Massachusetts Provincial Congress, was elected to the post. Hancock presided over Congress for more than two years before returning to Massachusetts.
John Hancock's Continental Congress also picked GW as Commander in Chief of the Continental Army on June 19, 1775.
President John Hancock then signs his name in large bold signature on the Declaration of Ind which was adopted and signed during his presidency of the Continental Congress of the United States in 1776.
Henry Laurens of South Carolina was elected in November 1777. During Laurens's presidency, Congress became embroiled in a bitter dispute over the activities of diplomat Silas Deane.
Laurens, a critic of Deane, resigned in protest during the affair. Laurens hoped that Congress would reelect him and vindicate his actions, but in an election held in December 1778, only four states voted for him. Eight states voted for John Jay, who became the next president. (There were only twelve votes because one state did not have any delegates in attendance at the time.) During his presidency, Jay also served as Chief Justice of the New York Supreme Court.
When John Jay left the presidency to serve as minister to Spain, Samuel Huntington of Connecticut was elected on September 28, 1779. Huntington had health problems, including contracting smallpox in 1780, and so he asked to be replaced in July 1781. By this time, the Articles of Confederation had been ratified.
The Articles of Confederation were ratified on March 1, 1781
On July 9, 1781, Samuel Johnston became the first man to be elected as president of Congress after the ratification of the Articles. He declined the office, however, citing pressing family matters.
After Johnston turned down the office, Thomas McKean was elected on July 10, 1781.Although McKean was a delegate from Delaware, he was also serving at the time as Chief Justice of Pennsylvania. His dual role as president of Congress and Chief Justice of Pennsylvania provoked some criticism that McKean had become too powerful.
On November 5, 1781, John Hanson of Maryland was elected. He would become the first president of Congress to serve a full one-year term as specified under the Articles of Confederation. He was followed by Elias Boudinot, who won the office in a comparatively narrow election, receiving the votes of just seven states.
There were not enough delegates present to choose St. Clair's successor until January 22, 1788, when the final president of Congress, Cyrus Griffin, was elected. Griffin resigned his office on November 15, 1788, after only two delegates showed up for the new session of Congress.
The last president, Cyrus Griffin, resigned in November 1788.
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This time period is comparatively under-studied and under-analyzed.
American Revolution was fought 1776 - 1783
and GW became President 1789.
So who was governing AMerican during those years? 1776 to 1783, and then 1783 to 1789 before GW.
While it's not the exact same position as the modern day Presidency, the President of the Continental Congress was the most important man in Congress, and had executive power. The Continental Congress helped to prosecute the war, and made many decisions in the meantime, including the choosing of the Commander in Chief, and the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
Also, think about how all of this went down. There was a Continental Congress, and because of Shay's Rebellion, where ex-Revolutionary soldiers were losing their land over high taxes in spite of fighting for this country, many members of the aristocracy wanted a stronger centralized government to put down all rebellions, justly or not, like Shay's Rebellion.
So, while the Continental Congress was in session, there was a Constitutional Convention of 1787, and a competing national government was vying for the same power. Eventually, the Constitutional govenrment superceded the Articles of Confederation government, because the President of the Continental Congress resigned, and here we are today.
We have the current US Constitution because of Shay's Rebellion, fought mostly in Massachusetts, and it was fought by American Revolutionary soldiers who were fighting because of taxation without representation. That's quite ironic... ironic indeed. Even more ironic was GW came out of retirement to fight those in Shay's Rebellion, and because the US govt changed their Constitution, from Articles of Confederation to the US Constitution, it fundamentaly altered the course of American history.
GW wrote in 1786, 1 year before the Constitutional Convention... in a letter written to Lafeyette, the Marquis, the French general who helped fight the American Revolution, GW wrote that all of mankind needs to be governed by an elite... Georgie said, and I quote: “that Mankind, under the most favourable circumstances for civil liberty and happiness, are unequal to the task of Governing themselves, and therefore made for a Master.”
xx
recap
GW wasn't the first President of the United States.
The first President of the first Continental Congress of the United States was Peyton Randolph of Virginia. Peyton Randolph of Virginia.
Samuel Johnston became the first man to be elected as president of Congress after the ratification of the Articles, but he rejected the office, and then
Thomas McKean was elected on July 10, 1781 and he took the position of President of Congress. So Thomas McKean of Delaware would have been the first President after the Articles of Confederation.
John Hanson would become President after Thomas McKean and John Hanson of Maryland was the first man to serve his full year as President. If you've heard the argument that the first President was a black man... they'll say it's John Hanson, but that's wrong. Probably.
Peyton Randolph of Virginia...
Thomas McKean was the first to be elected, and to accept the position... after Articles of Confederation was passed on March 1, 1781.
April 30, 1789. GW is seated as President.
The first President of the first Continental Congress of the United States was Peyton Randolph of Virginia who was elected on September 5, 1774. He served for 1 month, and then resigned due to poor health preventing President Peyton Randolph ed him from attending the last few days of the session, so Henry Middleton of South Carolina was elected to replace him.
