Lana Parsons

The American history is rich in the controversial events and personalities that are treated by the historians in different ways. They cannot reach a mutual understanding regarding some issues. One of these complicated issues is the question who was the first President of the United States. Most Americans agree that George Washington is the only person who should be referred to as the first President of our country. However, some historians hold other point of view regarding the name of the man chosen as the President America for the first time. Thus, they assert that Samuel Huntington was elected the first President of the United States when it ratified its independence from the British Empire https://topthesis.com/ Indeed, George Washington as the leader of the state was preceeded by a number of personalities who also held the title of the president. All of them were true patriots who contributed largely to the process of foundation of the independent state and establishment of the Americans as a free nation. However, in the course of time, people began to forget their names and no longer considered them as the presidents. The main reason is an ambiguous opinion of the historians regarding the event that triggered the formation of the state. Their suggestions concerning the question in what year the United States of America appeared as an independent state do not coincide. Samuel Huntington had devoted all his life to serving the country and the society. He is famous for being a practical person of few words who managed to grow from a farm boy to the state’s leader. He was committed to the American Revolution and the principles of the quiet leadership. It gave him much credit and respect of the population. Huntington was the president for almost two years - from September 1779 to July 1781. The other personalities who followed him were Thomas McKean and John Hanson. The latter was the first president to serve the whole one year term. It is necessary to differentiate two concepts in order to be able to prove that Samuel Huntington but not George Washington was the first President. The facts prove that the father of the United States - George Washington, was the eleventh president since he started his office only on April 30, 1789. The former American colonies of the British Empire declared their independence in 1776. Thus, several years before the implementation of the Constitution, the state was already functioning. The initial document that defined the policy of the newly founded state was called the Articles of Confederation. The Continental Congress created it in 1781 as the first operating constitutions. The document determined the population of the US as a nation for the first time. In 1779, the Continental Congress elected its first President. It was Samuel Huntington. He signed the Articles of Confederation. However, he is not regarded as the true President of the USA. The main reason is the fact that the United States enacted its most significant political document, the Constitution, long after Huntington was in the Congress. Thus, George Washington became the first president who was elected according to the Constitution. Starting from that year and later on, George Washington is referred to as the first President of the USA. On the contrary, Samuel Huntington may also be called the first President but ‘of the Congress of the Confederation or the first President of the US in the Congress Assembled’. The person who got this position did not obtain so strong executive power compared to the contemporary President. Thus, judging from the facts, the statement that Samuel Huntington was the first President of our country does not correspond to the reality. His position was more symbolic, and it was honorable to be called in that way.