Who was the first president?I know, you are going to say George Washington.Nope.Wrong.It was President John Hanson.Who?SECRETS OF REVOLUTIONARY WAR BATTLEFIELDS EMERGE 250 YEARS AFTER AMERICA'S FOUNDING"There's no question about it.Chronologically, he certainly was," says Hanson descendant Peter Michael.
"For a nation to be a nation, it has to have a government and a head of state.So the first thing the newly seated government did was elect a head of state.
And it was John Hanson."Really?The hidden story of John Hanson is told in the second episode of "Crazy American History with Eric Shawn," now streaming on Fox Nation.Michael is the author of "Remembering John Hanson, A Biography of the First President of the Original United States Government."AS AMERICA TURNS 250, A RARE 1790 EXCHANGE BETWEEN WASHINGTON AND BISHOP CARROLL TAKES ON NEW RELEVANCEWatch the surprising tale no one told you in High School on Fox Nation's new series, "Crazy American History with Eric Shawn." (Metropolitan Museum of Art)And he says even George Washington would have agreed with him that Hanson was number one."He said so as president and later.He said so throughout the rest of his life, John Hanson was the first president," says Michael.He points out that Hanson had a Cabinet, including a secretary of war, secretary of foreign affairs and postmaster general.
It was Hanson who sent Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, John Jay and Henry Laurens to Paris in 1782 to negotiate the British surrender in the Revolutionary War.In addition, the first national bank, census and U.S.coinage were created during Hanson's tenure.
Hanson also established Thanksgiving, issuing the proclamation on March 19, 1782.OBAMA TAKES NEW SWIPE AT FOUNDING FATHERS AHEAD OF AMERICA’S 250TH BIRTHDAY: 'DEEP FLAW'Hanson was elected by the delegates of the Continental Congress under the Articles of Confederation as president of the United States, in Congress on Nov.5, 1781."Every other president since Hanson inherited a f...