Uncovering America’s First President: John Hanson

So, who really was the first president? A lot of people might jump to George Washington, right? But, it turns out that’s not entirely correct. Some say it was actually John Hanson. You might be wondering, “Who’s that?”

Peter Michael, a descendant of Hanson, definitely believes in his ancestor’s legacy. “Chronologically, he certainly was,” he asserts. It seems for a nation to fully function, it needed a governing body—a head of state. And that’s where John Hanson comes in; he was the head of state chosen by the new government.

This fascinating story unfolds in the second episode of “Eric Shawn’s Crazy American History.” Michael has also penned a biography titled In Memory of John Hanson: A Biography of the First President of the United States Government.

Interestingly, there was an exchange between Washington and Bishop Carroll back in 1790 that takes on added significance as America approaches its 250th birthday. Michael claims that Washington himself seemed to support the idea that Hanson was indeed the first president.

According to Michael, during his time in office, Hanson had a functioning cabinet that included key roles like the secretary of war and foreign secretary. Notably, it was Hanson who sent important figures like Benjamin Franklin and John Adams to negotiate the British surrender in 1782. This was also the period during which the first national bank, census, and even U.S. coinage came into existence. Oh, and let’s not forget, Hanson is credited with establishing Thanksgiving as a national holiday.

Hanson assumed the role of President of the United States on November 5, 1781, appointed by delegates of the Continental Congress under the Articles of Confederation. He was tasked with creating a functional government from scratch, which is a huge deal. “Every president after Hanson inherited a functioning government, but he had to build one from nothing,” says Michael.

But here’s a question: Why hasn’t Hanson received more recognition over the years? Have we been misinformed all this time?

Could it be time to consider renaming Washington, D.C. to Hanson, D.C.? Or maybe swap out George’s image on the one-dollar bill for John’s?

To dive deeper into the conversation surrounding John Hanson as the first president of the United States, you can catch the series “Eric Shawn’s Crazy American History,” streaming now.