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p. 45, TLC Genealogy, Charles County Land Records, 1722-1729; Book L#2
Page 200. John, the son of the afd Samuel and Eliz, was born on Monday, Apr 3, 1721, at 2:00 or 3:00 PM.
[NJL note: John's birthdate per the new calendar would be April 13.]
John Hanson was a burgess for Charles Co, 1757 to 1773, when he removed to Frederick Co, Maryland., and represented that county from 1773 to 1781.H e was President of the Federal Congress in 1781-82. He died at Oxon Hill, Prince Georges' County, on a visit to his nephew, Thomas Hanson.
About 1744 he married Jane Contee, with whom he would have eight children. Their son Alexander Contee Hanson, Sr. (1749–1806) was a notable essayist. Alexander Hanson is sometimes confused with his son, Alexander Contee Hanson, Jr, who became a newspaper editor and U SSenator.
Charles County gentry : a genealogical history of six emigrants, Thomas Dent, John Dent, Richard Edelen, John Hanson, George Newman, Humphrey Warren, all scions of armorial families of old England who settled in Charles County, Maryland, and their descendants showing migrations to the South and West, Washington D.C.: The author, 1940, 335 pgs. Harry Wright Newman
The will of John Hanson was dated Sep 20, 1781, and proved in Frederick Co., on Apr 13, 1784, by John Nelson, Jeffry Magruder and Richard Butler .He devised his wife Jane the houses and lots in Frederick Town purcha sedfrom Adam Koon during life then to his son Alexander Contee. He nam edhis son-in-law Dr. Phlip Thomas and his grandchildren - Catherine Thomas, Rebecca Thomas, and John Hanson Thomas.
John Hanson, 1715-1783
Born in Charles Co, Maryland, on April 3, 1715, John Hanson became one oft he strongest colonial advocates of independence. While serving in the MD Assembly from 1757 to 1773, he was active in raising troops and providing arms. Hanson served as a delegate to the Continental Congress in 1779, where he helped to resolve the western lands issue, thereby facilitating the ratification of the Articles of Confederation.
From 1781 to 1782 he was "President of the United States in Congress Assembled" under the Articles of Confederation. As the presiding officer of Congress, Hanson was responsible for initiating a number of programs that helped American gain a world position. During his tenure the first consular service was established, a post office department was initiated ,a national bank was chartered, progress was made towards taking the first census, and a uniform system of coinage was adopted. As President, Hanson also signed a treaty with Holland affirming the indebtedness of the United States for a loan from that country. In addition, he signed all laws, regulations, official papers, and letters.
Hanson died on November 15, 1783, at the age of 68. His contributions t othe government under the Articles of Confederation were absorbed by t henew federal government.
Another version
John Hanson, b. Apr. 3, 1721, d. Nov. 15, 1783, was a MD patriot during the American Revolution and first president of the new nation under the Articles of Confederation. A member of the MD Assembly from 1757, he became active in the resistance to British tax measures in the 1760s and was an early supporter of independence. As a delegate to the Continental Congress (1780-82), he signed the Articles of Confederation and played a nimportant part in persuading New York and VA to give up their claims t owestern territory. Because he was elected by Congress as "President o fthe United States in Congress Assembled" in 1781, Hanson has sometime sbeen called the first president of the United States.
Another Version
Hanson, John (1715-1783) Grandfather of Alexander Contee Hanson. Born near Port Tobacco, MD, April 3, 1715. Member of MD state senate, 1757-73 ;Delegate to Continental Congress from MD, 1779-82; signer, Articles o fConfederation, 1781. Died in Prince George's Co, Maryland, November 22, 1783. Interment a private or family graveyard, Prince George's County, MD. (See also his congressional biography.)
Another Version:
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/566307/first_american_president_george_washington.html
First American President: George Washington or John Hanson? February 01 ,2008 by Glenn Church
Every schoolchild knows that George Washington was the first President of the United States. The problem is that Washington was inaugurated in 1789. The Revolutionary War effectively ended in 1781. So what happened in the years in between?
During these years, the United States was run by the impotent and unrul yArticles of Confederation. The intent of the Articles was to combine thirteen independently run states into a sovereign nation.
