Washington Administration

The presidency of George Washington lasted from 1789 to 1797.

First President?

Some have wondered why national leaders of the United States prior to the adoption of the U.S. Constitution are not recognized as the President of the United States.

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Some people argue that the Presidents of the Continental Congress under the Articles of Confederation should be retroactively recognized as the true first Presidents of the United States. Politically, the two positions are different in that one was simply a chairman of a Congress that controlled a loose confederation while the other is an active executive official who heads a true federal government. Given this, historians generally believe that the positions should not be considered the same and therefore, the first "true" U.S. President (in the sense of being America's full Head of State) is indeed Washington.

Related Topics:
Presidents - Articles of Confederation - Chairman - Confederation - Executive - Federal - Head of State

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http://www.snopes.com/history/american/hanson.htm

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However, Washington himself, in correspondence, congratulated John Hanson on becoming the first President of the Continental Congress (1781-1782), using the phrase "President of the United States" in referring to Hanson.

Related Topics:
John Hanson - President of the Continental Congress - 1781 - 1782

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