Forgotten President of America

The most powerful nation of this world is United States of America. U.S.A is a well developed country with a good economy status. America plays a vital role in UNO. All these credits are not gained on a single day or by a single person. These reputations cannot be fulfilled without praising the presidents of U.S. So the first honor goes to first president of America. However, to whom all this praise goes to?


There is a chaos about the first president of America for very long time. Officially announced first president was George Washington. However, John Hanson was occasionally called the first president of U.S. because, he was the first man to serve a full term as President of the Continental Congress under the Articles of Confederation in 1781 and 1782.His predecessors are from Sweden. He was the successor of one of the greatest family traditions in the colonies and became the patriarch of a long line of American patriots. John Hanson was first elected to represent Charles County in the colonial assembly in 1757. He also served as their representative in 1758-1763, 1765, 1766, 1768-1769. At various times he held several positions in local government, including that of deputy land surveyor and treasurer of Frederick County. Then Hanson was elected to the Continental Congress in 1779. When the Congress selected a new president for the 1781-1782 terms, they elected John Hanson on November 5, 1781. Hanson was the third President of the Continental Congress. He was the first to serve a full one-year term, and the first to formally use the title President of the United States in Congress Assembled. The great seal of the United States was first used when he was a president. Thanksgiving Day was declared by Hanson on the fourth Thursday of every November. Yet six other presidents were elected after him - Elias Boudinot (1783), Thomas Mifflin (1784), Richard Henry Lee (1785), Nathan Gorman (1786), Arthur St. Clair (1787), and Cyrus Griffin (1788) before George Washington was selected. These people were not included in the officially announced presidents.


The letter shown above elucidates that he was the third president of America. John Hanson Letter as the 3rd President of the United States in Congress Assembled congratulating Thomas McKean for his service is irrefutable proof that he was not the 1st president of the United States or the 1st President of Continental Congress as maintained by the Smithsonian Institute in their Presidential Exhibit. Some proofs are there to prove Hanson as a first president of U.S and some to prove him as a third president. However, John Hanson had a great honor by representing him as a president of United States of America. Even so, he was forgotten in the President’s History.