John Hanson

John Hanson was an American Founding Father, merchant, and politician from Maryland during the Revolutionary Era. 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, following ratification of the articles, he was elected President of the Confederation Congress—a mostly ceremonial and clerical position, sometimes styled President of the United States in Congress assembled—by his fellow delegates.