Hanson, John, 1721-1783

<ul><b>RACES</b>
<li> 12/31/1781 MD Continental Congress Won 100.00% (+100.00%)</li>
<li>11/05/1781 US President of the Congress Won 100.00% (+100.00%)</li>
<li>12/31/1780 MD Continental Congress Won 100.00% (+100.00%)</li>
<li>12/31/1779 MD Continental Congress Won 100.00% (+100.00%)</li>
</ul>

John Hanson was born in Maryland. He displayed energy and decisive patriotism at the commencement of the Revolutionary war. He was elected a delegate to Congress, and while a member of that body his reputation for practical ability steadily rose. In 1781, Mr. Hanson was elected president of Congress, and he continued to hold that office until 1783, when death removed him from the scene of his patriotic services.

<p>John Hanson (April 14 [O.S. April 3] 1721 – November 15, 1783) was a Founding Father of the United States, and a merchant and public official from Maryland during the era of the American Revolution. In 1779, Hanson was elected as a delegate to the Continental Congress after serving in a variety of roles for the Patriot cause in Maryland. He signed the Articles of Confederation in 1781 after Maryland joined the other states in ratifying them. In November 1781, he was elected as first President of the Confederation Congress (sometimes styled President of the United States in Congress assembled), following ratification of the articles. For this reason, some of Hanson's biographers have argued that he was actually the first holder of the office of President of the United States.</p>

<p>Hanson was born in Port Tobacco Parish in Charles County in the Province of Maryland on April 14, 1721. Sources published prior to a 1940 genealogical study sometimes listed his birth date as April 13 or his year of birth as 1715. Hanson was born on a plantation called "Mulberry Grove" into a wealthy and prominent family. His parents were Samuel (c. 1685–1740) and Elizabeth (Storey) Hanson (c. 1688–1764). Samuel Hanson was a planter who owned more than 1,000 acres (4.0 km2), and held a variety of political offices, including serving two terms in the Maryland General Assembly.</p>

<p>Hanson's grandfather, also named John, came to Charles County, Maryland, as an indentured servant around 1661. In 1876, a writer named George Hanson placed Hanson in his family tree of Swedish-Americans descended from four Swedish brothers who emigrated to New Sweden in 1642. This story was often repeated over the next century, but scholarly research in the late 20th century showed that Hanson was not related to those Swedish-American Hansons.</p>

HANSON, John, (Grandfather of Alexander Contee Hanson), a Delegate from Maryland; born at Mulberry Grove, near Port Tobacco, Charles County, Md., April 3, 1715; pursued an academic course; engaged in agricultural pursuits; member of the State house of delegates for nine terms; member of the State senate 1757-1773; moved to Frederick County in 1773; delegate to the General Congress at Annapolis in 1774; treasurer of Frederick County in 1775; member of the Maryland convention of 1775; Member of the Continental Congress 1780-1782; elected President of the Continental Congress on November 5, 1781; signer of the Articles of Confederation of the United States; died at the residence of his nephew at Oxon Hill, Prince Georges County, Md., November 22, 1783.