President of the Continental Congress
The
President of the Continental Congress was the leader of the
Continental Congress elected by the delegates to the congress. The office was replaced with the
President of the United States in Congress Assembled after the adoption of the
Articles of Confederation.
The following men served as the President of the Continental Congress:
- Peyton Randolph (September 5, 1774 - October 21, 1774)
- Henry Middleton (October 22, 1774 - May 10, 1775)
- Peyton Randolph (May 10, 1775 - May 23, 1775) (same as #1)
- John Hancock (May 24, 1775 - October 30, 1777)
- Henry Laurens (November 1, 1777 - December 9, 1778)
- John Jay (December 10, 1778 - September 27, 1779)
- Samuel Huntington (September 28, 1779 - February 28, 1781)
Samuel Huntington was the last President of the Continental Congress by virtue of the fact that the Articles of Confederation were ratified on
March 1,
1781 under his watch. Thus, he became the first
President of the United States in Congress Assembled under the newly ratified Articles.