What? But George Washington was America's first president. Everyone knows that. He was the leader of the American Revolution, the 'first citizen', the father of his country. He was the Virginian on top.

Well, no. Based on how certain titles and job descriptions are interpreted, many historians consider the original George-Dubya to be a middle president, leaving to the bookshelf presidents as Peyton Randolph or John Hanson (see below) and whoever the US president is when you're reading this1. Washington may have been, according to who you ask, the eighth or fifteenth President. He wasn't even the first Virginian President of the US.

The questioning of such a basic 'fact' in American history does require some explanation. The government under which America lives is based on its Constitution. However, this wasn't always the case. First, the same government which declared the United States to be a free and independent nation — the Continental Congress — was the only legitimate government of the nation. Seven men served as Presidents of the Continental Congress (if you count these men as President — see below). Later, the Articles of Confederation were adopted, and seven more men took the office of President before Washington.

Some say that Washington must have been the first President because America wasn't a single nation before the Constitution. Some set the creation of the nation at an earlier date. Some are less interested in pedantry and go read a different Entry.

Continental Congress Presidents
During the course of its existence, the Continental Congress had seven men serve as its presiding officer; sometimes this earned them the title of President of the United States.

Really, the job of President of the Continental Congress was more of a premiership than a presidency. They had no special executive powers and this led to a big grey area. The question must be asked —Are they Presidents because they had the title or do they need to have the executive powers too?— to which an answer must inevitably be given: How should I know?. You decide.

Here is a list of the Presidents of the Continental Congress:

Peyton Randolph was a Virginian revolutionary, elected as President of the Congress on 5 September, 1774. He resigned the next month to go back to Virginia for political purposes. He came back to Congress and on 10 May and was re-elected President. He left on 24 May again, and didn't return as President.

Henry Middleton was a conservative South Carolinian who served as President for four days in-between the terms of Peyton Randolph. During his short tenure, however, Middleton managed to have an obsequious letter sent to King George on 22 October, 1774, before Congress dissolved itself. If you consider him to be a President of the US, he would hold the record for the shortest presidency2.

John Hancock was a Massachusetts man, and assumed the Presidency after Peyton Randolph left the office. Hancock served in the office from May 1775 to October 1777. During his time as President, he oversaw the adoption of the Declaration of Independence and its signing. His famous signature on the Declaration is what he is best known for. He also commissioned George Washington be Commander-in-Chief of the colonial forces. He would later serve as President of the United States in Congress Assembled from 1785 to 1786. His name would also be put onto a famous Chicago tower.

Henry Laurens was a moderate South Carolina man, who owned one of the largest slave plantations in the state. He was a revolutionary leader in the Carolinas, though his state was among the most loyal to the King. He was elected to the Continental Congress, and after Hancock resigned, Laurens became its president in November 1777. During this time, he recognized Thanksgiving3 as a holiday and tried to help the Continental Army through its war as all good leaders should.

John Jay was a prominent Federalist, later going on to contribute to the Federalist Papers with Alexander Hamilton and James Madison. He was elected as a delegate to the Continental Congress from New York in late 1778, and was made president of the body shortly after he arrived. He would go on to become the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States of America.

Samuel Huntington, a Connecticut man, was one of the first prominent revolutionaries to speak out against Britain. He was elected to the Continental Congress in 1775. He remained a delegate for a while, and was elected to its presidency in 1779. He was very popular in his state, and was actually elected to the Congress after his retirement in 1781, against his will. Some very pedantic people call him the First President of the United States, because he presided over Congress while the Articles of Confederation were ratified. After this, he was given the title of President of the United States in Congress Assembled. However, he never really took on any powers exceeding those of his predecessors.

Thomas McKean was a Delaware man who must have liked titles. He held numerous posts throughout his life, and the title of President of the United States in Congress Assembled must have been one of his favourites. He was elected to the Congress in 1774 and became its President in 1781. He was one of those who helped draw up the Articles of Confederation.

Presidents Under the Articles
Eventually, a government was constructed, which gave the most power to the individual states instead of to the federal government. This government was outlined with the Articles of Confederation. It stood as the national authority in America from 1 March, 1781, when it was ratified by the states, until 1789, when the Federalists got the Constitution adopted officially. The Articles of Confederation weren't what the country needed. They didn't work well. This is one of the reasons that the Articles were replaced, and one reason why its presidents are largely forgotten.

Though most of the power was handed to the state governments under the Articles of Confederation, there was a national government which had an office of 'President'. Basically, the job of this man was not to do too much while also not letting the country fall apart. Officially, the man was 'President of a Committee of the States' or 'President of Congress of the United States, Assembled'4, and was only allowed a one-year term every three years.

He was given some executive powers, similar to those of the Constitutional Presidency, but on a much smaller scale. Presidents under the Articles of Confederation can therefore be considered presidents of the United States, only less powerful than the presidents we are familiar with.