John Hanson
John Hanson (April 3, 1715–November 22, 1783) was a delegate to the Continental Congress from Maryland. He has been called the First President of the United States 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.
Hanson is one of the most enigmatic figures in US history. He is frequently mentioned in connection with the claim that he was the first President, but fewer facts are clear about his life and accomplishments than is the case with most of his contemporaries. One of the difficulties this caused was that several writers in the 19th century filled in the blanks with fiction. This article presents only those aspects of the man and his character that are either clearly documented or almost universally agreed upon. For a review of some of the additional stories surrounding his life, see John Hanson (myths).
Personal life
John was the third generation of his family in Maryland. Named after his grandfather John, who came from England, he was born near Port Tobacco in Charles County, Maryland. John's parents were Samuel (1684-1740) and Elizabeth Story Hanson (1689-1764) who owned a farm there. John had no extended formal education while growing up in Maryland, but he read broadly in both English and Latin. He followed the family tradition as a planter, extending and improving his holdings.
In 1744 he married Jane Contee (born 1728) in Annapolis. They would remain together until his death, and had a large family. Jane survived her husband, dying on March 21, 1812 in Frederick County. Their children included:
- Catherine (1744-1767) married Philip Alexander.
- Jane (1747-1781) married Dr. Philip Thomas and moved to Frederick County.
- Peter (1748-1776) enlisted in the Continental Army. In November of 1776 he was stationed at Fort Washington; killed in action while defending Fort Washington.
- Alexander (1749-1806), known as Alexander Contee Hanson, Sr., became a lawyer and a judge. His son, Alexander Contee Hanson became a US Senator.
- The twins, John and Elizabeth (1751-1753), died as infants.
- Grace (1762-1763) died as an infant.
- A second John (1753-1760) died in childhood.
- Samuel (1756-1781), known as Dr. Samuel Harrison Hanson, became a physician.
John died at his nephew's plantation at Oxon Hill in Prince George's County, Maryland on November 22, 1783. He is buried in a private family graveyard there.
Political career
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 treasurer of Frederick County.
When the colonial assembly was dismissed or prorogued in 1774, Hanson became a representative in the Annapolis Convention which replaced it as a revolutionary government. Over the next several sessions of that assembly, he gained a reputation as an outspoken supporter of moves towards revolution. His speeches contributed to Maryland's decision to support rebels engaged in the Siege of Boston.
In December of 1779, the Maryland House of Delegates named John Hanson as one of its delegates to the Continental Congress. He began those duties when he took his seat in Philadelphia on June 14, 1780, serving until 1782. While Hanson was in Congress, the Articles of Confederation were at last ratified by all the states. When the Congress received notice of this on March 1, 1781, he joined Daniel Carroll in endorsing them for Maryland.
Hanson as first President
A popular urban legend or bar bet suggests that Hanson was the "first President" of the United States. Before the adoption of the Constitution in 1781, the colonies operated under the direction of the Continental Congress, although they remained in principle a confederation of independent states. Even after the adoption of the Articles of Confederation, there was no executive branch. As such the President of the Continental Congress, which was a position similar to a Prime Minister, was the highest authority; under the Articles, the position adopted the title President of the United States in Congress Assembled, and Hanson was the first presiding officer of the Congress to use that title when dealing with foreign governments, diplomats, or treaties. Congress had little authority beyond those powers, which had been specifically delegated to it by the states, and its weakness during this period led directly to a decline in influence and the 1783 Constitution, with a more robust federal model.
Hanson's term as President of Congress, during this critical formation period, did have longstanding influence.
Among the accomplishments of Hanson's presidency of Congress:
- Delivered the official Thanks of Congress to George Washington for his victory at Yorktown
- Commended Gen. Lafayette and thanked France for his services
- Pressed states to keep up their commitments to sending delegates to Congress, which was often short of a quorum
- Passed legislation for the Bank of North America, the first central bank
- Appointed a Secretary of the United States to assist in correspondence and record-keeping
- Granted Gen. Washington broad powers to negotiate prisoner exchanges with Britain; Washington immediately worked out a trade of Gen. Cornwallis for Henry Laurens, the first president of the Continental Congress
- Established the United States Mint
- Established the predecessor agency of the State Department
- Proclaimed the first national Thanksgiving holiday
- Created the position of Chairman of Congress, a predecessor of the vice-presidency
- Negotiated a peace treaty with Britain
- Settled a dispute between Connecticut and Pennsylvania, with Hanson acting as an equivalent of Chief Justice
- Called for the first national census
The origin of the claim that Hanson is the "forgotten" first President stem from a 1932 book by Seymour Wemyss Smith titled John Hanson - Our First President. Nevertheless, officially Hanson was the third presiding officer of the Congress of the United States, and he considered himself a successor to the first two men to hold the office, Samuel Huntington and Thomas McKean. 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.
Legacy
Article 13, Section 401 of the Annotated Code of Maryland specifies that: "the Governor annually shall proclaim April 13 as John Hanson's birthday and dedicate that day to the statesman." Also, the John Hanson Highway is named in his honor.
The John Hanson Highway
The John Hanson Highway is a freeway in central Maryland, linking New York Avenue in Washington, D.C., with the Chesapeake Bay Bridge near Annapolis, Maryland. It is U.S. Highway 50, although most of it is also the unsigned Interstate 595, and part of it is also multiplexed with U.S. Highway 301.
The John Hanson Highway has HOV lanes. Information on those lanes can be found in the article on Interstate 595.
External link
Further resource
- Einstein's Refrigerator ISBN 0740714198 by Steve Silverman, pp. 101-104