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President of the United States in Congress Assembled:  John Hanson

   Another man with a distinguished career in politics was John Hanson.  Born in Charles County in 1715, Hanson received a little formal education, but read broadly in both Greek and Latin.  He started as a planter and was very successful, eventually owning thousands of acres.

   His first political appointment sent him to represent Charles County in the Colonial Assembly in 1757.  He stayed in this position for most of the next dozen years.  In 1774, Hanson became a county representative at the Annapolis Convention, which replaced the Colonial Assembly.  Finally in 1779, Hanson was chosen as a Maryland delegate to the Continental Congress.  He held this position for the remainder of the war.  While serving in the Congress, Hanson was in a position to accept what was then the highest political role in the land, President of Congress, as set down within the Articles of Confederation.

   The Articles of Confederation were proposed in 1776, and ratified by Congress in 1777.  However, it took four long years for the Articles to gain the approval of each state, necessary for them to go into effect.  

   The reasons for the delay were numerous, but the main reason was Hanson’s home state, Maryland.  Maryland was angered by Ohio River valley land claims, primarily held by Virginia and New York, and believing that under the new government these extra lands gave those states too much power at considerable disadvantage to the smaller states.  Maryland argued instead for an equitable dispersal of power to all thirteen states.  Until Virginia and New York released their western land claims, Maryland adamantly refused to ratify the Articles.  By late 1780, all western land claims had been relinquished and on March 1, 1781, Maryland ratified the Articles, the last of the 13 states to do so.  John Hanson, with Daniel Carroll, endorsed them for Maryland.

   With the Articles in place, all the Continental Congress needed someone in charge.  Hanson was instrumental in persuading the Maryland Legislature to ratify the Articles of Confederation.  The new Congress of November 1781 rewarded Hanson for this service by electing him President on Nov. 5, 1781.  One of the biggest misconceptions regarding John Hanson revolves around this very act.

   It has been suggested for many years that John Hanson was the first President under the new Articles of Confederation government.  In fact some people have referred to Hanson as the “First President”, and remark that George Washington is really the 9th President!  Yet this is a misconception.

   John Hanson was the first President to serve a full one-year term, and the first to use the title of President of the United States in Congress Assembled.  Prior to Hanson, two other men served shorter terms as the president.

   John Hanson took office near the end of the Revolutionary War, on Nov. 5, 1781 and almost immediately faced the greatest issue of his presidency; soldiers’ complaints about lack of pay.  

   This was not a new complaint.  It had existed almost as long as the War lasted.  After the great expenditure of funds to finance weapons and supplies for the Revolution, there was little money left over with which to pay the troops.

   Rumors of threats began to reach Congress’ ears.  Soldiers threatened to dissolve the government and install George Washington as virtual dictator unless they were paid what was owed for their service.  Many congressional delegates were frightened away by these threats.

   Showing personal courage, and sympathy to the soldiers’ plight, Hanson stayed at his post and did his best to resolve the situation.  Despite his best efforts, the issue was not fully resolved until years later.

   Hanson’s term President of the United States in Congress Assembled ended on Nov. 3, 1782.  Even though he was unable to completely resolve the soldiers’ pay issues, the accomplishments Hanson oversaw during his year of service as President included many acts with longstanding influence.

-        the establishment of the United States Mint,
-        passage of legislation for the Bank of North America (the country’s first central bank),
-        establishment the agency which preceded the State Department,
-        creation of the position of Chairman of Congress (predecessor to the vice-presidency),
-        a call for the first national census, and
-        delivery of the official Thanks of Congress to George Washington for his victory at Yorktown.

   Hanson did not long survive the end of his term of presidential office.  He died little more than a year later on Nov. 22, 1783 at the age of 68.  

   Whether or not John Hanson can rightly be called the first President of the United States is not the issue.  The remaining records of his term tell us that he did much in the service of America for which he should be remembered.

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The Charles County marker for Mulberry Grove, birthplace of John Hanson.

Read more about this forgotten Founding Father at http://www.johnhanson.net/.  Written by Stanley L. Klos.