Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1917-05-09
WAS FIRST PRESIDENT
UNDER CONFEDERATION
Neglected Historical Character One Of
the First to Stand For "America
for America"

So little known is this
fact that it is astounding to say the
very least. 1t is astonishing beyond
words because of the disagreeable
fact that not word in our universal
histories has any comment to make
upon this highly interesting subject,
nor to even mention this man, whose
name and deeds had so much to do
with laying the foundation and corner !
stones Of our independence. No, great
er slight could have been placed upon
a national hero and patriot than has
been placed upon the figure of John
Hanson. BY mysterious veil of 81
lence the man and his work have been
completely obliterated from the ma
jority OF our public documents, and
only exhaustive work will serve to re-
veal anything at all on the subject.
However,, the records OF congress
have proven indispensable in this re-
spect and the true historical facts
have been made plain. George Wash
ington was not the first president Of
this country. That honor belongs to
John Hanson.
Records show that John Hanson was
born in the year 1715 in Charles coun
ty, OF the state OF Maryland. Mr..
Hansons father came to this country
from Sweden in the year 1912 and
settled in the highly thriving Swedish
colony, called New Sweden on the Del
aware river. Mr.. Hanson's father was
the younger son of Colonel Hanson,
who was connected with the Swedish
army that served under Gustavus
Adolphus. The Swedish colony in
Maryland was very strong factor in
colonial history, and was one of the
powers that added steel and resolve
to the outward reach for freedom and
independence, and breaking away
from Great Britain's yoke of oppres
sion. The part this colony played in
the shaping Of the new government
was a significant one indeed. These
people were originally come to this
country seeking the true and real free
dom, and when this was to be denied
them in their new established home
by king from abroad they openly
rose in rebellion and were among the
very first to suggest breaking away
from foreign bonds. The high resolves
Of the Swedish people in this country
were centered upon and reflected by
John Hanson, a man of indOmitable
courage and ready resourcefulness
who threw himself into the fight with
heart and soul. One rarely impartial
authority has commented on Mr.. Han
son that to him lis conceded the hon.
or OF having done more than any other
man in the Southern colonies to over
throw Great Britain's authority" 9th
err highly valuable data yields the in
formation that: John Hanson was a
born leader, who in the legislature and
the Continental Congress with unyield-
ing power gave support to the great
battle for independence and with his
sound jugdment and his honorable
character won the respect and the con-
| fdence of the people,
Working indefatigably for the new
liberty Mr.. Hanson (not content with
| merely being peoples representa-
tive) called for Southern volunteers.
This call was speedily answered and
two select companies of rifiemen were
formed and drilled and armed, under
the leadership of Mr.. Hanson. When
the American army was assembling in
Boston preparatory for the fight for
liberty, some with rifles and some with
pitchfOrks as is told in history, the
rif1emen from the South arrived and
added much to the worth of the army.
In history it is related that such a
contingent was incorporated with the
army but the service and stimulus
added to the situation by this loyal
Swede has been eliminated, for rea.
sons unknown. The fact of the mat.
ter is that Mr. Hanson had sOlidified
the Southern colonies even in the face
of vast opposition, for the South was
a stronghold of the English autocracy.
Just as much as the northern colonies
needed men Of resolve and purpose so
the Southern colonies needed men to
hold fast and true. Mr. Hanson was
that man. And the time of test came
when the Southern colonies would be
split up and disOrganized or would re.
tain their prestige.
In the year 1875 the English Lord
DunsmOre, governor of Virginia. in.
augurated one Of the most treacherous
campaigns against human rights that
has ever been known. If this plot had
been successful the revolution would
have lost dismally. Agents of the
British government were sent out
among the various Indian tribes to in.
still hatred in their hearts for the Am
erlcan backwOods settlers, and to turn
them against the colonists. So sue
cessful was this campaign at it's incep-
ton, and the Indians, otherwise com.
paratlvely peaceful, were turned loose
from Virginia, westward to Kentucky
and thence northward through Ohio to
the Canadian boundary where the
English at Detroit worked in co-opera.
ton with their southern representa-
tlves. To stimulate the Indians to
wipe out the American settlers there
was begun what was known as the
scalp war" the purpose of which was
to wipe out the seed of the Americans
in the west. To gain this purpose the
highest bounty was placed on women
and girls scalps, which led the Indians
NATURALLY to kill the females first of
all for the reward there was in it. This
IS one Of the greatest blots on Eng.
llsh rule in America. The scalp war
went on apace, with the main depot
for trading in the scalps situated at
Vincennes, where the Englishman
Hamilton, (known as the "hair buy.
cry met the Indians and bartered for
their scalps and melted the Indians
with rum and trinkets to further un.
holy depredations. But working hand
in hand with the eastern colonies the
western pioneers took the trail, gain.
ing the help of Boone, Kenton and a
host OF other Illuminating names. In
the Southern colonies, along the At
lantic, John Hanson and his compa
ND