The United States of America was actually formed on March 1, 1781 with the adoption of The Articles of Confederation by Maryland whose delegates delayed its ratification over a western border dispute with Virginia and New York. Upon the March 1 ratification the President of the Continental Congress officially became President of the United States in Congress Assembled.
John Hanson was the first President of the United States to serve the full one-year term (1781 - 82), under the ratified Articles of Confederation.
However, the ratification occurred during the term of Samuel Huntington who served as President from September 28, 1779 to July 6, 1781. Consequently, Samuel Huntington was the first President of the United States in Congress Assembled and was followed by Thomas McKean (July 10, 1781 to November 5, 1781), and John Hanson (the first President to serve the full term of one year - November 5, 1781 to November 4, 1782).
See the following for proper progression
Presidents of the Continental Congress as
The United Colonies of America
Peyton Randolph
September 5, 1774 to October 22, 1774
and May 20 to May 24, 1775
Henry Middleton
October 22, 1774 to October 26, 1774
John Hancock
October 27, 1775 to July 1, 1776
Presidents of the Continental Congress
United States of America
John Hancock
July 2, 1776 to October 29, 1777
Henry Laurens
November 1, 1777 to December 9, 1778
John Jay
December 10, 1778 to September 28, 1779
Samuel Huntington
September 28, 1779 to February 28, 1781
The new country was actually formed on March 1, 1781 with the adoption of The Articles of Confederation.
Presidents of the United States
In Congress Assembled
Samuel Huntington
1st President of the United States
in Congress Assembled
March 1, 1781 to July 6, 1781
By May of 1781, President Huntington's health began to fail. Huntington, despite the pleadings of the delegates tendered his resignation as President on July 6, 1781. The United States in Congress Assembled Journals reported:
"The President having informed the United States in Congress assembled, that his ill state of health" ... not permit him to continue longer in the exercise of the duties of that office".
Thomas McKean
2nd President of the United States
in Congress Assembled
July 10, 1781 to November 5, 1781
Congress held off electing a new President until July 10th in the hope that Huntington would recover and reconsider. On July 10th Delegate Thomas McKean was elected as the second President of the United States in Congress Assembled and was first to be elected under the Articles of Confederation as President Huntington assumed the position as the former President of the Continental Congress.
McKean was president of congress in 1781, and in that capacity received Washington's dispatches announcing the surrender of Cornwallis.
So revered was this office by Thomas McKean (Signer of the Declaration of Independence) that the Presidency was used to turn down his party's 1804 nomination for Vice President under Thomas Jefferson saying:
"... President of the United States in Congress Assembled in the year of 1781 (a proud year for Americans) equaled any merit or pretensions of mine and cannot now be increased by the office of Vice President.
