The Many U.S. Presidents Before George Washington. NOT EVERYONE WAS TAUGHT THIS. This is some interesting information on 1ST PRESIDENTS of THE USA. "Schools in the United States teach children from an early age that the FIRST PRESIDENT of the United States was GEORGE WASHINGTON. But teachers often forget to mention a small, kind of important detail- George Washington was the first U.S. President under the current United States Constitution, but HE WASN'T THE COUNTRIES FIRST PRESIDENT. Before the U.S. Constitution came into being, the Articles of Confederation served as the glue which held all thirteen states together as a single country. (See: The Articles of Confederation: The Constitution Before the Constitution) The Articles went into effect in 1781, and they established a loose alliance among the states. The Articles also defined the role of Congress to oversee the national needs, as well as the office of the President. Due to the fear of giving too much power to one person, the office of President was extremely limited in power and scope, and was not even a paid position.  Rather, the primary roles of the President at this time were simply to preside over meetings and handle various state correspondence. The President was also the one who signed official congressional documents. So who were these individuals who served such a lackluster position as the office of President? John_Hanson the first President of the United States under the Articles of Confederation was John Hanson from Maryland. His term began in 1781 and ended in 1782. He at first attempted to resign directly after being elected (with so little power given to the office and no pay to boot, few wanted the position over political offices in their home states). However, ultimately a quorum could not be reached to name a successor, so he decided to stay on as President. Being the country’s first full-term President under the Articles of Confederation meant that he oversaw programs that helped to establish daily life in the new country. For instance, Hanson held the position of President when the government started on the road to creating what would become the U.S. Post Office and the National Bank. The government also established a single, uniform currency throughout the states under his mostly powerless watch. Elias_BoudinotElias Boudinot of New Jersey became the second President, serving from 1782 until 1783. His Presidency coincided with the official end to the American Revolutionary War. Boudinot presided over the country when the Treaty of Paris was signed in Paris on September 3, 1783. However, the Treaty of Paris did more than simply end the war; it required that the United States be recognized as an independent country and no longer a part of the British Empire. Besides being President, Boudinot was also noteworthy for his era for advocating for the rights of both Native Americans and black people, as well as directly sponsoring various youth among these groups so that they could receive an education. Thomas Mifflin became the President for the term of 1783 until 1784. He oversaw the ratification of the Treaty of Paris during his Presidency. Originally from Pennsylvania, he served under General George Washington during the Revolutionary War. That former position, and Washington’s later significance as the first President under the U.S. Constitution, made it somewhat ironic that President Mifflin accepted George Washington’s resignation as Commander in Chief." http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2014/07/u-s-presidents-george-washington/