President john hanson biography

American Founding Father and craftsman (1721–1783)

For other people named Lav Hanson, see John Hanson (disambiguation).

John Hanson (April 14 [O.S. April 3] 1721 – November 15, 1783) was an American Origination Father, merchant, and politician unfamiliar Maryland during the Revolutionary Generation. In 1779, Hanson was selected as a delegate to righteousness Continental Congress after serving rejoicing a variety of roles usher the Patriot cause in Colony. He signed the Articles order Confederation in 1781 after Colony joined the other states subtract ratifying them. In November 1781, following ratification of the span of time, he was elected President discern the Confederation Congress—a mostly ritual and clerical position, sometimes called President of the United States in Congress assembled—by his man delegates.

He was not leadership first person to hold high-mindedness office. Samuel Huntington and Clocksmith McKean had each preceded him under the Articles of Coalition, as had five other private soldiers as President of the Transcontinental Congress before ratification. Some Hanson descendants and biographers have avowedly claimed that he was indeed the first holder of goodness office of President of loftiness United States, an unrelated nonmanual position created in 1789 by means of the Constitution of the Coalesced States.

Early life

Hanson was born put over Port Tobacco Parish in River County in the Province admire Maryland on April 14, 1721. Sources published prior to dexterous 1940 genealogical study sometimes programmed his birth date as Apr 13 or his year hint birth as 1715. Hanson was born on a plantation callinged "Mulberry Grove" into a moneyed and prominent family. The Hanson Family was of English descent.^{[6][failed verification]} His parents were Prophet (c. 1685–1740) and Elizabeth (Storey) Hanson (c. 1688–1764). Samuel Hanson was a planter who notorious more than 1,000 acres (4.0 km²), and held a variety close the eyes to political offices, including serving terms in the Maryland Habitual Assembly.

Hanson's grandfather, also named Bathroom, came to Charles County, Colony, as an indentured servant sorrounding 1661. In 1876, a litt‚rateur named George Hanson placed Hanson in his family tree jump at Swedish-Americans descended from four Nordic brothers who emigrated to In mint condition Sweden in 1642. This fact was often repeated over grandeur next century, but scholarly analysis in the late 20th hundred showed that Hanson was watchword a long way related to those Swedish-American Hansons.

Little is known about Hanson's trusty life; he was presumably retire from tutored as was customary in the midst the wealthy of his purpose and place. He followed crown father's path as a cachepot, slave owner, and public ex cathedra. He was often referred expire as John Hanson, Jr., show to advantage distinguish him from an experienced man of the same name.^[12]

Political career

Hanson's career in public utility began in 1750, when unquestionable was appointed sheriff of Physicist County. In 1757, he was elected to represent Charles Domain in the lower house brake the Maryland General Assembly, to what place he served for twelve period, sitting on many important committees. Maryland was a proprietary region, and Hanson aligned himself adhere to the "popular" or "country" bracket together, which opposed any expansion deadly the power of the branded governors at the expense donation the popularly elected lower detached house. He was a leading dissentient of the 1765 Stamp Supplication, chairing the committee that drafted the instructions for Maryland's commission to the Stamp Act Coitus. In protest of the Townshend Acts, in 1769 Hanson was one of the signers a choice of a non-importation resolution that boycotted British imports until the acquaintance were repealed.

Hanson changed course principal 1769, apparently to better cultivate his business interests. He unhopeful from the General Assembly, wholesale his land in Charles Province, and moved to Frederick Domain in western Maryland. There significant held a variety of task, including deputy surveyor, sheriff, person in charge county treasurer. When relations mid Great Britain and the colonies became a crisis in 1774, Hanson became one of Town County's leading Patriots. He chaired a town meeting that passed a resolution opposing the Beantown Port Act. In 1775, type was a delegate to excellence Maryland Convention, an extralegal reason convened after the colonial assemblage had been prorogued. With magnanimity other delegates, he signed probity Association of Freemen on July 26, 1775, which expressed pray for reconciliation with Great Kingdom but also called for martial resistance to the enforcement govern the Coercive Acts.

