A simple poll

[SupraDerk]

So I've been reading more and more about how many Americans don't really even know how our government works or how many of us don't really know about the foundations of our country, and I decided to start reading the constitution, the Declaration of Independence and some bios of some of the founding fathers. And I also decided to just ask a simple question to see if there is any truth to the claims.

Who was the first President of our nation?


(please don't turn this into a flame war about liberals vs conservatives or any of that nonsense. Just lookin for some results)

 

[JustAnotherVictim]

That guy Other founded this nation foo.
A great man...

 

[mattsplat72]

Guess being born in Delaware County P.A. helped me .There is a really good show oncable called The Reveloution. I dont remember what channel it is on ,but the show is really good

 

[SupraDerk]

That guy Other founded this nation foo.
A great man...

Actually, other was the correct choice, so kudos to whoever said it. George Washington was the first President under the U.S. Constitution, but there were at most 9 other presidents before him. There is some conflicting info, but either Samuel Huntington or John Hanson served as the first President of the United States in Congress Assembled under the Articles of Confederation.

Our nation existed at least a decade prior to the U.S. Constitution, and from John Hanson up til Washington, those eight presidents served 1 year terms. And Samuel Huntington served 2 years prior to John Hanson.

John Hanson approved the seal of the United States (that we still use), helped establish the first U.S. treasury and led the charge to insure statehood to the territories west of the Appalachians.

 

[swaq]

Of course, there are some people on here who aren't from the U.S.... So "our nation" isn't really specific.

 

[JustAnotherVictim]

You live in the U.S.

Washington is nice and all but he wanted to keep slaves.
:thumbsdow

 

[thesandymancan]

trick question! other was the first president and george was the first under the constitution, but ole ben and i pulled the strings from above the stage.

 

[SupraDerk]

So I've been reading more and more about how many Americans don't really even know how our government works or how many of us don't really know about the foundations of our country, and I decided to start reading the constitution, the Declaration of Independence and some bios of some of the founding fathers. And I also decided to just ask a simple question to see if there is any truth to the claims.

Who was the first President of our nation?


(please don't turn this into a flame war about liberals vs conservatives or any of that nonsense. Just lookin for some results)

Pretty sure those were dead giveaways I was talking about the United States

 

[OneJoeZee]

I voted for other

 

[SupraDerk]

You live in the U.S.

Washington is nice and all but he wanted to keep slaves.
:thumbsdow

In his will he actually said to free his slaves, but only after his wife died, but in his wife's will she did not free his slaves

 

[Joel W.]

So I've been reading more and more about how many Americans don't really even know how our government works or how many of us don't really know about the foundations of our country, and I decided to start reading the constitution, the Declaration of Independence and some bios of some of the founding fathers.

I wish more people would follow your example and learn more about our history.....+1

 

[thesandymancan]

WHO VOTED FOR BEN!!!!1!!111?

 

[Wills7MGTE]

Maybe ya should word the question correctly and be specific, the 1st president in any history book in school would be washington, until we had the constitution and revolution there was no america there was the colonies, the answer of other is wrong unless you refer to the colonies and not the united states of america. It doesn't matter who the president is anyway this country was bought and paid for a long time ago and is run by corporate swin and aristocratic morons who allow us to vote for one of 4 or 5 morons who will do NOTHING and could care less about you.

 

[Insidious Surmiser]

ROFL... ben??? i hope that was a joke

 

[SupraDerk]

I wish more people would follow your example and learn more about our history.....+1

Yeah same here. I think ALL of our politicians should have to go back and read EVERYTHING.


And I didn't make this thread to make anyone look stupid. I thought George Washington too (even though I learned about the Articles of Confederation, the Declaration of Indepedence, the Constituiton and all that jazz back in grade school) up until last night when I got schooled in my military class by this book, haha.

I just wanted to invoke some thought and maybe this will make some go out and read over everything our country was founded on so we can move torwards fixing it . Obviously bickering within the everyday population and between our two idiotic ruling parties hasn't really gotten us anywhere.

 

[SupraDerk]

Maybe ya should word the question correctly and be specific, the 1st president in any history book in school would be washington, until we had the constitution and revolution there was no america there was the colonies, the answer of other is wrong unless you refer to the colonies and not the united states of america. It doesn't matter who the president is anyway this country was bought and paid for a long time ago and is run by corporate swin and aristocratic morons who allow us to vote for one of 4 or 5 morons who will do NOTHING and could care less about you.

Maybe you should look at the Articles of Confederation: (1777)

Article 1:
"The Stile of this Confederacy shall be 'The United States of America'"


---------------------------------------------------------------------
Or maybe the Declaration of Independence:

Introduction

In CONGRESS, July 4, 1776.

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America,

When, in the Course of human Events, it becomes necessary for one People to dissolve the Political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume, among the Powers of the Earth, the separate and equal Station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent Respect to the ...


The constitution wasn't signed until 1787...but what do we see? Our nation was called the United States of America before the Constitution?? So that must mean that those who served under the Articles of Confederation as President...preceeded George Washington as our first Presidents in this nation. Imagine that.

You're a prime example of what the statistics talk about. Maybe you should go back and read about American history