President of the Continental Congress facts for kids
Quick facts for kids President of the United States in Congress Assembled |
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|---|---|
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| Continental Congress | |
| Style |
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| Appointer | Vote within the Congress |
| Formation | September 5, 1774 |
| First holder | Peyton Randolph |
| Final holder | Cyrus Griffin |
| Abolished | November 2, 1788 |
The president of the United States in Congress Assembled was an important leader during the American Revolution. This person was also known as the president of the Continental Congress or president of the Congress of the Confederation. This role was the main leader of the Continental Congress. This group of delegates met in Philadelphia and was the first temporary national government of the United States.
The president was a member of Congress chosen by other delegates. Their job was to be a fair leader during meetings. This position was mostly ceremonial and did not have much power. It was very different from the later office of President of the United States.
In March 1781, the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union became the first constitution of the U.S. After this, the Continental Congress became the Congress of the Confederation. The members and their president continued their roles without stopping.
Between September 1774 and November 1788, fourteen different men served as president of Congress. They came from nine of the original 13 states. These states included Virginia (3 presidents), Massachusetts (2), Pennsylvania (2), and South Carolina (2). Other states with one president were Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, and New York.
Contents
What Did the President of Congress Do?
The president of the Continental Congress had very limited power. The Continental Congress did not want one person to have too much power. So, they gave their president even less responsibility than other leaders. For example, the president could not decide what topics Congress would discuss. They also could not choose who would be on committees.
The president's job was mostly ceremonial. They did not even get a salary. Their main role was to lead the meetings of Congress. This meant they had to be a fair moderator during debates. If Congress decided to discuss important matters as a "Committee of the Whole," the president would let another person lead.
The president also handled a lot of official letters. However, they could not answer any letter without Congress telling them what to say. Presidents also signed official documents from Congress, but they did not write them. These limits could be frustrating. A delegate often lost influence when they became president.
Historian Richard B. Morris said that some presidents still found ways to be influential. He wrote:
Lacking specific authorization or clear guidelines, the presidents of Congress could with some discretion influence events, formulate the agenda of Congress, and prodded Congress to move in directions they considered proper. Much depended on the incumbents themselves and their readiness to exploit the peculiar opportunities their office provided.
After the Articles of Confederation were approved and the Revolutionary War ended, Congress became less important. It became harder to get enough delegates to attend meetings. President John Hanson wanted to quit after only a week. But Congress did not have enough members to choose a new leader, so he had to stay.
President Thomas Mifflin struggled to get states to send enough delegates. He needed them to approve the 1783 Treaty of Paris. For six weeks in 1784, President Richard Henry Lee did not even come to Congress. He asked the secretary, Charles Thomson, to send him any papers that needed his signature.
John Hancock was chosen for a second term in November 1785. He was not even in Congress at the time. Congress knew he probably would not attend. He never took his seat, saying he was sick. Two delegates, David Ramsay and Nathaniel Gorham, did his duties. They were called "chairman". When Hancock finally quit in June 1786, Gorham was elected.
After Gorham resigned in November 1786, it took months to get enough members to elect a new president. In February 1787, General Arthur St. Clair was elected. During his time, Congress passed the Northwest Ordinance. St. Clair was then chosen as the governor of the Northwest Territory.
As people debated the new United States Constitution in 1787, the Confederation Congress became a temporary government. There were not enough delegates to choose St. Clair's replacement until January 22, 1788. That's when the last president of Congress, Cyrus Griffin, was elected. Griffin resigned on November 15, 1788. Only two delegates showed up for the new session of Congress.
How Long Did Presidents Serve?
Before the Articles of Confederation, presidents of Congress did not have set terms. Their time in office ended when they resigned or when Congress chose a new leader. For example, Peyton Randolph was elected in September 1774. He could not attend the last few days of the session due to illness. So, Henry Middleton was elected to replace him.
When the Second Continental Congress met, Randolph was chosen again. But he went back to Virginia two weeks later. John Hancock was elected to fill his spot. It was unclear if Randolph had quit or was just on leave. This became awkward when Randolph returned in September 1775. Some thought Hancock should step down, but he did not. The issue was only solved when Randolph died suddenly that October.
The end of Hancock's term was also unclear. He left in October 1777 for what he thought was a long break. But when he came back, Congress had elected Henry Laurens to replace him. Hancock served from May 24, 1775, to October 29, 1777. This was the longest time any president of Congress served (2 years, 5 months).
The length of a president's term was finally set by the Articles of Confederation. It said Congress could "appoint one of their number to preside." But it also said "no person be allowed to serve in the office of president more than one year in any term of three years."
However, when the Articles started in March 1781, Congress did not immediately elect a new president. Instead, Samuel Huntington continued serving. His term had already gone over the new one-year limit. The first president to serve the exact one-year term was John Hanson. He served from November 5, 1781, to November 4, 1782.
