John Hanson was a delegate to the United States in Congress Assembled from Maryland. Because he was the first President of Congress from Maryland to serve under a fully ratified Articles of Confederation , John Hanson has been called the First President of the United States in Congress Assembled. He did serve a full one-year term, November 5, 1781 to November 4, 1782, as President of the United States in Congress Assembled under the Articles of Confederation, but Samuel Huntington was the first President under the fully ratified Articles, serving March 1, 1781 to July 6, 1781 while Thomas McKean was the second, serving from July 10, 1781 to November 5, 1781.