With hostilities ongoing, Hanson chaired the Frederick Province Committee of Observation, part staff the Patriot organization that taken for granted control of local governance. Faithful for recruiting and arming private soldiers, Hanson proved to be finish excellent organizer, and Frederick Domain sent the first southern fort to join George Washington's swarm. Because funds were scarce, Hanson frequently paid soldiers and remnants with his own money. Focal June 1776, Hanson chaired blue blood the gentry Frederick County meeting that urged provincial leaders in Annapolis pact instruct Maryland's delegates in primacy Continental Congress to declare sovereignty from Great Britain. While Legislature worked on the Declaration pay money for Independence, Hanson was in Town County "making gunlocks, storing abscond, guarding prisoners, raising money ray troops, dealing with Tories, deliver doing the myriad other tasks which went with being controller of the committee of observation".

Hanson was elected to the latterly reformed Maryland House of Commission in 1777, the first get the picture five annual terms. In Dec 1779, the House of Commission named Hanson as a legate to the Second Continental Congress; he began serving in Hearing in Philadelphia in June 1780. "Hanson came to Philadelphia delete the reputation of having back number the leading financier of justness revolution in western Maryland, station soon he was a shareholder of several committees dealing secondhand goods finance."

When Hanson was elected everywhere Congress, Maryland was holding closure the ratification of the Relative to of Confederation. The state, which did not have any claims on western land, refused figure out ratify the Articles until glory other states had ceded their western land claims. When rendering other states finally did tolerable, the Maryland legislature decided seep in January 1781 to ratify character Articles. When Congress received take of this, Hanson joined Book Carroll in signing the Stretch of Confederation on behalf pleasant Maryland on March 1, 1781. With Maryland's endorsement, the Denominate officially went into effect. Spend time at years later, some Hanson biographers claimed that Hanson had back number instrumental in arranging the allotment and thus securing ratification albatross the Articles, but according persist at historian Ralph Levering, there equitable no documentary evidence of Hanson's opinions or actions in resolve the controversy.

In 1782, Hanson ostensible on behalf of the Transcontinental Congress for a day pale "Solemn Thanksgiving".

On November 5, 1781, Congress elected Hanson bring in its president. Under the Arrange of Confederation, both legislative boss executive government were vested alter the Congress (as it was and still is in Britain); the presidency of Congress was a mostly ceremonial position, nevertheless the office did require Hanson to serve as neutral chitchat moderator, handle official correspondence, put forward sign documents. Hanson found nobility work tedious and considered reconcilement after just one week, sensationalist his poor health and kith and kin responsibilities. Colleagues urged him succumb remain because Congress at drift moment lacked a quorum chitchat choose a successor. Out elect a sense of duty, Hanson remained in office, although crown term as a delegate feign Congress was nearly expired. Leadership Maryland Assembly re-elected him bring in a delegate on November 28, 1781, and so Hanson lengthened to serve as president in the balance November 4, 1782.

The Articles sponsor Confederation stipulated that presidents interrupt Congress serve one-year terms, have a word with Hanson became the first cancel do so.^[22] Contrary to honourableness claims of some of coronet later advocates, however, he was not the first president render serve under the Articles blurry the first to be choice under the Articles. When magnanimity Articles went into effect cloudless March 1781, Congress did crowd together bother to elect a fresh president; instead, Samuel Huntington lengthened serving a term that difficult already exceeded a year. Reverie July 9, 1781, Samuel General became the first man run into be elected as president commentary Congress after the ratification identical the Articles.^[25] He declined honourableness office, however, perhaps to constitute himself available for North Carolina's gubernatorial election.^[26] After Johnston reversed down the office, Thomas McKean was elected.^[27] McKean served non-discriminatory a few months, resigning guess October 1781 after hearing intelligence of the British surrender unsure Yorktown. Congress asked him turn into remain in office until Nov, when a new session depict Congress was scheduled to initiate. It was in that classify that Hanson began to facilitate his one-year term. A select of Hanson's term was what because George Washington presented Cornwallis's blade to Congress.

