Have you ever heard of Peyton Randolf, Henry Laurens, or Elias Boudinot? If you find yourself scratching your head for what these names have in common, you probably are not alone. These men, among others, were all “presidents” of the United States before George Washington was officially and unanimously chosen by the electoral college in the 1788-1789 presidential election, also known as the nation’s first to select a four-term leader. President George Washington officially took the oath of office on April 30, 1789.
Before Washington became president, several men held the title “President of the United States in Congress Assembled,” first under the Continental Congress and later under the Articles of Confederation.
Defining the role
These early presidents did not have the leadership role Washington would later hold. Instead of having executive authority, veto power, or command over the states, these men were elected by members of Congress to preside over legislative sessions, maintain order, welcome visitors to the nation, manage necessary government correspondence, and represent Congress. Their position was closer to what we might think of today as a presiding officer or Speaker of the House than that of Leader of the Free World.
America’s Continental Congress Era
The First Continental Congress chose Peyton Randolph of Virginia as its first leader in 1774. He was revered for being politically moderate, with friends in high places like George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and John Marshall.
Randolf served from September 1774 to October 1774 and then again briefly from May to June 1775. Falling ill while in office, Henry Middleton of South Carolina stepped in for him for a short period in October 1774.
A wealthy South Carolina planter, Middleton, signed the Declaration of Rights and Grievances, however, after having second thoughts, he later decided he opposed independence and resigned from Congress.
Next came the man with the legendary signature, Mr. John Hancock of Massachusetts. He gained fame when, while serving as congressional president, he signed his name largely and boldly across the Declaration of Independence. Hancock served from May to October 1775, later returning to reprise the role in 1785 through 1786.
Henry Laurens of South Carolina followed behind Hancock. While later serving as ambassador to Holland, Laurens was captured by the British and imprisoned in the Tower of London for over a year.
John Jay, nemesis of Laurens, replaced him as president, and he served from December 10, 1778, to September 28, 1779. A political overachiever, Jay went on to become the first chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court and helped negotiate the Treaty of Paris and the Jay Treaty. He also famously contributed to the Federalist Papers.
Remembered for supporting independence from Great Britain, Richard Henry Lee also served during this early period, including stints between 1775–1776, 1779–1780, and again in 1781.
Other leaders of the Continental Congress were Thomas Lynch Jr., John Langdon of New Hampshire, and William Smith of New York.
Not a complete listing of leaders under the Articles of Confederation, these men stand out from the crowd for their importance to the nation, the events they oversaw as early leaders of the United States, and for governing the country through its revolution.
America’s Confederation Congress Era
Finally starting to get its fledgling government off the ground, the Articles of Confederation took effect in 1781, officially naming the Confederation Congress as the first national government of the United States.
Despite establishing its new government, the United States still only trusted its leader with largely ceremonial duties. The congressional president’s role remained as a legislative officer, restricting him from making independent executive decisions for the nation.
Serving from 1781 to 1782, John Hanson of Maryland became the first president of the Confederation Congress once the Articles of Confederation were in full force.
New Jersey’s Elias Boudinot followed, holding the office from 1782 to 1783. He would later oversee the national mint in Philadelphia from 1795 to 1805 and served as president of the American Bible Society.
Supervising important national moments such as the ratification of the Treaty of Paris and George Washington’s resignation as commander of the army, Thomas Mifflin of Pennsylvania served as president from 1783 to 1784.
From November 1784 to November 1785, Richard Henry Lee governed the nation, followed by Nathaniel Gorham of Massachusetts in 1786. The next year, Arthur St. Clair served as leader of the Confederation Congress in 1787 and later became governor of the Northwest Territory.
Last but not least, Cyrus Griffin of Virginia rounds out the nation’s early leaders. Last president of the Confederation Congress, Griffin served in 1788 before the new constitutional government replaced the Articles of Confederation in 1789.
While not a complete listing of the nation’s early leaders under the Confederation Congress, they, and others, kept Congress functioning during the disorganization of the Confederation period while the nation figured out how to govern itself.
Leadership legacy
Regardless of title or duty, these men were ardent patriots who believed in a free United States of America.
However, their limited leadership roles showcased obvious cracks in the Articles of Confederation, driving a need for a powerful, more defined leadership role such as the nation later found in George Washington.