Most importantly, this congressional body was responsible for drafting and ratifying the Declaration of Independence in 1776. The Revolutionary War was fought for eight long years, finally coming to an end in 1783 when Great Britain and American representatives signed the 1783 Treaty of Paris, which formally recognized the United States of America as an independent nation. However, George Washington did not become President of the United States of America until 1789, so who ran the newly independent country for the six years following the end of the revolution?
Several men held the position: John Hanson (Nov 5 1781 – Nov 3 1782), Elias Boudinot (Nov 4 1782 – Nov 2 1783), Thomas Mifflin (Nov 3 1783 – Nov 29 1784), Richard Henry Lee (Nov 30 1784 – Nov 22 1785), John Hanco*ck (Nov 23 1785 – Jun 5 1786), Nathaniel Gorham (Jun 6 1786 – Feb 1 1787), Arthur St. Clair (Feb 2 1787 – Jan 21 1788), Cyrus Griffin (Jan 22 1788 – Apr 30 1789), and Samuel Huntington (Sept 28 1779 – July 10 1781). Why do these men seem to be left out of history books, forgotten by the world?
