•The Journals of the Continental Congress and the UnitedStates, in Congress Assembled report that there were sixPresidents of the Continental Congress and ten Presidents ofthe United States, in Congress Assembled before GeorgeWashington's Inauguration in 1789.•Two of the Presidents, John Hancock and Samuel Huntingtonserved in both offices bringing the total number of menholding the Pre-1787 Constitutional offices from 1774 – 1788 tofourteen.• A fifteenth founder, Samuel Johnson of North Carolina waselected the 2nd President of the United States, in CongressAssembled but refused to accept the office.•David Ramsay of South Carolina served as the Chairman ofthe United States for the absent President, John Hancock, fromNovember 23, 1785 – May 12, 1786.•Upon Ramsay’s resignation, Nathaniel Gorham took over theChairmanship until John Hancock resigned.

Each Colony/State elected delegates to the ContinentalCongress and the United States, in Congress Assembled.

From 1774 to 1788 the delegates elected fifteen Presidentswith only one declining to serve.

Each State, regardless of population or the size of theirdelegation, had only one vote in both the ContinentalCongress and the United States, in CongressAssembled.

Journals of The United States in Congress Assembled, October 16, 1781 –Stan Klos Collection – www.ForgottenFounders.org

Articles of Association, passed October 20, 1774, named and organized the Continental Congress.

Peyton Randolph, Henry Middleton and John Hancock served under the Colonial Articles of Association as Presidents of the Continental Congress of the United Colonies from September 5, 1774 to July 1, 1776.

John Hancock, Henry Laurens, John Jay, and Samuel Huntington served as the Independent States Articles of Association as Presidents of Continental Congress of the United States from July 2, 1776 until March 1, 1781.

Articles of Association, October 20, 1774 – Library of Congress Broadside Collection

Peyton Randolph September 5, 1774 October 22, 1774Henry Middleton October 22, 1774 October 26, 1774Peyton Randolph May 20, 1775 May 24, 1775John Hancock May 25, 1775 October 29, 1777Henry Laurens November 1, 1777 December 9, 1778John Jay December 10, 1778 September 28, 1779Samuel Huntington September 29, 1779 March 1, 1781

Oath of Secrecy October 20, 1774Stan Klos Collection

www.Forgotten Founders.org

The first federal constitution, the Articles of Confederation, was passedon November 15, 1777 but it required ratification by all thirteen states.

Virginia was the first to ratify the Constitution of 1777 on December 16,1777.

Delaware, which claims to be the First State, ratified the Articles ofConfederation on February 9, 1779.

Maryland was the last state to ratify delaying its approval until March1, 1781. On March 2, 1781 the Continental Congress was dissolved andthe new constitutional government named the United States, inCongress Assembled convened.

Delaware First to RatifyConstitution of 1787

Virginia First to RatifyConstitution of 1777

Virginia, not Delaware, is the First State in The Perpetual Union Of the United States

Elected under the Articles of Association and its subsequent resolutionsin 1779 Samuel Huntington ascended to the first United StatesPresidency under the Constitution of 1777 on March 2, 1781. The UnitedStates, in Congress Assembled recorded the installment in its Journals onsaid date as follows:

The ratification of the Articles of Confederation being yesterdaycompleted by the accession of the State of Maryland: The UnitedStates met in Congress, when the following members appeared: HisExcellency Samuel Huntington, delegate for Connecticut, President.

U. S. Treasury referring to Samuel Huntington as President of the United States In Congress Assembled – March 18, 1781 Stan Klos Collection www.SamuelHuntington.org

Nine more Presidents of the United States underthe Articles of Confederation were duly electedby the States after Samuel Huntington.

These Presidents utilized their office to exercise much influence on United States public affairs and legislation. The Presidents each had one vote of thirteen possible

votes in the unicameral government. Quite often their yes or no represented 1/9th of the votes required in the nine state quorums necessary to enact legislation under the Constitution of 1777.

