Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1910-04-21
OUR FIRST PRESIDENT
A DELAWARE SWEDE
His Name Was John Hanson. Was
First President of U. S. under
Articles Of Confederation. His Sta
tue Has Recently Been Placed in
Statuary Hall Of the Capitol at
Washington.

That is to say, the man who held the
highest Office in the Confederation
congress, when the constitution was |
adopted, was John Hanson, of Mary
land, a descendant Of the original |
Delaware Swedes. This little-known
fact has recently been pointed out by
Captain c. NJ. Machold, a Danish lect-
urer now in America, in a lecture on
"Scandinavians in America. Delaware
recently unveiled a statue to Hanson
in Statuary hall of the capitol at
Washington. The following extracts
from Captain Machold's lecture give
the facts in compact form:
John Hanson was born in Charles
county, Maryland, in l715. He de-
scended from John Hanson, who came
to New Sweden on the Delaware"
in August 1912 and was the youngest
son of Colonel Hanson of the Swedish
army, under Gustavus Adolphus and
who fell in the battle of Lutzen. Nov.
6, 1882.
The little colony in Maryland play
ed an important role in the great
drama which resulted in the inde-
pendence of the United States. And
to John Hanson is conceded the honor
of having done more than any other
man in the colony to overthrow Great
Rritain's authority.
: John Hanson was a born leader,
who in the legislature and the Con-
tinental Congress with unyielding
power gave support to the great bat
tie for independence and with has
sound judgment and his honorable
character won the respect and con-
fidence of the people.
Under Hanson's leadership two com
paries of riflemen were mustered and
armed and these were sent to the
army in Boston, being the first troops
from the south which came to Wash
ington's aid.
In 1775 Lord Dunmore, governor of
Virginia, planned to arm the Indians
and induce them to attack the colon
les from the backwoods, simultane-
ously with an attack on the coast by
ninety British vessels near Alexandria,
Va. The plan was revealed and in
terrupted by 3ohn Hanson's watch
fulness and thereby he performed a
service that connot be overvalued.
In the three succeeding sessions of
the Continental congress John Han.
son was involved in the great cam
paign whose ultimate victory altered
the whole course of our political life,
In the journal of congress it is re,
corded that John Hanson, March /
1871 signed and attested the articles
of confederation for the United States
It was this act that placed the crown
on Hanson7s historical service to his
country and his career. The wide CON
sequences of the campaign which end
ed with Hanson's signing of the arti
cles should be clearly stated.
We must remember that all the
other states had approved the articles
while Maryland in May, 1879, inform,
ed congress of it's unalterable decision
to refuse to sign until it received alb
solute certainty that the northwest
ern territory should become common
property of the United States, which
by congress could be divided into
free and Independent states.
John Hanson was a tireless cham
pisn of this demand from his state
and in September, 1880, congress
Yielded to this demand and after Han
son by this triumph, which had been
gained by his determined work, knew
that he had laid the broad and deer
foundation for federal union he
signed the articles of confederation.
John Hanson's name for his share
in this important action will perpetu
a1ly be associated with the laying OF
the cornerstone from which the con
& stitution of the United States has
crown. The federation was now com
plete and on Nov. 5, 1881, Hanson was
elected as the first president OF the
confederation's congress. By his cleo
tion to the presidency Of the congress
Hanson from political standpoint be
came the highest officer In the United
states and represented It's dignity. His
title was President Of the Un1tee
states In Congress Assembled s
IN this way Scandinavian becam'
tha hrst president Of the Unite'