Founding Fathers and How They Served Our Country—Samuel Huntington
By David Streater, PhD
Burke County
Some historians recognize Samuel Huntington, who was born in Connecticut on July 3, 1731, the first president of the United States.
As a teenager, Samuel was becoming a cooper, making specialized barrels and containers. With limited education, Huntington became an attorney joining the Bar in 1754 by studying under lawyers, ministers, and others.
For 10 years while practicing law, Samuel’s competency earned him to the provincial assembly, judgeships, a King’s attorney, membership to Connecticut’s Colony Council, and later as governor. Subsequently, Huntington was elected to the Second Continental Congress representing Connecticut, signing the Declaration of Independence on August 2, 1776. From September 1779, through July 1781, Huntington was appointed the President of the Continental Congress when John Jay vacated the position.
During Huntington’s congressional tenure on March 1, 1781, the Articles of Confederation became law. This reshaped the thirteen individual states into a sole body, the United States of America. Objective historians argue that “Huntington became the nation’s first ‘real’ president when his title changed from ‘President of the Continental Congress’ to ‘President of the United States in Congress Assembled’”.
To this day, historians continue to debate as to who was the actual first president of the United States — Huntington or Washington.
Please visit your Charters of Freedom setting in most western North Carolina counties. A Charters of Freedom setting consists of the Declaration of Independence, the United States Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. They are on permanent display analogous the Charters of Freedom in the National Archives, Washington, DC. Please visit our website (ChartersofFreedom.com) to learn more about our existing settings.
Teachers are encouraged to contact Dr. Streater for information and complementary student education materials to enhance experiential field trips to a Charter of Freedom settings. Everyone is welcome and urged to obtain a personalized engraved legacy paver for placement at their Charters of Freedom setting. Please contact Dr. Streater (david.streater@gmail.com) for an engraved legacy paver and free educational materials.
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Dr. David Streater is the director of education for Foundation Forward. He is a retired college instructor and administrator, and a retired probation and parole officer/administrator. David is a criminologist who has an acute history interest, served in the Navy, and is a resident of Burke County, NC.
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