The First President of the United States?

Miscellaneous History
1

I heard that John Hanson was the first president of the United States from LaughingMan, so I did some more research.

John Hanson was a president of Congress of the United States after the Articles of Confederation was ratified, since there was only one branch of government (instead of judicial, executive, and legislative), I would say that being the president of Congress would be the president of the entire government, hence president of the United States, right?

For those who believe George Washington was the first president, just because we adopted a new law (the constitution), does that make us a new country? Was Russia not Russia before the Bolshevik Revolution? Was Athens not Athens before their democracy was established?

And if you say, “Well, the position then was different than the presidential position under the Constitution”, well, under that case, how can all of the English Kings be under the same title? Their powers differed greatly.

However, I came across this website and it seems like Samuel Huntington was the first president to preside after the Articles of Confederation were ratified, but only served for 3 months and John Hanson was actually the 3rd president.

I’m confused, what do you guys think?

2

Yes.

3

I would agree. For instance, when speaking of France, people say the First Republic, Second Republic, etc.

4

I would say yes… to add to the above Post, there was the Weimar Republic then Nazi Germany, then divided Germany, and now Germany without the Berlin Wall. Besides, life under the Articles of Confederation would be a lot better (freedom), and it was more pro-market.

George Washington gets too much credit and everyone needs to remember that he really wasn’t the First President of the U.S. Nor does he deserve any such honor for installing the 1st BUS and the Whiskey Rebellion. He was just the first President under the patent-granting, self-debting Constitution.

5

So, when referring to England, since their law has changed so much, you would say the country is actually not old at all because it has been only recently that the house of lords and the monarchy was reduced to no power?

Certainly there are vastly different periods in a country’s history (your French example), but does this make the different periods completely different countries?

Obviously this is purely semantics, but I’m just curious what people think the definition of a completely new country is.

6

The question is was the Congress he presided over the congress of a country or of an alliance of countries.

Russia, Athens are bad examples here. The President of the European Council is a better example.

7

The United States was formulated by the Articles of Confederation. We’ve had a change of government but we are still called “United States” therefore I think the first president is John Hanson. Please don’t take this as some issue I’m deeply devouted too. That is just the way I think it truly is, if you think Washington is the first president, ok, I just wanted to explain myself.

8

The first president of america was a swede!?

You learn something new every day I guess[:P]

9

The office is correctly referred to as President of the United States in Congress Assembled. He was merely the Presiding Officer of Congress, similar to the present day Speaker of the House or President of the Senate. The office possessed no executive powers, so it would be incorrect to refer to any of the Presidents of United States in Congress Assembled as Presidents of the United States, as they clearly were not executives in any shape, manner or form.

10

No. The Treaty of Union created a new sovereign nation where two existed previously.

There is no continuity between the Articles and Constitution. The former ceased to exist when the states seceded to form a new union.