Before George

Before the US Constitution defined the role of the President of the United States as the chief executive, fourteen men filled the role of President of the United States in Congress Assembled. Though initially an informal parliamentary role during the First Continental Congress, with the gravitas of war and then a Declaration of Independence, the role became more consequential with the Second Continental Congress. Then, the Articles of Confederation made it official, albeit still weak. However, the learnings from this role led to the Founders improving the position, preparing it for George Washington in the post-Constitution era. Authors Farrell, Farley, and Knorr have visited the graves of all of the Presidents of Congress and provided their biographies as well.

In this volume:

• Introduction: The Presidents of Congress
• Peyton Randolph
• Henry Middleton
• John Hancock
• Henry Laurens
• John Jay
• Samuel Huntington
• John Hanson
• Elias Boudinot
• Thomas McKean
• Thomas Mifflin
• Richard Henry Lee
• Nathanial Gorham
• Arthur St. Clair
• Cyrus Griffin
• Secretary of Congress Charles Thomson
• Appendices
• Index

Lawrence Knorr has authored or co-authored over 20 books, mostly on history or biography. He is a member of the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR), the Sons of the American Revolution, and numerous other historical organizations. He enjoys most writing about the formerly famous and his beloved Pennsylvania Dutch culture. He is a lifetime Penn State alum.