Who Were the Presidents of Congress?
Here are the 14 men who served as president of the Continental Congress. This table shows their terms and backgrounds.
| Portrait | Name | State/colony | Term | Length | Previous position |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peyton Randolph (1721–1775) |
Virginia | September 5, 1774 – October 22, 1774 |
47 days | Speaker of the Virginia House of Burgesses | |
| Henry Middleton (1717–1784) |
South Carolina | October 22, 1774 – October 26, 1774 |
4 days | Speaker, S.C. Commons House of Assembly | |
| Peyton Randolph (1721–1775) |
Virginia | May 10, 1775 – May 24, 1775 |
14 days | Speaker of the Virginia House of Burgesses | |
| John Hancock (1737–1793) |
Massachusetts | May 24, 1775 – October 29, 1777 |
2 years, 158 days | President, Massachusetts Provincial Congress | |
| Henry Laurens (1724–1792) |
South Carolina | November 1, 1777 – December 9, 1778 |
1 year, 38 days | President, S.C. Provincial Congress, Vice President, S.C. | |
| John Jay (1745–1829) |
New York | December 10, 1778 – September 28, 1779 |
292 days | Chief Justice New York Supreme Court | |
| Samuel Huntington (1731–1796) |
Connecticut | September 28, 1779 – July 10, 1781 |
1 year, 285 days | Associate Judge, Connecticut Superior Court | |
| Thomas McKean (1734–1817) |
Delaware | July 10, 1781 – November 5, 1781 |
118 days | Chief Justice of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court | |
| John Hanson (1721–1783) |
Maryland | November 5, 1781 – November 4, 1782 |
364 days | Maryland House of Delegates | |
| Elias Boudinot (1740–1821) |
New Jersey | November 4, 1782 – November 3, 1783 |
364 days | Commissary of Prisoners for the Continental Army | |
| Thomas Mifflin (1744–1800) |
Pennsylvania | November 3, 1783 – June 3, 1784 |
213 days | Quartermaster General of Continental Army, Board of War | |
| Richard Henry Lee (1732–1794) |
Virginia | November 30, 1784 – November 4, 1785 |
339 days | Virginia House of Burgesses | |
| John Hancock (1737–1793) |
Massachusetts | November 23, 1785 – June 5, 1786 |
194 days | Governor of Massachusetts | |
| Nathaniel Gorham (1738–1796) |
Massachusetts | June 6, 1786 – February 2, 1787 |
241 days | Board of War | |
| Arthur St. Clair (1737–1818) |
Pennsylvania | February 2, 1787 – November 4, 1787 |
275 days | Major General, Continental Army | |
| Cyrus Griffin (1748–1810) |
Virginia | January 22, 1788 – November 2, 1788 |
298 days | Judge, Virginia Court of Appeals |
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How Was This Role Different from the U.S. President?
Even though the titles sound similar, the President of Congress was "not related" to the later office of President of the United States. Historian Edmund Burnett explained:
The president of the United States is scarcely in any sense the successor of the presidents of the old Congress. The presidents of Congress were almost solely presiding officers, possessing scarcely a shred of executive or administrative functions; whereas the president of the United States is almost solely an executive officer, with no presiding duties at all. Barring a likeness in social and diplomatic precedence, the two offices are identical only in the possession of the same title.
Some people mistakenly say that the presidents of the Continental Congress were presidents before George Washington. This is not true because the jobs were very different. Because the Continental Congress continued for a long time, several people could claim to be the "first president of the United States."
These include:
- Peyton Randolph, as president of the First Continental Congress.
- John Hancock, who was president when the Declaration of Independence was signed.
- Samuel Huntington, who was president when the Articles of Confederation were approved.
- Thomas McKean, the first president chosen under the Articles.
- John Hanson, the first president under the Articles to serve the full one-year term.
Hanson's grandson worked to make Hanson known as the "first president of the United States." This led to Hanson's statue being placed in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol. However, historian Gregory Stiverson says Hanson was not one of Maryland's most important leaders during the Revolution. Because of this effort, Hanson is often incorrectly listed as the first president of Congress under the Articles.
The role of the president of the Continental Congress was more like the vice president's job today. The Vice President leads the United States Senate.
The President's Seal
After the first design for the Great Seal of the United States was made, the Congress of the Confederation ordered a smaller seal. This seal was for the President of Congress to use. It was a small oval shape. In the middle was the crest from the Great Seal. This crest showed thirteen stars shining like a sun, surrounded by clouds. Above it was the motto E Pluribus Unum, which means "Out of many, one."
Benson Lossing said that all presidents of Congress used this seal after 1782. They likely used it to seal envelopes for letters sent to Congress. However, only examples from Thomas Mifflin are clearly documented. This seal was not used by the new government after 1789.
See also
In Spanish: Presidente del Congreso Continental para niños
