Position:Home>History> Please help: Who was the first president of America?

George Washington...

---

---

George Washington

---

---

George Washington

---

---

George Washington

First President of the United States of America
1789-1797

Born: February 22, 1732 in Westmoreland County, Virginia

Died: December 14, 1799 in Mount Vernon, Virginia

---

---

I swear, I thought this was a trick question!

---

---

You have got to be kidding me. Someone, take his citizenship and send him to Canada.

George Washington.

Serioously, did you sleep through elementary school?

---

---

This is kinda tricky. Offically the office of president was established by the the Articles of Confederation in 1781. Or more accurately the Articles of Confederation established the office of the President of the United States in Congress Assembled. However, you have the position of President of the Congress for the First Continental Congress which was first held by Peyton Randolph from September 4, 1774 - October 21, 1774 and then by Henry Middleton from October 22, 1774 - October 26, 1774 when the First Continental Congress adjorned. Under the Second Continental Congress there were five Presidents of the Congress: Peyton Randolph (May 10 - 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), and Samuel Huntington (September 28, 1779 – March 1, 1781). These five men were effectively the leaders of the colonies in rebellion. Samuel Huntington went on to become the first President of the United States in Congress Assembled in 1781 under the Articles of Confederation. During the Articles of Confederation, the following were te presidents of the fledling nation: 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 – June 5, 1786), Nathaniel Gorham (June 6, 1786 – November 5, 1786), Arthur St. Clair (February 2, 1787 – November 4, 1787), Cyrus Griffin (January 22, 1788 – March 4, 1789). Now Hancock wasn't actually able to hold the position like he should have due to health problems and had to have substitutes: David Ramsay (November 23, 1785 – May 12, 1786), Nathaniel Gorham (May 15, 1786 – June 5, 1786). Cyrus Griffin was the last pre-Constitution president and George Washington became President of the United States of America, the first Constitutional President, on April , 1789.

So under the Constitution the first president is George Washington. But you actually go back to Peyton Randolph as the first president of any kind for the national government.

---

---

---