WI George Washington is 2nd President of US?

[Glen]

Sarah Finney, my 6 year old daughter's second POD, first non-ASB one:

"What if instead of being the first President of the United States, George Washington had been the second President of the US?"

Interesting question, eh?

[Max Sinister]

She takes after you

Big question: Who'd be number 1? Franklin maybe?

[Dean_the_Young]

You'd need some other beloved Revolutionary hero to be the first president, for one. Otherwise, Washington would get it by default, as he did in OTL.

Perhaps a Benedict Arnold who, after taking Canada and becoming a hero, stays loyal? He was a bit of a royalist, but (in the beginning) an American patriot. Heck, he even has his own tomb/tribute in West Point even after his name came to mean traitor.

[Derek Jackson]

WI during the War of Independence A Constitution or Confederacy articals included a President and they said that a serving soldier could not do the job.

Step forward Ben Franklin.

[fortyseven]

Originally Posted by Glen

Sarah Finney, my 6 year old daughter's second POD, first non-ASB one:

"What if instead of being the first President of the United States, George Washington had been the second President of the US?"

Interesting question, eh?

Ah sweet she is and she's already smarter than a few adults I know

What if Washington serves 2 non-consecutive terms due to illness or another reason?

[Derek Jackson]

Originally Posted by fortyseven

What if Washington serves 2 non-consecutive terms due to illness or another reason?

Then he bocomes 3rd pres

[fortyseven]

Originally Posted by Derek Jackson

Then he bocomes 3rd pres

oh right...So he gets sick and can't be first but he recovers later and then wins the presidency.

[David S Poepoe]

Franklin is a good possibility. Adams probably was the first if one believes that he took the oath of office before Washington did.

Tho Cyrus Griffin does occupy the position as the last President of the United States in Congress Assembled under the Articles of Confederation - which technically means that Washington is 11th or 12th.

[The Mists Of Time]

Wasn't George Mason sort of in the position of chief executive or a president like position under The Articles Of Confederation?

Perhaps as president under The Articles Of Confederation, George Mason continues to serve as the first president under The Constitution. Have many of those serving under The Articles Of Confederation continue to serve in those positions under The Constitution until the new government gets established.

Then have George Washington be the first president elected under The Constitution. That way Washington would have been the second President of The United States, but the first one elected under The Constitution.

One problem with Washington as the second President, it would only allow him to serve one term. Had he been elected to a second term (1796) in TTL, he would also have been the first President to die in office since he died in 1799. However in TTL perhaps Washington lived longer, perhaps to about the same age Franklin, Adams, and Jefferson lived to.

[Bmao]

I think Ben Franklin would have been the most likely 1st president of the United States had it not been George Washington. Perhaps Franklin would have taken office right after the US gained its independance, and served throughout the 1780's instead of the time period where the weak Articles of Confederation were in effect.

[Wendell]

The first President under the U.S. Constitution was selected in 1788, and served a four-year term to start on the fourth of March the following year. WAshington, IOTL, was reelected in 1792, and started his second term the following March. Unless the alternate choice in 1788 serves two terms, then the precedent may change, or may not exist at all, releasing many, many butterflies.

[Glen]

Washington could have had a significant illness at that time of the selection of the first 'official' President, then have recovered enough to allow for him to be the second President.

Old Ben as first President definitely would be cool.

[fortyseven]

Originally Posted by Glen

Washington could have had a significant illness at that time of the selection of the first 'official' President, then have recovered enough to allow for him to be the second President.

Old Ben as first President definitely would be cool.

Yes, I mentioned that above

I agree about Ben

[Glen]

Originally Posted by Max Sinister

She takes after you

Sarah says, "That's very smart. How could they know that if they don't know us?" I explained that I have asked similar what if questions here and she replied, "Cool!"

Big question: Who'd be number 1? Franklin maybe?

Sarah snickered, "If I (Sarah) was born at the time, it would be me. I'd vote for myself. That's my silly answer. "

To Franklin being the first President, "That's a good answer." This has spurred a discussion with my daughter about Ben Franklin. She states, "That would make him the first President to discover anything."

[Glen]

Originally Posted by Dean_the_Young

You'd need some other beloved Revolutionary hero to be the first president, for one. Otherwise, Washington would get it by default, as he did in OTL.

Perhaps a Benedict Arnold who, after taking Canada and becoming a hero, stays loyal? He was a bit of a royalist, but (in the beginning) an American patriot. Heck, he even has his own tomb/tribute in West Point even after his name came to mean traitor.

Sarah says, "That would be bad because he was a traitor; people shouldn't vote for a traitor." I asked her specifically about what if he didn't become a traitor, "Then that might be okay."

[Glen]

Originally Posted by Derek Jackson

WI during the War of Independence A Constitution or Confederacy articals included a President and they said that a serving soldier could not do the job.

Sarah says, "That would be sad because then he couldn't share his ideas with the world, and he couldn't get paid."

Step forward Ben Franklin.

Sarah says, "Very cool. "

[Glen]

Originally Posted by fortyseven

Ah sweet she is and she's already smarter than a few adults I know

Sarah says, "That's Nice! I really want to send this to the person who said this about me because they will be so happy that I said it that they will be shrieking with happiness. " So are you?

What if Washington serves 2 non-consecutive terms due to illness or another reason?

Sarah says, "Well, that would be sad and happy, because he couldn't win but then could the second round."

[Glen]

Originally Posted by fortyseven

oh right...So he gets sick and can't be first but he recovers later and then wins the presidency.

Sarah says, "Yes."

[Glen]

Originally Posted by David S Poepoe

Franklin is a good possibility. Adams probably was the first if one believes that he took the oath of office before Washington did.

Tho Cyrus Griffin does occupy the position as the last President of the United States in Congress Assembled under the Articles of Confederation - which technically means that Washington is 11th or 12th.

Sarah tells me, "I'm not going to use 'that's very smart' because I've used it a thousand million times. But that is a great thought."

[Glen]

Originally Posted by The Mists Of Time

Wasn't George Mason sort of in the position of chief executive or a president like position under The Articles Of Confederation?

Perhaps as president under The Articles Of Confederation, George Mason continues to serve as the first president under The Constitution. Have many of those serving under The Articles Of Confederation continue to serve in those positions under The Constitution until the new government gets established.

Then have George Washington be the first president elected under The Constitution. That way Washington would have been the second President of The United States, but the first one elected under The Constitution.

Sarah says, "Okay. So...that would be very complicated."

One problem with Washington as the second President, it would only allow him to serve one term. Had he been elected to a second term (1796) in TTL, he would also have been the first President to die in office since he died in 1799.

Sarah retorts, "Weird, because the same thing would happen in this timeline (Washington dying as in OTL).

However in TTL perhaps Washington lived longer, perhaps to about the same age Franklin, Adams, and Jefferson lived to.

Sarah says, "Maybe longer if he was President second. Wouldn't you cut him some slack if he was President second?"