OCR Text |
Show GREAT, BUT NEVER CHIEF EXECUTIVES Long List of Presidents of Continental Congress. The first President of the United States was George Washington. That office was created by the Constitution, Con-stitution, and he was the first man to occupy it. Before the adoption of the Constitution Consti-tution the business of the United States was conducted by a provisional provision-al government, the authority of which was centered In the Constitutional congress. Between the organization of the Continental congress in 1774 and the establishment of the constitutional government, that congress had sis-teen sis-teen Presidents. But none of the Presidents of the Continental con gress had the title of President of the Cnited States. The President of the Continental congress corresponded roughly, in his functions, to the Vice President of the present government the president of the .senate. He had some powers, delegated to him from time to time, beyond those of the' presiding officer of a legislative body. Here Is a list of the presidents of the Continental congress, with the date of the election of each : Peyton Randolph of Virginia, Sep I ember 5, 1784; Henry Middleton. South Carolina, October 22, 1774 ; Peyton Randolph (again), May 10, 1775 ; John Hancock of Massachusetts, Massachu-setts, May 24, 1775 ; Henry Laurens, South Carolina, November 1, 1777; Tohn Jay, New York, December 10, 177S ; Samuel Huntington, Connecticut, Connecti-cut, September 2S, 1779. Thomas McKean, Delaware, July 10, 17S1 ; John Hanson, Maryland. November 5, 17S1 ; Elias Boudinot, New Jersey, November 4, 17S2 ; Thomas Mifflin, Pennsylvania, November No-vember 3, 17S3 ; R. U. Lee, Virginia, November 30, 17S4 : John Hancock 'again), November 23, 17S5. |