First President of US

Before The Constitution

I suspect George Washington was your first guess. After all, who else comes to mind?

The United States declared its independence in 1776.
George Washington did not take Office until April 30, 1789.

March 1, 1781, the new country formed when The Articles of Confederation were adopted. 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. Once the signing took place in 1781, a President was needed to run the country.

John Hanson (1715-1783) was chosen unanimously (see article IX on page 5) 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.

There was a U.S. stamp made in his honor. The role of the President was poorly defined. Hanson’s actions in office would set precedent for all future Presidents.He took office just as the Revolutionary War ended. The troops demanded to be paid. There were no funds to meet their salaries. The soldiers threatened to overthrow the new government and put Washington on the throne as a monarch. Hanson somehow managed to calm the troops and hold the country together. Hanson ordered all foreign troops off American soil, as well as the removal of all foreign flags. This was quite the 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, 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.

The Articles of Confederation only allowed a President to serve a one year term during any three year period. Seven other presidents were elected after him:
1. John Hanson (1781-82)
2. Elias Boudinot (1782-83)
3. Thomas Mifflin (1783-84)
4. Richard Henry Lee (1784-85)
5. John Hancock (1785-86)
6. Nathan Gorman (1786-87)
7. Arthur St. Clair (1787-88)
8. Cyrus Griffin (1788-89)

So what happened? Why don't we hear about the first eight presidents? The Articles of Confederation didn't work well. The individual states had too much power and nothing could be agreed upon. A new document needed to be written - something we know as the Constitution.
George Washington definitely was not the first President of the United States. He was the first President of the United States under the Constitution.