The First Presidents

Who was the first President? George Washington, of course... right? Not really. Washington was the first President under the Constitution but there were several before him under the Continental Congress and the Articles of Confederation. Pictured to the left is Peyton Randolph, the first President of the Continental Congress.

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

Peyton Randolph (September 5, 1774 – October 21, 1774) and
Henry Middleton (October 22, 1774 – October 26, 1774)


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

Peyton Randolph (May 10, 1775 – May 23, 1775)
John Hancock (May 24, 1775 – October 31, 1777)
Henry Laurens (November 1, 1777 – December 9, 1778)
John Jay (December 10, 1778 – September 27, 1779)
Samuel Huntington (September 28, 1779 – March 1, 1781*)


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

Samuel Huntington (March 1, 1781* – July 9, 1781)
Thomas McKean (July 10, 1781 – November 4, 1781)
John Hanson (November 5, 1781 – November 3, 1782)
Elias Boudinot (November 4, 1782 – November 2, 1783)
Thomas Mifflin (November 3, 1783 – October 31, 1784)
Richard Henry Lee (November 30, 1784 – November 6, 1785)
John Hancock (November 23, 1785 – May 29, 1786)
Nathaniel Gorham (June 6, 1786 – November 5, 1786)
Arthur St. Clair (February 2, 1787 – November 4, 1787)
Cyrus Griffin (January 22, 1788 – November 2, 1788)

Bet you didn't know John Hancock was a President!