All the Presidents presided, in this voting “Speaker of the House Capacity,” over the judicial, legislative and executive business of the United States of America in the unicameral federal government.

The Presidents also had the power to call for theunicameral government’s assembly and adjournment.

They received, read, answered, and at their owndiscretion held or disseminated the official state andforeign correspondence to the United States.

They received both United States and foreign dignitarieswhen they arrived at the Capitol as the Head of State forthe United States of America extending the nation’sofficial hospitality.

The Presidents acted similar to Supreme Court ChiefJustices presiding over cases such as Federal CourtAppeals, Death Penalty Appeals, Military trials and Stateboundary disputes.

President John Hanson Military Directive to George Washington, September 14, 1782The United States in Congress Assembled Journals –Stan Klos Collection -

www.johnhanson.net

President Samuel Huntington Signed Military Commission February 24, 1781 –Stan Klos Collection - www.samuelhuntington.org

President Thomas McKean signs Consul General of France Commission for Joseph de L’ EtombeJournals of the United States in Congress Assembled – Stan Klos Collection – www.ThomasMcKean.com

President Thomas Mifflin Ratifies the Treaty of Paris on January 14, 1784Image Courtesy of the Stan Klos Collection – www.ThomasMifflin.com

President John Jay’s Day of Humiliation, Fasting and Prayer to Almighty God ProclamationMarch 20, 1779 –the Library Of Congress Broadside Collection – www.John Jay.net

Ordinance For The Establishment of the Mint of The United States of America signed Richard Henry Lee President, Library Of Congress Broadside Collection

The government of the United States provided for the President’s expenses, servants, clerks, housing, and transportation. Their home state was expected to provide for their salary.

Presidential Household Budget for the year 1785Library of Congress Broadside Collection

In 1788 the President of the United States, in Congress Assembled, under theunicameral federal government, ceased to exist as Cyrus Griffin’s one yearterm expired on January 21, 1789. A quorum could not be formed to elect an11th President of the United States, in Congress Assembled.

Charles Thomson, Secretary of the United States, in Congress Assembledcontinued to conduct the business of the nation from offices located inFraunces Tavern in New York City until the new government assembled atthe newly remodeled “Federal Hall” in the spring of 1789.

Charles Thomson Signed BroadsideStan Klos Collection

www.CharlesThomson.com

By July 1788, the United States, in Congress Assembled reported that eleven States ratified the Constitution of 1787.

In 1789 the unicameral federal government of the United States was replaced with three distinct branches: Executive - President George Washington Judicial – Supreme Court Chief Justice John Jay Legislative – U.S. Senate President John Adams and U.S.

House Speaker Frederick A.C. Muhlenberg. The ratification dates of the Constitution of 1787 by

the states are as follows:

The Constitution of 1777 not only formed the Union butits language was utilized by President Lincoln, togetherwith the Constitution of 1787, as the legal grounds towage war to “Preserve the Union."

On July 4, 1861 President Abraham Lincoln appearedbefore a special session of the United States Congress. Atthis session Lincoln maintained that original Colonieswere legally bound to the United States by both theConstitutions of 1787 and 1777 stating: "while that name was first adopted by the old ones in and by the

Declaration of Independence. Therein the "United Colonies" weredeclared to be "free and independent states;" but, even then, the objectplainly was not to declare their independence of one another, or of theUnion, but directly the contrary, as their mutual pledge and their mutualaction before, at the time, and afterwards, abundantly show. The expressplighting of faith by each and all of the original thirteen in the Articles ofConfederation, two years later, that the Union shall be perpetual, is mostconclusive.”

Abraham Lincoln Special Session Message to Congress - July 4, 1861 – Library Of Congress

Beginning in a Tavern and fading away in a tavern, the UnitedColonies and States conducted their central government fromeight different Capitol City/Town locations from 1774 - 1788

Capitols of The United Colonies and States by Robert Browning and Stan Klos –Copyright 2008

The Rise of The U.S. Presidency& The Forgotten Capitols

By: Stanley L. Klos

www.ForgottenFounders.org