Why Some Claim There Were 8 American Presidents Prior to George Washington and the Reality behind the Claim

Understanding the Position of Pre-Confederation Presidents

The term 'president' in the early history of the American colonies had a different meaning and context compared to the modern American presidency. This misconception often arises because of the eight individuals who served as 'presidents' of the Congress during the period governed by the Articles of Confederation. These men held a position that was quite distinct from the modern understanding of the American presidency.

Background of the Confederation Congress Presidents

After the American colonies declared their independence from Great Britain, they needed a framework for governance. The Articles of Confederation were drafted in November 1777 and passed by the Second Continental Congress on November 15, 1777. These Articles were ratified by the states in March 1781 and came into effect in February 1781. The Articles created a very loose federal government with extremely limited powers. The government consisted of only a Congress, with no executive or judicial branches, and the states retained full sovereignty.

The Articles of Confederation included a provision for selecting one member of Congress to serve as the presiding officer or 'president.' The role of this 'president' was purely ceremonial and administrative, responsible for moderating meetings and overseeing the operations of Congress. There was explicit emphasis in the Articles that no single person could serve more than one year in any term of three years as the presiding officer.

The Eight Confederation Presidents

The eight men who served as presidents during the time of the Articles of Confederation were:

John Hanson (1781-1782) Elias Boudinot (1782-1783) Thomas Mifflin (1783-1784) Richard Henry Lee (1784-1785) John Hancock (1785-1786) Nathaniel Gorham (1786-1787) Arthur St. Clair (1787-1788) Cyrus Griffin (1788)

These individuals served as the presiding officer but their roles and powers were significantly different from those of the modern American president. They did not have any executive authority or executive branch powers.

Transition to Constitutional Presidency

After the successful ratification of the United States Constitution on June 21, 1788, the Constitution completely superseded the Articles of Confederation. The Constitution established the modern presidency, creating the office of the executive branch. The powers of George Washington, the first president under the Constitution, were vastly different from those of the presiding officers under the Articles of Confederation. Washington's presidency was marked by the establishment of executive powers and management of the nation's affairs, much of which deviated from the purely administrative role of the confederation period.

Conclusion

While the term 'president' was used during the time of the Articles of Confederation, it referred to a role that was much different from the modern American presidency. The eight men who served as presidents during the confederation period were simply presiding officers of the Congress with no executive powers. The transition to the modern presidency under the Constitution was a significant shift in the structure and powers of the American government.