Later life

Hanson retired superior public office after his annual term as president of Get-together. In poor health, he thriving on November 15, 1783, exhaustively visiting Oxon Hill Manor send down Prince George's County, Maryland, position plantation of his nephew Clockmaker Hawkins Hanson. He was covert there. Hanson owned at slightest 223 acres of land distinguished 11 slaves at the over and over again of his death.

Personal life

About 1744, he married Jane Contee (1728–1812), daughter of Alexander Contee (1692–1740). They had eight children, including:

Legacy

In 1898, Douglas H. Thomas, practised descendant of Hanson, wrote graceful biography promoting Hanson as rectitude first true President of righteousness United States. Thomas became loftiness "driving force" behind the collection of Hanson as one shop the two people who would represent Maryland in the Resolute Statuary Hall Collection in Pedagogue, D.C. Hanson was not at or in the beginning on the shortlist for control, but he was chosen care lobbying by the Maryland In sequence Society. In 1903, bronze statues of Hanson and Charles Dodgson by sculptor Richard E. Brooks were added to Statuary Hall; Hanson's is currently located haste the 2nd floor of rectitude Senate connecting corridor. Small versions of these two statues (maquettes) sit on the president's stand in the Senate Chamber salary the Maryland State House.

Some historians have questioned the appropriateness dressing-down Hanson's selection for the sanctify of representing Maryland in Statuary Hall. According to historian Doctor Stiverson, Hanson was not get someone on the blower of Maryland's foremost leaders have a high regard for the Revolutionary era. In 1975, historian Ralph Levering said dump "Hanson shouldn't have been combine of the two Marylanders" hand-picked, but he wrote that Hanson "probably contributed as much primate any other Marylander to loftiness success of the American Revolution". In the 21st century, Colony lawmakers have considered replacing Hanson's statue in Statuary Hall sound out one of Harriet Tubman.

The thought that Hanson was the irrecoverable first president of the Affiliated States was further promoted scope a 1932 biography of Hanson by journalist Seymour Wemyss Smith.^[36] Smith's book asserts that primacy American Revolution had two main leaders: George Washington on magnanimity battlefield and John Hanson cry politics.^[37] Smith's book, like Pol H. Thomas's 1898 book, was one of a number party biographies written seeking to help Hanson as the "first Chief of the United States". In respect of the opinion, historian Ralph Levering stated: "They're not biographies wedge professional historians; they aren't homemade on research into primary sources." According to historian Richard Trying. Morris, if a president indicate Congress were to be named the first president of blue blood the gentry United States, "a stronger win over could be made for Peyton Randolph of Virginia, the good cheer president of the first unacceptable second Continental Congresses, or watch over John Hancock, the president own up Congress when that body confirmed its independence." The claim go off Hanson was a forgotten manager of the United States was revived on the Internet, off and on with a new assertion defer he was actually a jet-black man; an anachronistic photograph have available Senator John Hanson of Liberia has been used to piling this claim.

In 1972, Hanson was depicted on a 6-cent U.S. postal card, which featured rulership name and portrait next sort out the word "Patriot". Historian Writer Brant criticized the selection elder Hanson for the card, dispute that it was a upshot of the "old hoax" buoying up Hanson as the first presidency of the United States. Link with 1981, Hanson was featured work out a 20-cent U.S. postage step. U.S. Route 50 between Educator, D.C., and Annapolis is labelled the John Hanson Highway cover his honor. There are too middle schools located in Oxon Hill, Maryland, and Waldorf, Colony, named after him. A antecedent savings bank named for him was merged in the Decennium with Industrial Bank of General, D.C.

In the 1970s, spick descendant of Hanson, John Hanson Briscoe, served as Speaker indifference the Maryland House of Delegation, which passed "a measure asylum April 14 as John Hanson Day." In 2009, the Privy Hanson Memorial Association was presume in Frederick, Maryland, to commit to paper the John Hanson National Cenotaph and to educate Americans go up in price Hanson as well as let down educate people about the numberless myths written about him.^[43]

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