When the Second Continental Congress convened on May 10, 1775, Peyton Randolph was again chosen as president, but he returned to Virginia two weeks later to preside over the House of Burgesses. Middleton declined to serve in the office again, and so John Hancock, the president of the Massachusetts Provincial Congress, was elected to the post. Hancock presided over Congress for more than two years before returning to Massachusetts.
John Hancock's Continental Congress also picked GW as Commander in Chief of the Continental Army on June 19, 1775.
President John Hancock then signs his name in large bold signature on the Declaration of Ind which was adopted and signed during his presidency of the Continental Congress of the United States in 1776.
Henry Laurens of South Carolina was elected in November 1777. During Laurens's presidency, Congress became embroiled in a bitter dispute over the activities of diplomat Silas Deane.
Laurens, a critic of Deane, resigned in protest during the affair. Laurens hoped that Congress would reelect him and vindicate his actions, but in an election held in December 1778, only four states voted for him. Eight states voted for John Jay, who became the next president. (There were only twelve votes because one state did not have any delegates in attendance at the time.) During his presidency, Jay also served as Chief Justice of the New York Supreme Court.
When John Jay left the presidency to serve as minister to Spain, Samuel Huntington of Connecticut was elected on September 28, 1779. Huntington had health problems, including contracting smallpox in 1780, and so he asked to be replaced in July 1781. By this time, the Articles of Confederation had been ratified.
The Articles of Confederation were ratified on March 1, 1781
On July 9, 1781, Samuel Johnston became the first man to be elected as president of Congress after the ratification of the Articles. He declined the office, however, citing pressing family matters.
After Johnston turned down the office, Thomas McKean was elected on July 10, 1781.Although McKean was a delegate from Delaware, he was also serving at the time as Chief Justice of Pennsylvania. His dual role as president of Congress and Chief Justice of Pennsylvania provoked some criticism that McKean had become too powerful.
On November 5, 1781, John Hanson of Maryland was elected. He would become the first president of Congress to serve a full one-year term as specified under the Articles of Confederation. He was followed by Elias Boudinot, who won the office in a comparatively narrow election, receiving the votes of just seven states.
There were not enough delegates present to choose St. Clair's successor until January 22, 1788, when the final president of Congress, Cyrus Griffin, was elected. Griffin resigned his office on November 15, 1788, after only two delegates showed up for the new session of Congress.
The last president, Cyrus Griffin, resigned in November 1788.
xx
This time period is comparatively under-studied and under-analyzed.
American Revolution was fought 1776 - 1783
and GW became President 1789.
So who was governing AMerican during those years? 1776 to 1783, and then 1783 to 1789 before GW.
While it's not the exact same position as the modern day Presidency, the President of the Continental Congress was the most important man in Congress, and had executive power. The Continental Congress helped to prosecute the war, and made many decisions in the meantime, including the choosing of the Commander in Chief, and the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
Also, think about how all of this went down. There was a Continental Congress, and because of Shay's Rebellion, where ex-Revolutionary soldiers were losing their land over high taxes in spite of fighting for this country, many members of the aristocracy wanted a stronger centralized government to put down all rebellions, justly or not, like Shay's Rebellion.
So, while the Continental Congress was in session, there was a Constitutional Convention of 1787, and a competing national government was vying for the same power. Eventually, the Constitutional govenrment superceded the Articles of Confederation government, because the President of the Continental Congress resigned, and here we are today.
We have the current US Constitution because of Shay's Rebellion, fought mostly in Massachusetts, and it was fought by American Revolutionary soldiers who were fighting because of taxation without representation. That's quite ironic... ironic indeed. Even more ironic was GW came out of retirement to fight those in Shay's Rebellion, and because the US govt changed their Constitution, from Articles of Confederation to the US Constitution, it fundamentaly altered the course of American history.
GW wrote in 1786, 1 year before the Constitutional Convention... in a letter written to Lafeyette, the Marquis, the French general who helped fight the American Revolution, GW wrote that all of mankind needs to be governed by an elite... Georgie said, and I quote: “that Mankind, under the most favourable circumstances for civil liberty and happiness, are unequal to the task of Governing themselves, and therefore made for a Master.”
xx
recap
GW wasn't the first President of the United States.
The first President of the first Continental Congress of the United States was Peyton Randolph of Virginia. Peyton Randolph of Virginia.
Samuel Johnston became the first man to be elected as president of Congress after the ratification of the Articles, but he rejected the office, and then
Thomas McKean was elected on July 10, 1781 and he took the position of President of Congress. So Thomas McKean of Delaware would have been the first President after the Articles of Confederation.
John Hanson would become President after Thomas McKean and John Hanson of Maryland was the first man to serve his full year as President. If you've heard the argument that the first President was a black man... they'll say it's John Hanson, but that's wrong. Probably.
Peyton Randolph of Virginia...
Thomas McKean was the first to be elected, and to accept the position... after Articles of Confederation was passed on March 1, 1781.
April 30, 1789. GW is seated as President.
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