Were there any Presidents of the United States under the Articles of Confederation, before George Washington?

http://members.tripod.com/~earthdude1/washington/washington.html

John Hanson Served 1781-1782
Elias Boudinot 1782-1783
Thomas Mifflin 1783-1784
Richard Henry Lee 1784-1785
John Hancock 1785-1786
Nathan Gorman 1786-1787
Arthur St. Clair 1787-1788
Cyrus Griffin 1788-1789

[This message was edited by EBknowsBUBBA on 07-20-02 at 01:05 AM.]

[This message was edited by EBknowsBUBBA on 07-20-02 at 01:05 AM.]

While I haven't read the links provided here, I have done quite a bit of research on this subject. Let me try to briefly (?) present some facts.
John Hanson of Maryland was the first man to be called "the President of the United States.' His complete title was "President of the United States, in Congress Assembled." He was elected by the Cotinental Congress, (which included George Washington) operating under the Articles of Confederation. (The Articles attained final form in 1777 and were ratified in 1781, when Maryland accepted them. Note which state was the hold-out.) Since the end of the Revolutionay War, the Continental Congress was, without question, the accepted government of the United States. All those chosen as President by the Continental Congress before Hanson were called "President of the Continental Congress."
The state of Maryland has a John Hanson Museum honoring Hanson, and the museum clearly states that he (Hanson) was the first President of the United States. Among the museum's exhibits is a letter congratulating Hanson on his attaining the "august office." This letter came from recently retired Gen. George Washington.
The confusion results from Washington's election ( by the Electoral College, many of the same men who elected Hanson) as the first President under the Constitution, the document that replaced the Articles. Those not accepting Hanson generally say that Washington was the first President, and the first one with the powers similar to those of today's Presidents. They are 1/2 right; Hanson did not have the powers that Washington had, let alone powers like today's Presidents have. That, however, was not part of the original question or statement. Hanson was the first peson to be called President of the United States. Later changes in the government of the United States can't change that fact. Those who refuse to believe it need to look to their choice, Washington; he believed Hanson to be President of the United States.
Apparently , some people don't like the history that they learned, or didn't learn, to be disputed by facts. Tough.