President of the Continental Congress

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The President of the Continental Congress was the presiding officer of the Continental Congress elected by the delegates to the congress. After the Articles of Confederation were adopted on in March 1, 1781 the office was known as the President of the United States in Congress Assembled.

While all of the delegates to the congress are worthy of note, two have gained a unique place in the consciousness of many Americans. John Hancock was president when the Declaration of Independence was adopted and signed. His large and bold signature on the declaration has led to his name becoming an slang term for a signature. John Hanson has sometimes (incorrectly) been called the First President of the United States, for his service as the President of the congress.

Table of contents

1 List of Presidents
2 Style of the name
3 President under the Articles
4 See also

List of Presidents

The following men served as the President of the Continental Congress:

Peyton Randolph (September 5, 1774 - October 21, 1774) and
Henry Middleton (October 22, 1774 - October 26, 1774)
Peyton Randolph (again) (May 10, 1775 - May 23, 1775)
John Hancock (May 24, 1775 - October 30, 1777)
Henry Laurens (November 1, 1777 - December 9, 1778)
John Jay (December 10, 1778 - September 27, 1779)
Samuel Huntington (September 28, 1779 - February 28, 1781)

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

†Samuel Huntington (March 1, 1781 - July 6, 1781)
Thomas McKean (July 10, 1781 to November 4, 1781)
John Hanson (November 5, 1781 to November 4, 1782)
Elias Boudinot (November 4, 1782 to November 3, 1783)
Thomas Mifflin (November 3, 1783 to June 3, 1784)
Richard Henry Lee (November 30, 1784 to November 23, 1785)
John Hancock (November 23, 1785 to June 6, 1786)
Nathaniel Gorham (June 6, 1786 to November 13, 1786)
Arthur St. Clair (February 2, 1787 to October 29, 1787)
Cyrus Griffin (January 22, 1788 to March 4, 1789)

†On March 1, 1781 the title of the office changed, but Samuel Huntington remained in the chair.

Style of the name

The adoption of the Articles of Confederation changed the authority of the Congress and its relation with the states. There were also some changes in the names of institutions and offices, including that of President. Throughout the earlier sessions there had been minor changes in the way congress described or named itself. Now, through the articles, three names became standard:

The United States of America was the name of the Confederation or country.
The United States, in Congress Assembled became the normal name for the Congress.
The full name of the Congress, rarely used, was The United States of New Hampshire, Massachusetts bay, Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia, in Congress Assembled

President under the Articles

Adjusting to the style changes of the government the formal title of the presiding officer became The President of the United States, in Congress Assembled. Except for John Hanson, most of the Presidents used this title only for treaties and on the diplomatic credentials for ministers. As an office, the Articles gave the president no powers at all. The only reference was to limit the term of the delegate elected the presiding officer to one year out of three. When Congress was not in session, a 'Committee of the States', consisting of one delegate from each state, would act as the government.

The view that the office of President was a precursor to that of President of the United States is still held by some, but appears to be limited when contemporary documents are examined. The Congress as a whole was the Government. It embodied legislative, judicial, and executive powers. In practice, this system of Government proved flawed, and as a result the United States Constitution separated the powers, and defined the powers of the President.