Who was the first President of America?

[petejuggling]

False! John Hanson was the first President of America and their were about 7 after him before Washington I believe.

[HitokiriFyre]

@petejuggling False! Black bear. Bears. Beets. Battlestar Galactica.

[ThaPhantom420]

John Hanson was the 1st A Black Moor

[MaxenatorONE]

when he demonstrated john hancock signing the declaration i pissed myself laughing, i have no idea why

[audball911]

I wish American men spoke the way Stephen thinks they speak.

[DevonAlexanderHess]

You'd have to be an enormous douche to call a signature a "John Hancock."

[colin7772]

Either misinformed or a liar. Once again (his-Tory)

[therealEmpyre]

But do you know why John Hancock signed so large? It was because King George III had poor eyesight, and Hancock wanted him to be able to read his name.

The thirteen former colonies were independent states loosely confederated together before the Constitution created the United States of America, whose first president was George Washington.

[FireDragons42]

@Blahblobify You've made an assumption though. America also refers to the continents and so I am both an American and not American for given definitions of American.

[Blahblobify]

This is bullshit. being president of the Continental Congress is NOT the same as being the president of the United States. The office of the president was created and held first by George Fucking Washington.

[nbachmann]

Mr Fry is quite wrong.

An independent US operating under the Articles of Confederation had several Presidents of Congress Assembled. Washington wasn't the first president after independence as Fry suggests. On the contrary, for a few years Washington tried to retire from politics after the revolution was won.

[dchalf10]

@nbachmann Fuck you're thick. Read the second comment that's stickied above yours. "He didn't ask "Who was the first President of the United States", he asked "Who was the first President of America"".

[nbachmann]

@dchalf10 Not thick, just correct. Under the Articles of Confederation the official title was "President of the United States in Congress Assembled", which has the distinct property of not containing the word America.

So George Washington was not the "first president of the Independent United States" as Fry states, nor was Payton who served in 1774 before the US was independent.

The correct man is Samuel Huntington, who served in 1781, the first President of the now independent United States.

[amerskos]

Very strange seeing Stephen Fry speaking like an American.

[Fro9bone]

"They use it all the time"

Uh, no, we do not do this

[uiruu]

@Fro9bone We do where I come from

[InsaneamI]

@Fro9bone Yeah, we all know what it means, but it's not actually common to say it...

[chrisdsanders]

That position was not even created until the Constitution in 1787. He was unanimously voted in as "President" in 1789. An interesting note, on June 14, 1775 George Washington was appointed as "Commander-in-Chief", a term that is now synonymous with the office of the Presidency.

[baird55aus]

Yeah there were seven or so before the constitution created the President of the United States from what I have read.

[Wyrmshadow]

:55... he was the first to sign, that's why it was so large.

[Blueman2805]

@Wyrmshadow That's a myth. In fact, Hancock was 16' 8" tall and merely signed as normal.

[geraldsitorus]

according to wikipedia, the second president was henry middleton... 3rd is peyton randolph again.. and 4th is John Hancock... which one is right?

[FuneralDust666]

In history class, if I answered John Hancock to that question they would have failed me that day... @Cnd1867 Agreed!

[LadyGaffigan]

The sad thing is that I learned something new about the US... and I'm from the US.

[ichweissnicht11]

@LadyGaffigan same here

[TheFinisherMrC]

I love how Phil Jupitus says 'John Hancock' in a broad Cockney accent!

[Cnd1867]

This is a bad question, there was no America back then, there was thirteen colonies. There can't be a President of a country that doesn't exist. There's a difference between being the Presiding officer of a legislature (in this case Congress) and being President of a nation. George Washington was the First President of the United States of America, because there was no America to be President of before that

[Anthonyk312]

@Cnd1867 they called the presiding officer of the legislature the "President", and in fact the word comes from the word Presiding.

[ErichoTTA]

George Washington was indeed the first President. That's what Snopes says.

[BRMC888]

@ErichoTTA of the united states, yes. But not of "America"

[DrNore]

Hancock's signature is the biggest because he was the first person to sign the Declaration.

[SIXITHS]

@DrNore

So they did that thing where you start writing with large text, which then gets smaller and smaller as you run out of space?

