Confederation Congress Elects Its First President
In this November 5, 1781 letter, Charles Thomson (1729-1824), secretary of the Continental Congress, informs George Washington that John Hanson (1715–1783), a delegate from Maryland, was elected the first president of Congress under the Articles of Confederation. Washington was in York, Virginia, overseeing the final details of the Cornwallis Surrender and preparing the army for their move North. Some people claim that John Hanson rather than George Washington should be considered the first president.
In this November 5, 1781 letter, Charles Thomson (1729-1824), secretary of the Continental Congress, informs George Washington that John Hanson (1715–1783), a delegate from Maryland, was elected the first president of Congress under the Articles of Confederation. Washington was in York, Virginia, overseeing the final details of the Cornwallis Surrender and preparing the army for their move North. Some people claim that John Hanson rather than George Washington should be considered the first president.