Hello and welcome to Whistlestop a podcast of the presidency. I'm John Dickerson of CBS News.

School children from the Confederation of States rolled into the capital city today and didn't notice

the ankle high obelisk erected in honor of John Hanson, the nation's first president.

Hanson's commemoration obscured by a poorly tended azalea

is notable because he served first, but it goes largely unknown

in a confederation with 230 presidents in its history, where the governors of New York and California

determine national policy in a constant tug of war, with the legislature still struggling in the weak posture assigned to it by the

amended Articles of Confederation.

This fantasy school trip never happened and never will.

For one thing, the Articles of Confederation would not likely have kept the country together for

very long in their original form or as the amended articles.

But one true thing does stand from that little fantasy.

John Hanson legitimately holds the rank as the country's first president.

His title sparkled. President of the United States in Congress assembled.

Now you can score bonus points in that obscure quiz night question

or make people think you are a crashing boar by bringing

Hansen up out of the blue at dinner.

Hanson stood first in line of the eight gentlemen who held that title, President of the United States and Congress

assembled, under the Articles of Confederation.

The office would be considered ceremonial the post office department and uniform system of coinage, but those accounts do not describe

Hansen as wielding a steady directing hand on the tiller of state.

Congress did the work.

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