The Articles stated that Congress was "to appoint one of their members to preside, provided that no person be allowed to serve in the office of president more than one year in any term of three years. This position became knows as "President of the United States of America in Congress Assembled."
The first man to hold that position for a year was John Hanson. Hanson, aM aryland native, accomplished a number of highly important tasks. He established the first State Department, ordered all foreign troops off U.S .soil, established the U.S. Mint, called for the first national census ,negotiated a peace treaty with Britain, established the Great Seal of the United States, declared the fourth Thursday in November as a nationa lholiday, Thanksgiving, and established the first central bank. Hanson achieved impressive accomplishments for a single year in office.
There were some significant differences between Hanson's Presidency and the office George Washington would occupy. For example, Hanson was not Commander-In-Chief of the military. His position was also not separate from Congress. His office was more of that of a prime minister. He was selected by Congress and served at its pleasure.
Hanson was not alone in great accomplishments. There were seven Presidents who followed him: Elias Boudinot, Thomas Miffin, Richard Henry Lee, John Hancock, Nathaniel Gorham, Arthur St. Clair and Cyrus Griffin. Many of these men are unknown, but their deeds resonate to today.
Yet if John Hanson is to be considered the first President, it is only because he was the first person elected to a full term after the adoptio nof the Articles of Confederation.
On March 1, 1781, The Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union cam einto effect when Maryland became the thirteenth state to adopt them. Hanson did not take office until November 5, 1781. Samuel Huntington, wh owas President of the Continental Congress from 1779-1781, presided ov erthe ratification celebration in March 1781. He continued to act as t hehead of the government until Thomas McKean was elected. McKean held t heposition for only a few months. Further confusing the situation was t hatSamuel Johnson was elected to the position between Huntington and McKean, but he refused to serve.
[Several Presidents of the Continental Congresses served 1774-1779.]
HOAX: by George A. Hanson, OLD KENT: THE EASTERN SHORE OF MARYLAND (187 6)
John Hanson (1715-1783)
He was the heir of one of the greatest family traditions in the colonie sand became the patriarch of a long line of American patriots. His great-grandfather died at Lutzen beside the great King Gustavus Aldophus o fSweden; his grandfather was one of the founders of New Sweden along t heDelaware River in Maryland; one of his nephews was the military secretary to George Washington; another was a signer of the Declaration; still another was a signer of the Constitution; yet another was Governor of Maryland during the Revolution; and still another was a member of the first Congress; two sons were killed in action with the Continental Army ;a grandson served as a member of Congress under the new Constitution; and another grandson was a Maryland Senator. Thus, even if Hanson had no tserved as President himself, he would have greatly contributed to the life of the nation through his ancestry and progeny. As a youngster he began a self-guided reading of classics and rather quickly became an acknowledged expert in the juridicalism of Anselm and the practical philosophy of Seneca-both of which were influential in the development of the political philosophy of the great leaders of the Reformation. It was based upon these legal and theological studies that the young planter-his farm, Mulberry Grove was just across the Potomac from Mount Vernon-began to espouse the cause of the patriots. In 1775 he was elected to the Provincial Legislature of Maryland. Then in 1777, he became a member of Congress where he distinguished himself as a brilliant administrator. Thus ,he was elected President in 1781. He served in that office from Novem ber5, 1781 until November 3, 1782. He was the first President to serve a full term after the full ratification of the Articles of Confederation-and like so many of the Southern and New England Founders, he was strongly opposed to the Constitution when it was first discussed. He remained ac onfirmed anti-federalist until his untimely death.
AMERICA'S FIRST PRESIDENT
So who was America's first President?
John Hanson assumed the Presidency on November 3, 1781, the first man t obe elected under the new Articles of Confederation. Hanson was electe dby an unanimous vote and all potential candidates refused to run agai nsthim because of his work during the revolution and influence in Cong ress.He was a delegate from Maryland. His family was at the forefront o fMaryland's struggle for freedom and equality long before the American Revolution. In 1783, the Maryland Gazette eulogized Hanson on his death November 21, 1783, two years after being elected President. "Thus was ended the career of one of America's greatest statesmen. While hitherto practically unknown to our people, and this is true as to nearly all the generations that have lived since his day, his great handiwork, the nation which he helped to establish, remains as a fitting tribute to his memory. It is doubtful if there has ever lived on this side of the Atlantic, a nobler character or shrewder statesman. One would search in vain to find a more powerful personage, or a more aggressive leader, in the annals of American history. and it is extremely doubtful if there has ever lived in an age since the advent of civilization, a man with a keene rgrasp of, or a deeper insight into, such democratic ideals as are essential to the promotion of personal liberty and the extension of human happiness. He was firm in his opinion that the people of America were capable of ruling themselves without the aid of a king."
