Simone Lawson
John Hanson was a signer of the Articles of Confederation, which was ratified in 1781 by the original 13 states. The Articles of Confederation served as a precursor to the U.S. Constitution, which was first drafted in 1787 and adopted in 1789. John Hanson was also the first President of the Continental Congress, serving from 1781 to 1782. Some have argued that Hanson was the first President of the United States, but this is inaccurate as the presidency did not exist as an executive position separate from Congress at that time.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | John Hanson |
| Born | April 3, 1715 or April 13, 1721 |
| Died | November 15, 1783 or November 22, 1783 |
| Known For | Signing the Articles of Confederation; serving as President of the Continental Congress |
| Occupation | Plantation Owner, Politician |
| Role in Signing the Constitution | Did not sign the U.S. Constitution; signed the Articles of Confederation, which served as a precursor |
| Claims About Being First President | Some sources claim he was the first President of the United States, but this is inaccurate; he was the first President of the Continental Congress |
| Race | Some sources claim he was a black man, but historians generally refute this claim |
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What You'll Learn
- John Hanson was a signer of the Articles of Confederation
- He was elected President of the Continental Congress in 1781
- Hanson was not the first President of the United States
- He was referred to as President of the United States in Congress Assembled
- Some falsely claimed Hanson was the first US President
John Hanson was a signer of the Articles of Confederation
Hanson's career in public service began in 1750 when he was appointed sheriff of Charles County, Maryland. In 1757, he was elected to represent Charles County in the lower house of the Maryland General Assembly, where he served for twelve years and sat on many important committees. In 1779, he was elected as a delegate to the Continental Congress after serving in a variety of roles for the Patriot cause in Maryland.
Maryland was initially reluctant to ratify the Articles of Confederation, refusing to do so until the other states ceded their western land claims. When the other states finally did so, the Maryland legislature decided to ratify the Articles in January 1781. When Congress received notice of this, Hanson and Carroll signed the Articles on behalf of Maryland. With Maryland's endorsement, the Articles officially went into effect.
Hanson is often referred to as the "first president of the United States" by some descendants and biographers. However, this claim is false, as he was the President of the Continental Congress, a mostly ceremonial position, and not the executive position of President of the United States, which did not exist until the ratification of the Constitution in 1789.
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He was elected President of the Continental Congress in 1781
John Hanson was a delegate to the Continental Congress and signed the Articles of Confederation in 1781. Later that year, in November, he was elected President of the Confederation Congress (also referred to as President of the Continental Congress or President of the United States in Congress Assembled). This was a mostly ceremonial position, requiring him to serve as a neutral discussion moderator, handle official correspondence, and sign documents.
Hanson was not the first person to hold this office, as there had been several presidents of the Continental Congress before him, including Samuel Huntington and Thomas McKean. However, Hanson was the first to serve a one-year term as stipulated by the Articles of Confederation.
Some of Hanson's descendants and biographers have falsely claimed that he was the first holder of the office of President of the United States. This is inaccurate, as the executive position of President of the United States was created in 1789 by the Constitution of the United States, and George Washington was the first to hold this office.
Hanson's term as President of the Confederation Congress lasted from November 5, 1781, to November 4, 1782. He left this position due to poor health and returned to Maryland, where he died in 1783.
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Hanson was not the first President of the United States
John Hanson was a member of the Maryland Assembly and represented Maryland in the Continental Congress from 1780 to 1782. On November 5, 1781, he was elected by the Continental Congress as "President of the United States in Congress Assembled", serving until November 4, 1782.
Hanson is sometimes referred to as the "first President of the United States". However, this is inaccurate. Firstly, the United States, as a nation, did not exist at the time. Secondly, the role Hanson held was a mostly ceremonial position, with no executive powers. The presidency did not exist as an executive position separate from Congress until the ratification of the U.S. Constitution in 1789.
