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Was John Hanson, not George Washington :]
John Hanson (14 April [O.S. 3 April] 1715 – November 22, 1783) was a delegate to the United States in Congress Assembled from Maryland. Because he was the first President of Congress from Maryland to serve under a fully ratified Articles of Confederation (Maryland did not complete the process and sign until March 1, 1781), John Hanson has been called the First President of the United States in Congress Assembled. He did serve a full one-year term, November 5, 1781 to November 4, 1782, as President of the United States in Congress Assembled under the Articles of Confederation.
From wikipedia:
The President of the Continental Congress was the presiding officer of the Continental Congress, the convention of delegates that emerged as the first national government of the United States during the American Revolution. The president was a delegate elected by the other delegates to preside over meetings of Congress. He was not the equivalent of a modern head of state, and had less authority than the governors of the individual colonies or states.
Therefore Hanson was more like the Vice President of today, chairing Congress
Using that logic, one would have to say that John Hancock was really the first president, since he was president of the 2nd continental congress, which decalred our independence. Soi he was president of the legilative body that existed when our country was born.
He was not, just and hasnon was not, a head of state. Merely the head of a legislature. We had no true head of state until constitution and Washington.
