President of the Continental Congress

The President of the Continental Congress was the lead manager of the Continental Congress, which was elected by the delegates to the Congress. After the Articles of Confederation were adopted on March 1, 1781, the office was known as the President of the United States in Congress assembled.

Although the United States, an independent state at the time were, as the office was introduced, the early Congress president were not the sole heads of state. The position can best be compared with a conductive chairman and the incumbent had little power in only a few areas of responsibility.

By the title of " President " (at the time unusual ), a natural line between the Office of the Congress President and the current President of the United States of America results (see below).

Although all delegates to the congress were remarkable, two of many Americans are in the consciousness remained particularly vivid: John Hancock, as was accepted and signed the American Declaration of Independence under his presidency, and John Hanson because of his service as Congress President occasionally - albeit incorrectly - as first President of the United States is called.

List of Presidents

The following men served as president of the Continental Congress:

  • Peyton Randolph (September 5, 1774 - October 21, 1774 )
  • Henry Middleton (October 22, 1774 - October 26, 1774 )
  • Peyton Randolph ( again ) (May 10, 1775 - May 23, 1775 )
  • John Hancock (May 24, 1775 - October 31, 1777 )
  • Henry Laurens (November 1, 1777 - December 9, 1778 )
  • John Jay (December 10, 1778 - September 27, 1779 )
  • Samuel Huntington (September 28, 1779 - March 11, 1781 )

The following men served as President of the United States in Congress assembled:

  • Samuel Huntington (March 11, 1781 - July 9, 1781 )
  • Thomas McKean (July 10, 1781 - November 4, 1781 )
  • John Hanson (November 5, 1781 - November 3, 1782 )
  • Elias Boudinot (November 4, 1782 - November 2, 1783 )
  • Thomas Mifflin (November 3, 1783 - October 31, 1784 )
  • Richard Henry Lee (November 30, 1784 - November 6, 1785 )
  • John Hancock ( November 23, 1785 - May 29, 1786)
  • Nathaniel Gorham (June 6, 1786 - November 5, 1786 )
  • Arthur St. Clair (February 2, 1787 - November 4, 1787 )
  • Cyrus Griffin (January 22, 1788 - November 2, 1788 )

On March 1, 1781 Title of the Office was changed, but Samuel Huntington remained in office.

Name form

The adoption of the Articles of Confederation changed the authority of Congress and its relationship with other countries. There were also some changes in the names of institutions and offices, including the president. During the first sessions, there were small changes in the way the Congress referred to himself. Now, were the products of three names to the standard:

  • United States of America was the name of the Confederacy or the country.
  • United States, in Congress assembled was the common name of the Congress.
  • The full name of the Congress, which was but little used, was United States of New Hampshire, Massachusetts Bay, Rhode Iceland and the Providence plantations, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia, assembled in Congress.

It is interesting to compare the names with those of the Parliament of the United Kingdom ( which worked with a similar system ), for example, " The honorable House of Commons assembled in Parliament ".

President under Articles

In adaptation to the change of name of the government was the official title of senior chairman of President of the United States, in Congress assembled. Apart from John Hanson most presidents used this item only to contracts and diplomatic credentials for ministers. The article gave the president not the entire power. The President was elected for one year and one delegate was allowed to be elected only three times in a row. If Congress was not in session, acted a state committee, which consisted of one delegate from each State, as a government.

The view that the presidency was a forerunner of the Office of the President of the United States will be represented as before. Given contemporary documents, however this seems to have to be restricted. The Congress as a whole was the government. He embodied the legislative, judicial and executive powers. In practice, this system of government proved to be defective and as a result shared the Constitution of the United States the power on and laid down the powers of the President of the United States of America.

First Continental Congress: Peyton Randolph | Henry Middleton

Second Continental Congress: Peyton Randolph | John Hancock | Henry Laurens | John Jay | Samuel Huntington

Congress of the Confederation Samuel Huntington | Thomas McKean | John Hanson | Elias Boudinot | Thomas Mifflin | Richard Henry Lee | John Hancock | Nathaniel Gorham | Arthur St. Clair | Cyrus Griffin

  • American Revolution
Samuel Huntington (statesman)
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