President of the Continental Congress

President of the United States in Congress Assembled
Continental Congress
Style
StatusPresiding officer
AppointerVote within the Congress
FormationSeptember 5, 1774 (1774-09-05)
First holderPeyton Randolph
Final holderCyrus Griffin
AbolishedNovember 2, 1788 (1788-11-02)

The president of the United States in Congress Assembled, known unofficially as the president of the Continental Congress and later as president of the Congress of the Confederation, was the presiding officer of the Continental Congress, the convention of delegates that assembled in Philadelphia as the first transitional national government of the United States during the American Revolution. The president was a member of Congress elected by the other delegates to serve as a neutral discussion moderator during meetings of Congress. Designed to be a largely ceremonial position without much influence, the office was unrelated to the later office of President of the United States.[1]

Upon the ratification of the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union, which served as new first constitution of the U.S. in March 1781, the Continental Congress became the Congress of the Confederation, and membership from the Second Continental Congress, along with its president, carried over without interruption to the First Congress of the Confederation.

Fourteen men served as president of Congress between September 1774 and November 1788. They came from nine of the original 13 states: Virginia (3), Massachusetts (2), Pennsylvania (2), South Carolina (2), Connecticut, (1), Delaware (1), Maryland (1), New Jersey (1), and New York (1).[2]

  1. ^ Ellis 1999, p. 1.
  2. ^ Morris 1987, p. 101.