It was only in the early part of this century (1900) that historians were able to locate Hanson's grave in Prince George County, Maryland. In the dedication of Hanson's statue in the Halls of Congress in 1903, Senator Jonathan P. Dolliver of Iowa described Hanson as "a man who in a peculiarly appropriate sense was the representative of the national ideal throughout the Revolutionary struggle." Hanson's statue does not reside with the other statues donated by the 50 states, his remains exclusive i nthe corridor between the House and the Senate. James Madison was an ardent admirer of John Hanson, as he saw in him not only exalted virtues ,but also ideas and ideals, and a poise and a sagacity as a statesman, which caused him to he held in esteem by the people. Abraham Lincoln stated that Hanson should share equal honors with George Washington.
Hanson is known as "the forgotten man". His forefathers and his sons have had long distinguished careers in the service of their country, but because of the struggle between the nationalist and the federalists in the late 1780s, the work of men like Hanson, Elias Boudinot, Thomas Mifflin, Richard Henry Lee, Nathan Gorham, Arthur St Clair and Cyrus Griffin, all presidents before Washington, have been eclipsed. The American education system has neglected this critical point in American history, an era in which the very nation, itself, was shaped from the sword to th eplowshare. George Washington referred to the election of Hanson by stating, "I congratulate Your Excellency on Your appointment to fill the most important seat in the United States."
A DISTINGUISHED FAMILY AND CAREER
According to the scarce historical documents of this time, there is sufficient evidence to support the fact that there was no statesman nor leader in whom Washington reposed more faith and confidence than he did i nJohn Hanson. And for good reason. Hanson organized two companies of riflemen who were the first troops to come from the South to join Genera lWashington's army in New England. Hanson's oldest son, Alexander Cont eeHanson, was Washington's private secretary in the field. Alexander a lsoserved twice as an elector for Washington. John Hanson's second son ,Samuel, was a field surgeon for Washington. Samuel, the brother of Jo hnHanson, presented 800 pounds sterling to General Washington to provi deshoes for his soldiers at Valley Forge.
Two American presidents also descended from the Hanson family, Henry William Harrison, the ninth President of the United States, and his grandson, Benjamin Harrison, the 23rd President of the United States.
Before becoming President, Hanson and his family were one of the most influential in Maryland. His forefathers came from Sweden with a link to the Swedish royal family. Hanson's great-grandfather, Colonel John Hanson, was a trusted officer of King Gustavus Adolphus. He was killed in th ebattle of Lutzen during the Thirty Years War while shielding the king .The Swedish king was also slain in that battle. Ten years later, Quee nChristina sent the sons of Colonel Hanson to the new world to build a colony. Hanson's grandfather settled eventually in Maryland, an asylum i nthe New World for Catholics. The colony had friendly relationships wi ththe Indians.
In 1649, the Assembly of Maryland approved a guarantee of perfect toleration to all religious sects. Maryland became a crystallizing center, almost from its beginning, for the growth of personal liberty and religious freedom. Samuel Hanson, father of John Hanson, was a member of the General Assembly of Maryland, considered a distinguished position in the colonists' eyes as equal to a member of Parliament. He also served as th eCounty Sheriff, Commissary, Clerk and a member of the board of visito rsof the county school. "He was a man of profound learning and good judgment, experienced as a lawmaker, learned in the law and respected for his attitude toward law enforcement," Jacob A. Nelson stated in his 1939 publication John Hanson and the Inseparable Union. "He created an atmosphere that was becoming to a freeman and exerted an influence that promised rich returns. It was in such a home John Hanson was born and reared ."
