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14 Presidents of the United States Before George Washington

Posted byBy ABS Contributor | Published on: | Updated on July 20, 2017 CommentsComments (22)

If the United States Declaration of Independence was adopted in 1776 and the Constitution in 1789, and if George Washington was not inaugurated until April 30, 1789, who were the presidents for those first thirteen years?

The truth is, the United States had 14 presidents who ran the country through the first government, the Continental Congress, which started in 1774.

Below are the first 14 presidents of the United States.

Peyton Randolph

1. Peyton Randolph (Sept. 5, 1774 – Oct. 22, 1774), (May 10, 1775 – May 24, 1775)When delegates voted in Philadelphia for the first Continental Congress, they elected Peyton Randolph as the first president of the territory known as the United States. Randolph was a planter and public official from the colony of Virginia. He also served as speaker of the Virginia House of Burgesses and chairman of the Virginia Conventions.

Henry Middleton

2. Henry Middleton (October 1774)The second president of the United States was one of the wealthiest planters in the South from one of the most powerful families in the nation. Henry Middleton was also a plantation owner and public official from South Carolina.  He served as president for a few days in 1774.

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