[3lzamir]

@Thellin Ok, well true, I already know I could do a little more research when it comes to the first leading Presidents, but I did know for a long time already, that George Washington was not even close to being the first President & already knew that there were many others before him & about John Hanson long time without Wikipedia. I was just going by what I already know about that.

But, yeah like I said, I can do some more research. Always remain Teachable. :)

[NobleKos]

that guy with the long curly hair who answered "george washington" looks like joel heyman

[TheGeneralThings]

Thumbs up if you think Stephen Fry does an amazing American accent!

[3lzamir]

JOHN HANSON: In November 1781, he was the first person to be elected as the presiding officer, leading some historians to claim he was the first President of the United States

[Thellin]

@3lzamir You didn't read your Wikipedia very well. Hanson signed in the Articles of Confederation which designated us as unified states and he was the first President of the Continental Congress thereafter ("leading some historians to claim he was the first President of the United States"). But he was about the 9th President of the Continental Congress. If you'd actually wiki'd John Hancock you'd see that he had the job about 4 years earlier, after Peyton Randolph.

[3lzamir]

Been known that, I would of never said George Washington!!! LOL

[3lzamir]

IT WAS JOHN HANSON DUMB ASS!!! LOL... Not "HANCOCK"

[marshbey]

@3lzamir I was woundering was that who they were referring to...Let it be known he was a "MOOR" as well!!! Thats the most important fact

[3lzamir]

@marshbey Islam!!!

[uiruu]

@3lzamir pfffff you obviously are not an American

[ASTEagle]

President of congress =/= president of the USA. Currently the Vice President of the USA is the President of Congress. The term presdient does not mean executive leader of the US, but a monitor or a chair of a committee.

[Sabre809]

Fuckin crap everything I learned in school was wrong! This show is my new school, America sucks...

[slytown]

@Sabre809 Try the book "Lies My Teacher Told Me." Pretty good.

[blondemario]

It was Chuck Norris.

[Aquacoon]

HE SET THEM UP TO FAIL

[thatkamikid]

I never hear people use the word "handcock." Stephen fry is trippin.

[tropico79]

Does anyone know the episode this is in?

[SporkTsar]

As much as I love this show, this is flat out wrong. Being the President of the Continental Congress is not the same as being the President of the United States. The former had no executive powers, it's like saying John Boehner has the same elected position as Barack Obama.

[Daleksaresupreme1]

@SporkTsar yes but its more of play on the fact that we Brits rather ignorantly use the term America when we mean United sates of America. We used the term even when it was the Continental Congress and their was a time when Canada and Mexico were rethered to as America.

[AlternateKarmaSource]

I'm embarrassed by how well British people know American history.

[Daleksaresupreme1]

@AlternateKarmaSource its only because we watch so much American TV

[WolfEyesatNight]

America has never had a President, America has 36 countries.

[waldoman7]

@WolfEyesatNight

with "United States of America" being a bit long for common use, it is frequently reduced to "America" in casual speech. Since there's never been any confusion or anyone inconvienianced by this, no one has had any problem with it except those with massive sticks up their asses.

[Daleksaresupreme1]

@waldoman7 hello Waldoman remember me. I just saw your name and disided to apologize for any offence i may have caused in our little exchange a few weeks ago. I said some things that i didn't mean and now regret. Nice to see your still enjoying QI. This is probably the last you'll hear of me so sorry and take cair.

[waldoman7]

@Daleksaresupreme1

there was never any need for apology mate. I'm not offended by differing opinions. feel free to hit me up any time you think of something interesting to chat about. It occurs to me that I lack an english correspondant and could benefit from one.

[jfoley715]

@waldoman7 If only I had the balls to tell my Spanish teacher that. That bitch...

[waldoman7]

@jfoley715 there are polite ways to argue the point. Though if you're in school there are places where casual speech is not acceptable and she might have a point.

[LvndrHppE]

How about that. I'm learning things about my own country from the British.

[lazydancer22]

um american history is teaching me nothing. WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE?!?!? ive only heard the term john hancock used once...in 8th grade goverment

[highlander2107]

@lazydancer22 Then your name holds true.

[SBFloppie]

John Hancock: The Leroy Jenkins of the founding fathers.

