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presidents before washington

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Via: Split Personality • 3 years ago • 6 comments

By: Delegate John Hanson (The Hall of Presidents Before Washington)

Sponsored by group The Reality Show

Watching one of those FACT or FICTION shows yesterday.

The orator stated that John Hancock, was in fact, the first President of the United States along with Hanson and one other.

What was the state of the USA's government prior to Washington's electoral college victory in 1789?

Peyton Randolph was the first President of the Continental Congress in 1774.

As the First CC concluded, a new President needed to be chosen.

John Adams probably saved the fledgling nation by maneuvering Henry Middleton, a South Carolina planter, into the Presidency.

Peyton Randolph of Virginia was again elected President in October of 1775 but died suddenly on October 21, 1775.

Technically he died before serving even one day of the third term.

Therefore John Hancock becomes the third President serving 30 months and famously signing the Declaration of Independence.

Henry Laurens succeeded Hancock. Laurens was perhaps the most successful planter politician of South Carolina.

John Jay succeeded Laurens. One of the youngest delegates to the Continental Congress, a sharp New York lawyer, he gained fame for writing the Treaty of Paris and becoming the first Chief Justice of the United States.

Introduction
Chapter 1: Peyton Randolph of Virginia
Chapter 2: Henry Middleton of South Carolina
Chapter 3: John Hancock of Massachusetts
Chapter 4: Henry Laurens of South Carolina
Chapter 5: John Jay of New York
Chapter 6: Samuel Huntington of Connecticut
Chapter 7: Thomas McKean of Pennsylvania
Chapter 8: John Hanson of Maryland
Chapter 9: Elias Boudinot of New Jersey
Chapter 10: Thomas Mifflin of Pennsylvania
Chapter 11: Richard Henry Lee of Virginia
Chapter 12: Nathaniel Gorham of Massachusetts
Chapter 13: Arthur St. Clair of Pennsylvania
Chapter 14: Cyrus Griffin of Virginia

Special mention is also noted for Charles Thompson of Philadelphia who was the Secretary of Congress for the entire 15 years of the First American Republic without whom we might not have made it.

Chapter 15: Secretary Charles Thomson

https://www.presidentsbeforewashington.org/portraits

Each of these men deserve more than just a statue in the Statuary Hall of Congress.

From 1774 to 1781 the Congress developed the disastrous Articles of Confederation.

From 1781 to 1789 the Congress developed The Constitution of the United States to correct the AoC

followed by Washington's election as the first President of the new Constitution.

Thus ended the First American Republic.

Very cool stuff to study and celebrate the 4th of July

S E E D E D C O N T E N T

Annapolis Baltimore Lancaster New York Philadelphia Princeton Trenton York })();

The H al l o f P r e si d en t s Before W a sh i n g to n is a FREE, open-to-the-public exhibit that includes the " America's 14 Forgotten Presidents Before Washington " collection of original, signed documents (one for each president) owned by brothers George, Sam, and Dr. Steve Brown. This exhibit is located inside the Westin in the Presidents Hill neighborhood of Annapolis.
washington%20resigning-14.jpg After the Revolutionary War ended, when General George Washington (standing, center) retired as Commander-in-Chief on December 23, 1783 in Annapolis, he handed his letter of resignation to the President.
GW%20resignation%20letter-8.jpg Note in the upper left corner of Washington's letter that he addressed his resignation to "Mr. President." Since Washington wouldn't become president for another six years (1789), who was this "Mr. President"?
washington%20resigning-15.jpg ACCS-Thomas%20Mifflineditededited.jpg Now look closely once again at this portrait (above). Note on the far left the second man in, on the left side of the pillar (he's actually sitting down in the president's chair). That's President Thomas Mifflin. A close-up of President Mifflin is on the left. The man standing next to him (taller than anyone else) on the right side of the pillar is Secretary of Congress Charles Thomson.
Proclamation%20Treaty%20of%20Paris-Mifflinscroll-2.jpg Three weeks later, on January 14, 1784, President Mifflin signed the printed, ratified version of the Treaty of Paris (left), which was then returned to France and exchanged for King George's signed, ratified version. If you look in the upper left corner, you'll see President Mifflin's signature underneath the Seal of Congress, which proves that the treaty was ratified with a quorum. In the lower right corner is the very last paragraph, worded by Delegate to Congress Thomas Jefferson: "Given under the seal of the United States, witness His Excellency, Thomas Mifflin, our President, at Annapolis, this fourteenth day of January, in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and eighty-four."

George Washington and Thomas Jefferson called Thomas Mifflin "President". How can that be?

The Articles of Confederation
Articles%20Confederation-3.jpg Passed in 1777, ratified in 1781.
John%20Hanson.jpg The Articles of Confederation were ratified when Maryland, led by Delegate John Hanson, approved them in 1781.
Because George Washington was the first president of the second Constitution (right). The first constitution of the United States was the Articles of Confederation (left), which created a u n i c am e r a l , n o n - p a r t i s an C o n g r e s s just like the one t h at h a d p r e si d e d o v e r bo th C o n ti n en t al C o n g r e s s e s. I t s d e l e g at e s w e r e a p p o i n t e d b y t h e s ta t e l e gi sl at u r e s ( w h ic h w e r e e l e ct e d b y e a ch s ta t e ' s c i ti z e n s) .
C o n g r e s s had begun ch oosing p r e si d en t s before the Articles of Confederation were passed; indeed, even before the Declaration of Independence.
Much like a parliamentary system, the president was also a member of Congress. O v e r al l , fo u r t e en di f f e r en t m en h el d t h e t i t l e o f P r e s i d e n t b e t w e en 17 7 4 an d 1 7 8 8 , w h en t h e n e w C o n st i tu ti o n w a s r a t i f i e d. The British officially recognized Thomas Mifflin of Pennsylvania as president after the exchange of the ratified versions of the Treaty of Paris on May 12, 1784.
The Constitution
Passed in 1787, ratified in 1788 (it went into effect in 1789)
Cyrus%20Griffin.jpg Cyrus Griffin of Virginia was the last President to serve under the Articles of Confederation.

In these documents, under the man's name is the word "PRESIDENT" (typed or handwritten), proving that they held the title of "President", were called "President" by their peers, and performed the duties of "President" listed in the Articles of Confederation, yet most people have never heard that there were Presidents Before Washington.

Why isn't this history taught in our public schools?

Some schools do teach this history but most don't because until now,there wasn't a place to visit where people could rediscover this forgotten period in American history. The First American Republic was a regional alliance of independent states united by trading privileges and a common defense policy for protection against foreign nations. Gradually, the states decided that a stronger central government was needed in order to fulfill its financial obligations left over from the Revolutionary War, and once the new Constitution created a very different government--a separately elected President who is not a member of Congress, a bicameral legislature, and an independent judiciary--the Articles of Confederation and its presidents faded further from memory with each passing year. Since 2012, we've brought the 14 Forgotten Presidents back to life through public events, televised seminars, newspaper articles and annual festivals. __________________________________________________________________________ Mark-Ben%20Franklin.jpg