A Brief History Of The American Presidency, Part 1: Humble Beginnings

More than any other figure in American history, the President is the most emblematic symbol of American experiment. The office, which began in humble beginnings has evolved to become synonymous with the highest form of power.

The Commander-in Chief of the largest military force in history. The ‘Leader of the Free World’ and America’s representative on the world stage. The leader de facto of the party he is a member. The Chief Executive of America’s largest employer, who can create and modify numerous federal policies with just a few strokes of his pen.

Their faces dominate our currency and their figures tower above our most iconic national monuments. They loom large in our imagination — they dominate casual discussions of our politics. Average American You may not be able name all three branches of governmentBut even the most politically ignorant citizen can name the sitting president.

Despite all the pomp and circumstance I bet that almost nobody would be able tell me who America’s first President was.

Don’t believe what I say? If you claim it’s George Washington, then you are lying.

Although the United States declared independence on July 4, 1776 and Washington took office only April 30, 1789, it was not yet independent. The Continental Congress which would declare independence was established on September 5th 1774.

Washington would serve America’s first Commander–in-Chief during the Revolutionary War. 14 men He would lead the fledgling government through its stumbles, flees, and failure to supply Washington. This left the nation’s soldiers at Valley Forge frozen and starving. Despite all its problems, this government would defeat the British and win the favor of the French, Dutch and be victorious over what was the most powerful empire the world has ever seen.

This Presidents’ Day, I wanted to take a moment of silence to honor the brave efforts of those forgotten Presidents whose existence was largely confined to trivia.

Peyton Randolph Henry Middleton Henry Hancock Henry Laurens John Jay Samuel Huntington Thomas McKeen John Hanson Elias Boudinot Richard Henry Lee Nathaniel Gorham Arthur St. Clair Cyrus Griffin

Why then have these men’s memories been reduced to the ramblings and slang of columnists with overeducated minds?

The President of the Continental Congress wasn’t the same as the modern office.

Under the Articles of Confederation, the President was not the head of a separate branch of government — he was selected by the Congress from among the Congress, and his role was largely ceremonial. He presided over Congress and moderated discussion. His term was limited to one year. He didn’t set the agenda and had no control over the assignments to committees. And he was certainly not allowed to have control over the troops.

The members of the founding generation were extremely skeptical of strong executive authority — after all, weren’t they rebelling against a corrupt and tyrannical king, and a system that concentrated far too much power in the hands of a single man? These were people who deeply worried about the threat to liberty from the mere existence The last thing they wanted to do with a standing arm was to vest all of the federal bureaucracy in one person.

To be fair, the Articles didn’t have many powers. It did not have the power to tax and relied on voluntary contributions from its member states. It did not have the power to regulate the internal affairs or commerce between the states. It could sometimes raise armies and finance them, as well as take on any debt the states might wish to repay. The first federal government could not do much, unless there was an existential crisis.

The Presidency was a non-descript job in a non-descript organization.

It worked for a time, and it was fair. The wartime pressures that had kept the ramshackle structure together over the years dissolved and the fragile structure began to crumble. America couldn’t repay its debts. America could not provide benefits to its troops. America also couldn’t prevent legal disputes among rival states.

Economic instability and open rebellion were two of the main threats to the collapse.

In the summer of 1787, the beleaguered Continental Congress authorized the Constitutional Convention to make some reforms and determine if the Articles of Confederation can be saved.

It was a disaster. Rhode Island was the only state that refused to send any delegate. A third of the delegates appointed didn’t turn up. However, 55 of the delegates who did appear were among the most educated, politically experienced, and materially successful men from the country. Most had previously served as Congressmen.

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