[DCdabest]

You know, if I was in a situation where i was about to sign a monumental historically important document; I would sure as hell write my name in the biggest fucking letters possible, and the rest of Congress can bite my shiny, independent ass!!!!

XD

[therrydicule]

@DCdabest Well, in his case, he wanted king George to bite his fhiny little aff, and that John Bull (general of the king of england in usa) could read that without spectacles. It was on purpose, but it was not against the continental congress (who did not give a damn about the size of his signature) like he was trying to provoke a little bit the enemy...

Hey, if you have to provoke someone who lead a large part of the biggest military on earth, don't be shy!

[StagePuppeteer]

He does a brilliant American accent.

[Metatality]

"They use it all the time"?

-Can I just say that as an American I have barley ever heard the phrase.

[Daleksaresupreme1]

isnt it fasinating that most (or all) british people know george wasington was the first president of the usa were as i am willing to bett my left testicle that less than 1% of americans know the first king of england was Egbert of Weesex

[Raventoll]

@Daleksaresupreme1 Though I think that they technically keep track of it that way, just the way Washington wasn't the first president of America, Egbert wasn't technically the first king. Offa was, if I remember correctly.

[Daleksaresupreme1]

@Raventoll i thought Offa was king of Mercia

[Raventoll]

@Daleksaresupreme1 He would use the title King of the English ("Rex Anglorum") from time to time, and was thus the first to actuallly call himself that. However, he left no dynasty, so they generally don't count from him alone. You have to remember that Egbert was forced into exile by Offa, so Offa wasn't included in the official list of monarchs because the first "king" with an actual dynasty hated his guts. But Offa was the first to declare that he was king of all the nations of England.

[penguinworm]

@Daleksaresupreme1 We fought long and hard for our right to not give a shit about who Egbert of Weesex is.

[Daleksaresupreme1]

@penguinworm it was just an observation

[BobTheMunificent]

For all the hard-of-hearing who are whining below:

He didn't ask "Who was the first President of the United States", he asked "Who was the first President of America".

Do pay attention.

[C1o88er3d]

@BobTheMunificent America is made up of several countries and therefore has never had a president.

[eagle8burger]

JOOOOHHHHNN HAAAANNNDCOOOOCK!!!!!

the original

LEEEERROOOYY JEEEEENKIIIIINS!!!!!!!

[kustomkure]

@eagle8burger at least I have chicken

[lytrigian]

Wrong. "President of Congress" is not the same as "President of the United States". The latter office did not exist until our present Constitution took effect in 1788.

[lordjimbob01]

@lytrigian this whole show is about tiwsting word so that its interesting :) never take anythin at face value :)

[lytrigian]

@lordjimbob01 To equate the President of Congress under the Articles of Confederation with the President of the United States under the Constitution is an unforgivable bit of semantic legerdemain. And wrong besides.

[vampirechickita]

EVERYTHING I LEARNED IN SCHOOL WAS WRONG.

[thepigofhappiness]

John Hancock...he was the Leroy Jenkins of his day

[naruhina0827]

I love how Stephen Fry just drops into that American accent. :D

[872463051]

saying they are presidents is like saying Nancy Pelosi is our current president... President of the congress is not the same as the president of the nation.

[quinnolivia]

Fun Fact:

The reason John Hancock signed so big is because he said he wanted the king to be able to read his signature without putting on his glasses

[C1o88er3d]

@quinnolivia This actually never happened. Hancock signed his name in an empty room with possibly one witness. Nobody signed the Declaration on the 4th, he had to sign it first because he had to approve it for reprinting. Nobody delivered a copy to the king and he did not see it during the war.

[quinnolivia]

@C1o88er3d My history book is a LIAR

[C1o88er3d]

@quinnolivia Yes, this is something people often repeat without checking up on it. The same is true with this video. The QI researchers didn't do enough fact checking. There was no president of The United States before Washington. The office did not exist and The United States as we know it did not exist.

They were united under the Articles of Confederation as seperate sovereign states and always refered to in writing as "these united states of America."

[DKzgd]

@C1o88er3d -.-'

What is with ppl these days automatically assuming that everyone else is total dumbass:

"The QI researchers didn't do enough fact checking. There was no president of The United States before Washington. The office did not exist and The United States as we know it did not exist." O really?! Dont you tell. Yes I bet QI researchers didnt know such banal common sense thing...