Prior to the Constitution, there were several other "presidents" of Congress, including Samuel Huntington and Thomas McKean. Huntington was in office when the Articles of Confederation went into effect in March 1781 and continued serving a term that had already exceeded a year. On July 9, 1781, Samuel Johnston was elected as president of Congress after the ratification of the Articles but he declined the office. McKean was then elected and served a few months, resigning in October 1781.
While Hanson was not the first President of the United States, he did play an important role during a turbulent time in the early history of the nation. During his term as President of Congress, he helped lead the nation as it was becoming clear that America would win the Revolutionary War and prepared to chart its course as a fully independent nation.
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He was referred to as President of the United States in Congress Assembled
John Hanson was a signer of the Articles of Confederation when it was ratified in 1781 by the original 13 states. The document served as a precursor to the U.S. Constitution, which was first drafted in 1787. In November 1781, following the ratification of the Articles, he was elected as President of the Confederation Congress—a mostly ceremonial and clerical position, sometimes styled as "President of the United States in Congress Assembled".
Hanson was elected by the Continental Congress as "President of the United States in Congress Assembled" on November 5, 1781, and he held this office for one year. It is important to note that he was not the first person to hold this office. Samuel Huntington and Thomas McKean had each preceded him under the Articles of Confederation, as had five other men as President of the Continental Congress before ratification.
Despite this, some of Hanson's descendants and biographers have falsely claimed that he was the first holder of the office of President of the United States. This claim misconstrues the modern meaning of the word "president". Prior to the ratification of the Constitution in 1789, "the presidency did not exist as an executive position separate from Congress". Hanson was not President of the United States in the modern sense; he was the President of Congress. This distinction is crucial because there was no executive branch established in the Articles of Confederation, and Hanson's role did not resemble that of the President of the United States under the Constitution.
Hanson held office during a turbulent time in U.S. history, as the nation was becoming victorious in the Revolutionary War and preparing to establish itself as a fully independent nation. His term as President of Congress ended in 1782, and he returned to Maryland, never holding another official role due to his poor health. He died the following year, in 1783.
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Some falsely claimed Hanson was the first US President
John Hanson was an American Founding Father, merchant, and politician from Maryland during the Revolutionary Era. In 1779, he was elected as a delegate to the Continental Congress and signed the Articles of Confederation in 1781. In November 1781, he was elected President of the Confederation Congress, a mostly ceremonial position sometimes referred to as "President of the United States in Congress assembled".
Some of Hanson's descendants and biographers have falsely claimed that he was the first holder of the office of President of the United States. This claim was revived on the internet, with a new assertion that he was a black man. However, this is inaccurate as the position of President of the United States was an unrelated executive position created in 1789 by the Constitution of the United States. Hanson himself was not a member of the executive branch as there was none established in the Articles of Confederation.
Hanson was not the first person to hold the office of President of the Confederation Congress. Samuel Huntington and Thomas McKean had each preceded him under the Articles of Confederation, as had five other men as President of the Continental Congress before ratification. When the Articles went into effect in March 1781, Samuel Huntington continued serving a term that had already exceeded a year. On July 9, 1781, Samuel Johnston was elected as president of Congress after the ratification of the Articles but he declined the office. Thus, Thomas McKean was the first man to serve as President under the Articles of Confederation.
Hanson's term as President of the Confederation Congress was from 1781 to 1782. During his term, he helped lead the nation as America was on the path to winning the Revolutionary War and was preparing to chart its course as a fully independent nation.
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Frequently asked questions
No, John Hanson did not sign the US Constitution.
John Hanson signed the Articles of Confederation on March 1, 1781.
The Articles of Confederation were a precursor to the US Constitution, which was first drafted in 1787 and came into effect in 1789.
John Hanson was the last of 13 state delegates to sign the Articles of Confederation, officially establishing the document as the law of the United States.
No, John Hanson was not the first President of the United States. However, he was elected as the President of the Continental Congress, also known as the President of the United States in Congress Assembled, on November 5, 1781. This was a mostly ceremonial position.
