Who was the First President ???

Question

During the republican Commonwealth Oliver Cromwell was Lord Protector of England, Scotland and Ireland not Presient. I was wondering which country first got rid of their monarch to replace it with a President and when did this happen ???

Also does anyone know why Wales isnt in Cromwells title ???

Thanks

Answer 1

John Hanson was the first American president under the articles of confederation.

The new country was actually formed on March 1, 1781 with the adoption of The Articles of Confederation. This document was actually proposed on June 11, 1776, but not agreed upon by Congress until November 15, 1777. Maryland refused to sign this document until Virginia and New York ceded their western lands (Maryland was afraid that these states would gain too much power in the new government from such large amounts of land). Once the signing took place in 1781, a President was needed to run the country. John Hanson was chosen unanimously by Congress (which included George Washington). In fact, all the other potential candidates refused to run against him, as he was a major player in the Revolution and an extremely influential member of Congress.

As the first President, Hanson had quite the shoes to fill. No one had ever been President and the role was poorly defined. His actions in office would set precedent for all future Presidents. He took office just as the Revolutionary War ended. Almost immediately, the troops demanded to be paid. As would be expected after any long war, there were no funds to meet the salaries. As a result, the soldiers threatened to overthrow the new government and put Washington on the throne as a monarch. All the members of Congress ran for their lives, leaving Hanson running the government. He somehow managed to calm the troops and hold the country together. If he had failed, the government would have fallen almost immediately and everyone would have been bowing to King Washington.

The Articles of Confederation only allowed a President to serve a one-year term during any three-year period, so Hanson actually accomplished quite a bit in such little time. He served in that office from November 5, 1781 until November 3, 1782. He was the first President to serve a full term after the full ratification of the Articles of Confederation – and like so many of the Southern and New England Founders, he was strongly opposed to the Constitution when it was first discussed. He remained a confirmed anti-federalist until his untimely death.

Answer 2

George Washington. You're welcome.

Answer 3

Oliver Cromwell, The Lord Protector

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFlG3ak4R...

The probable reason why Wales was not in Cromwell's title, may simply be that Wales was then included as part of England - a principality under the laws of England, and governed by the English Parliament and the House of Commons.

The other thing to bear in mind about Wales in the 17thC was that it was very largely simply Royalist.

http://www.google.co.uk/search?sourceid=...

http://www.google.co.uk/search?sourceid=...

http://www.google.co.uk/search?sourceid=...

POWER TO THE PEOPLE

Answer 4

George Washington was the first president of a country.  If you include the creation of a new country from part of the territories of a country that had a monarch in your definition of getting rid of a monarch, then the United States of America (1776) is your answer.

If, on the other hand, you are only asking about a country that got rid of its monarch and replaced the head of state with a president, then the answer is France, when Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte became the first President of the French Republic  (Second Republic) in 1848.

(Nice trivia: He was also the last French monarch, as Napoléon III.)

As for Cromwell, he was the Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland -- but not of Wales -- because Charles I was the King of England, Scotland, and Ireland, not the King of Wales.  There was no King of Wales.  When Edward I conquered Wales, the title of the ruler of Wales was the Prince of Wales.  Edward I started the tradition of giving the title to his heir.  The title has to be created anew for every new heir.  When a Prince of Wales becomes the King, the title merges into the Crown.  In other words, the sovereignty over Wales is part of the English Crown, and there is no need for a separate title.  Since Cromwell replaced Charles I, Cromwell's titles replaced those of Charles I -- and nothing more.

Answer 5

I would assume that "Wales" was not added to Oliver Cromwell's title of Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland because he didn't conquer Wales as he did Scotland and Ireland.  

The United States of America was the first modern republic to popularly elect a "President" (indirectly by the electoral college): George Washington served two consecutive terms in office from 1789-1797.  However, the Continental Congress did elect a President, the first being Peyton Randolph of Virginia (1774), and then during the the Articles of Confederation, Samuel Huntington, of Connecticut (1781) served as first "President of the United States in Congress assembled".

Of course, the Roman Senate did elect kings (a word that comes from Caesar) during the days before the early Roman Republic.

Answer 6

George Washington you ow me lol just joking but that is the first president

Answer 7

it would seem that george washington was the first president  of the usa  and also it seems anywhere in the world........over a full country however in 1612 it appears that new england had removed themselves from British rule to allow for changes needed within the new land of america.....