Steven asked "who was the first president of America", not USA... it was deliberate word play...

[C1o88er3d]

@DKzgd Then take your own advice, he said first president of America, not Congress.

You are right, he did say, America.

Technically, America is made up of several countries (USA, Mexico, Canada, Panama, etc.) and, therefore, has never had a president.

Don't split hairs.

They got it wrong.

It has happened before.

Live with it.

[DKzgd]

@C1o88er3d Technically, North America is made of those countries... By saying "America", ppl usually refer to the space currently occupied by USA... Same as by saying "Americans" ppl refer to ppl living in USA, not in Canada, Mexico or whatever...

Dont get this upside down, it is you who is splitting hairs...

Grow up and stop threating ppl like morons. They didnt get anything wrong, they purposely stretched it a little to remind ppl there were states before formation of USA...

[C1o88er3d]

@DKzgd You are talking in circles.

If he said America to refer to The USA, then there was no strange wordplay here.

I choose not to believe everything I am told on a television program meant for entertainment.

People who do are blind followers.

There is a lot they get right but also some things that they get wrong.

They allowed points for saying the triple poing of water is zero and Steven Fry said that Poe was a raging alcoholic who died in a gutter.

I am done wasting my time with you.

[DKzgd]

@C1o88er3d Yes we are apparently running in circles, cause you are having problem grasping a simple concept :America refers to the space occupied by USA. If USA were to split, that whole space would still be called America...

Yes QI is a propaganda show, and ppl who watch it are mindless sheep... lol, get a grip...

They dont want you to believe them, they are here to entertain you, and he didnt make any mistake since he clearly said George was first president of USA...

Get it? Got it? Good...

[patrickcorliss]

@C1o88er3d

The points for triple point of water were cancelled in a subsequent series after people complained. Apparently the correct answer is Zero Point Zero One. Of course shows get things wrong. As do people.

[jakethedane]

@C1o88er3d Yup, you´re right! America is several nations, but the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA is what most people understand by America. Its an easy mistake:)

Just as England hasn´t had a queen in centuries....Look it up, it´s true

[jakethedane]

@DKzgd Exactly. That´s kinda the whole point of the show. You get minus points for the right, or obvious answer and bonus points if you know a strange fact about the question

[depl0rable]

didn't the americans count the same president twice... they don't normally count in presidential terms (or clinton etc would be counted in the same way) so kinda screwed up in the case of Grover Cleveland who is both the 22nd and 24th president. (counted twice). oops.

[KaitonsCorner]

@depl0rable: This is the simple chronology used to teach children who served and when, but no American thinks that Grover Cleveland was the 22nd and 24th president. He served the 22nd and 24th presidencies. Just like Obama is the 43rd president serving the 44th presidency. And this could easily happen again if Obama were to lose the next election and win the following.

[burotukulababe]

LOL at 1:00

[grobo11]

I don't know why, but when John Hancock signed his name in such a huge manner, he will always remind me of..........."LEROY JENKINS!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

[7tnorris]

These dumb ass British do not know anything about American history. They get their questions for this show off of Youtube! LOL George Washington was NOT the 15th US President! The office of President of the United States WAS NOT a successor to the position of "President of Congress" which was an impartial moderator during meetings and had NOTHING TO DO with the executive office!

[Serpico69]

@7tnorris Take it easy, Johnny H, take it easy.

[7tnorris]

@Serpico69 Did you just call me Johnny Horton?

[7tnorris]

@7tnorris I say this because I have never heard John Hancock referred to as "Johnny".

LOL

[MrTater122]

they are stupid idiots

[damechastain]

An' you can see it from space!

lol

[DaUsher]

Everyone went sort of "da da da...that's me..."

Hancock came along...

"JOHN HANCOCK!!!"

[bakerstreetbookworm]

Heehee. Somehow it makes me happy that someone as brilliant as Stephen Fry was once unnerved by American slang unknown to him. ^_^

[ELIGAGIRL]

it is samuel huntington

[SatoTM3]

gorge wasation...

oh

ly

fucking

god

im going to paste ur name all over the internet

how much of a bleedin retard can you be?!

[Mysterious0Bob]

@SatoTM3 What a hypocrite. "Ur name"? Write properly.