Who was President before Washington?

[Onlooker]

I found this link, which contains a part of American history I don't think I ever heard of:

http://www.marshallhall.org/hanson.html

Did our founders succeed in largely erasing this part of history?

[im10ashus]

1. He was the first President of the Continental Congress.

John Hanson (April 3, 1715 – November 22, 1783) was a delegate to the Continental Congress from Maryland. 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, he has been called the first President of the United States; though this claim is inaccurate. See Hanson as first President for more information.

Hanson is one of the most enigmatic figures in US history. He is frequently mentioned in connection with the claim that he was the first President, but fewer facts are clear about his life and accomplishments than is the case with most of his contemporaries. One of the difficulties this caused was that several writers in the 19th century filled in the blanks with fiction. This article presents only those aspects of the man and his character that are either clearly documented or almost universally agreed upon. For a review of some of the additional stories surrounding his life, see John Hanson (myths).



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Hanson

[displacedtexan]

2. Ah, the MD HWY 50 John Hanson!

I looked him up when I kept seeing "John Hanson HWY" road signs.

It's like Chicago, where if you don't know
that the Stevenson Expressway is I-55,
you're SOL.

Same in MD with the John Hanson HWY.

[William769]

3. Considering the Executive branch had no real authority

Under the Articles of Confederation. I don't know what to say.

[mandyky]

4. Actually there were 7 before Washington

when we were under the Articles of Confederation. I remember posting about this here about 6 months ago.

<snip>

Six other presidents were elected after him - Elias Boudinot (1783), Thomas Mifflin (1784), Richard Henry Lee (1785), Nathan Gorman (1786), Arthur St. Clair (1787), and Cyrus Griffin (1788) - all prior to Washington taking office. Why don't we ever hear about the first seven Presidents of the United States? It's quite simple - The Articles of Confederation didn't work well. The individual states had too much power and nothing could be agreed upon. A new doctrine needed to be written - something we know as the Constitution.

</snip>

[FreedomAngel82]

9. Interesting

I believe I did hear of his name before but I didn't know there were six before Hanson.

[mandyky]

10. After Hanson

Before Washington

[Wilms]

5. Thanks. n/t

[AZBlue]

6. WTF?? I've never heard of this?!

I went to a very good school all my life and got an education that stressed history as a main ingredient of it. It's not my major but I've taken extra college courses on history because I find it fascinating. I have read at least a dozen books on American history, specifically on the colonies, the Revolution and the creation of the US. And nowhere....NOWHERE....was this ever mentioned.

I'm speechless.

[1620rock]

7. Along the "Delaware River" in Maryland????

Since when has the Delaware river flowed through Maryland??? :eyes: ...I read tomes of US history and I have never heard of this either.

[AZBlue]

8. I think that part of Delaware was once part of Maryland?

Not sure on that though! But I know the original colonies didn't cover the same territories and boundaries as they did post-Revolution.

[Zynx]

11. That was all under the Articles of Confederation though and I really

wouldn't count that.