John Hanson: Our Nation's First President?

Every grade school student knows three things. Columbus sailed the ocean blue in 1492, there were 13 colonies at the time of the Revolution and George Washington was our nation's first president. While the first two facts are correct, the third is open to interpretation.

Although it is true that Washington was the first president under the Constitution, many forget that our current system of government was not in place upon the Declaration of Independence. In fact, from its ratification in 1781 until the Constitution went into effect in 1788, the national government was run under the Articles of Confederation.

Following years of bloody struggle against a dictator, the Founding Fathers were understandably reluctant to create a strong national government. As a result, under the Articles, the new government was weak. It had the power to negotiate treaties and maintain foreign diplomatic relations but couldn't tax, print currency or raise a military. These responsibilities were left to the states.

The new government, however, did have a head of state, carrying the title "President of the United States in Congress Assembled," and this president was elected to a one-year term. The first term was served by John Hanson.

Little is known about Hanson. He was born in Maryland in 1721, served in the Maryland legislature from 1757 to 1773 and was elected to the Continental Congress in 1780. Hanson was an early advocate of colonial independence and a well respected legislator. The admiration for him was such that, upon his death in 1783, The Maryland Gazette said "it is extremely doubtful if there has ever lived in an age since the advent of civilization, a man with a keener grasp of, or a deeper insight into, such democratic ideals as are essential to the promotion of personal liberty and the extension of human happiness."

As President, Hanson accomplished a great deal including approval of the Great Seal of the United States that is still in use today, approving the Treasury Department and establishing Thanksgiving as taking place on the fourth Thursday of November.

So, was Hanson or Washington the first president of our country? That depends on your point of view. What Hanson presided over was not a true national government, but a loose alliance among 13 independent countries. What Washington led was the strong, unified nation we know today. Regardless of how you classify the position he held, however, John Hanson is a man whose place in history deserves recognition.