JOHN HANSON, THE MAN
John Hanson was born on April 3, 1721 (old calendar, April 13 under the current calendar) under the reign of George the First of the House of Hanover, an English king who could neither read nor write the language of the country over which he ruled. Hanson, like his father, assumed the enormously important position of Assemblyman for Charles County, Maryland in 1757. The total population of the colonies at that time was 1.5 million people. Maryland had 75,000 people.
After the battle of Bunker Hill (Breed's Hill) on June 17, 1775, Hanson argued and pleaded the cause of the colonies. On July 26, 1775, he spoke out in the Maryland Convention. At that convention he fought for and accomplished the overthrow of the proprietary government, and by resolutio nthe supreme control of the colony was placed in the provincial convention. He pledged that he, himself, with his personal efforts, his humbl epower, his fortunes, would support to the limit, the present oppositi on.This is very similar to the pledge made by delegates to the Contine ntalCongress on July 4, 1776
Hanson realized that the American Revolution was more than a movement t obecome untangled from another power; that it was really a crusade to obtain freedom and liberty. He knew that this would not be accomplished by mere words, resolutions and hostile meetings, but that action and organization were essential from the civil angle, no less than from the military. Hanson was a man of deeds, not words. He was not a fiery orator ,he was a man of action. While serving as a member of the Maryland Convention, Hanson also served as chairman of two important committees fro mFrederick County, the Committee of Observation and the Committee of Correspondence. He was also treasurer of his county and entrusted with the funds to pay not only the soldiers, but also the delegates to the Continental Congress. He established a gun-lock factory in which arms and ammunition were manufactured and created several powder mills. Besides organizing the first two companies of riflemen to serve with Washington from the South, he also established 40 companies of Minute Men. Maryland eventually supplied 13,800 men to reinforce the Continental Army, that represented about 18 percent of the total population of Maryland. When John Hancock became the President of the Continental Congress, he looked upon John Hanson as one of the most trustworthy and diligent men in the colonies. He appointed him a member of a committee of two to transmit $300,000 to General Washington for the maintenance of an army in Canada. Two of Hanson's brothers also served in the Army. Hanson lost two sons i nthe Revolutionary War.
HANSON THE PRESIDENT
At the time of Hanson's elevation to President of the United States, th eBritish and Americans were just beginning peace negotiations after se venyears of war. Less than a month before Hanson was elected President , theBritish had surrendered at Yorktown, assuring the end of the Revolutionary War. This was a time when the government had to shift from a military character to a civil status. One of the most difficult problems facing President Hanson was the question of reducing the army and disbanding it without funds to pay for services performed. This created great discontentment among the soldiers. Colonel Lewis Nicola, the Army's supply officer, proposed to Washington the establishment of a limited American Monarchy with Washington assuming the throne. Nicola had the suppor tof Washington's officers and troops. The troops were willing to stage a coup d'tat fearing dismissal without pay. The soldiers revolted and surrounded the Congress for a day. After that one day siege, the delegates fled, causing Congress to collapse and left Hanson as the only person in the entire government, Hanson pacified the troops and held the Union together. Had Hanson panicked, the United States government would have vanished and a monarchy may have been created in 1782, seven years before Washington became President under the new Constitution.
It was Hanson's strong will that forced the British to back down at the peace conference. The British did not recognize an American national government and wanted to negotiate with each colony. Hanson ordered all foreign troops off United States soil, the first time in nearly 200 years foreign troops were absent from the 13 colonies. He also ordered all foreign flags down. President Hanson established the Great Seal of the United States in 1782. He also established the first U.S. Treasury Department, the first Secretary of War and the first Foreign Affairs Department. President Hanson also declared the fourth Thursday of every November as Thanksgiving Day, a date that still remains 211 years later.
The Great Seal of the United States was first used on September 16, 1782, by President Hanson when he signed the orders for an exchange of military prisoners. In 1803, the U.S. Supreme Court discussed the legality of the Great Seal, ruling that it was created by the first President of the United States and has been used ever since. The Supreme Court ruled that the signature of the President and the stamp of the Great Seal are necessary to consummate law. It was President Hanson who recommended the creation of the Seal and there have been no changes in it since it was created under the Hanson Administration. President Bill Clinton is required to use that very same seal created by President Hanson in 1782 and made by craftsmen in the United States.
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