http://www.marshallhall.org/hanson.html
John Hanson, American Patriot and First President
of the United States (1715-1783)
He was the heir of one of the greatest family
traditions in the colonies and became the patriarch
of a long line of American patriots – his great-
grandfather died at Lutzen beside the great King
Gustavus Aldophus of Sweden; his grandfather was one
of the founders of New Sweden along the Delaware
River in Maryland; one of his nephews was the
Military secretary to George Washington; another was
a signer of the Declaration; still another was a
signer of the Constitution; yet another was Governor
of Maryland during the Revolution; and still another
was a member of the first Congress; two sons were
killed in action with the Continental Army; a
grandson served as a member of Congress under the new
Constitution; and another grandson was a Maryland
Senator. Thus, even if Hanson had not served as
President himself, he would have greatly contributed
to the life of the nation through his ancestry and
progeny.
As a youngster he began a self-guided reading of
classics and rather quickly became an acknowledged
expert in the juridicalism of Anselm and the
practical philosophy of Seneca – both of which were
influential in the development of the political
philosophy of the great leaders of the Reformation.
It was based upon these legal and theological studies
that the young planter– his farm, Mulberry Grove was
just across the Potomac from Mount Vernon – began to
espouse the cause of the patriots.
In 1775 he was elected to the Provincial
Legislature of Maryland. Then in 1777, he became a
member of Congress where he distinguished himself as
a brilliant administrator. Thus, he was elected
President in 1781. Was John Hanson the first
President of the United States?
The new country was actually formed on March 1,
1781 with the adoption of The Articles of
Confederation. This document was actually proposed on
June 11, 1776, but not agreed upon by Congress until
November 15, 1777. Maryland refused to sign this
document until Virginia and New York ceded their
western lands (Maryland was afraid that these states
would gain too much power in the new government from
such large amounts of land). Once the signing took
place in 1781, a President was needed to run the
country. John Hanson was chosen unanimously by
Congress (which included George Washington). In fact,
all the other potential candidates refused to run
against him, as he was a major player in the
Revolution and an extremely influential
member of Congress.
As the first President, Hanson had quite the shoes
to fill. No one had ever been President and the role
was poorly defined. His actions in office would set
precedent for all future Presidents. He took office
just as the Revolutionary War ended. Almost immediately, the troops demanded to be paid. As would
be expected after any long war, there were no funds
to meet the salaries. As a result, the soldiers
threatened to overthrow the new government and put
Washington on the throne as a monarch. All the
members of Congress ran for their lives, leaving
Hanson running the government. He somehow managed to
calm the troops and hold the country together. If he
had failed, the government would have fallen almost
immediately and everyone would have been bowing to
King Washington.
Hanson, as President, ordered all foreign troops
off American soil, as well as the removal of all
foreign flags. This was quite a feat, considering the
fact that so many European countries had a stake in
the United States since the days following Columbus.
Hanson established the Great Seal of the United
States, which all Presidents have since been required
to use on all official documents. President Hanson
also established the first Treasury Department, the
first Secretary of War, and the first Foreign Affairs
Department. Lastly, he declared that the fourth
Thursday of every November was to be Thanksgiving
Day, which is still true today.
The Articles of Confederation only allowed a
President to serve a one-year term during any three-
year period, so Hanson actually accomplished quite a
bit in such little time. He served in that office
from November 5, 1781 until November 3, 1782. He was
the first President to serve a full term after the
full ratification of the Articles of Confederation –
and like so many of the Southern and New England
Founders, he was strongly opposed to the Constitution
when it was first discussed. He remained a confirmed
anti-federalist until his untimely death.
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.
George Washington was definitely not the first
President of the United States. He was the first
President of the United States under the Constitution
we follow today. And the first seven Presidents
are forgotten in history.
Reference: Grant, George, "The Forgotten Presidents"
(excerpted from "The Patriot's Handbook").
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