Who was the first black US president?

[Ivan Seeking]

...according to historians?

 

[Cyrus]

http://www.emerchandise.com/images/p/SFS/pcSFS.jpg

 

[TheStatutoryApe]

Mind if I cheated?

You've seen the headlines: "Are Americans Ready for a Black President?" "Is Obama Black Enough?" "Obama: America's First Black President?"

Ever since the nation first met Illinois Sen. Barack Obama in 2004, his race has been called into question more times than Michael Jackson's. Obama is clearly a black man, but is this really a breakthrough? Some blacks say Obama isn't "black enough," which seems ironic because for many blacks, former President Bill Clinton was "black enough." In 2001, Clinton was honored as the nation's "first black president" at the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) Annual Awards Dinner in Washington, D.C.

Were there other "black" presidents? Some historians have reason to believe people don't really understand the genealogy of past U.S. Presidents. Research shows at least five U.S. presidents had black ancestors and Thomas Jefferson, the nation's third president, was considered the first black president, according to historian Leroy Vaughn, author of Black People and Their Place in World History.

http://www.diversityinc.com/public/1461.cfm

And even more interesting...

A "Black" Man, A Moor, John Hanson
Was the First President of the United States! 1781-1782 A.D.

George Washington
was really the 8th President of the United States!

George Washington was not the first President of the United States. In fact, the first President of the United States was one John Hanson. Don't go checking the encyclopedia for this guy's name - he is one of those great men that are lost to history. If you're extremely lucky, you may actually find a brief mention of his name.
http://www.dickgregory.com/dick/14_washington.html

 

[TheStatutoryApe]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Hanson_(myths)

Apparently John Hanson being black is a myth.

[I took the liberty of fixing your link -Russ]

 

[TVP45]

Having a distant ancestor who was Black does not make one Black. The "one drop" rule was a peculiar perversion of biology that arose during the Jim Crow days. I had an ancestor who "immigrated" to England at Hastings in 1066; does that make me French-American? I think not.

 

[HallsofIvy]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Hanson_(myths )

Apparently John Hanson being black is a myth.

Under the Articles of Confederation, the "president" was NOT the head of a separate executive branch. He was, essentially, in charge of all the secretaries and other assistants who did the day to day running of the (very small) central government. All actual "Governing" was done by the congress or a sub-committee that stayed in Philadelphia when the congress was not in session.

 

[rewebster]

Having a distant ancestor who was Black does not make one Black. The "one drop" rule was a peculiar perversion of biology that arose during the Jim Crow days. I had an ancestor who "immigrated" to England at Hastings in 1066; does that make me French-American? I think not.

I had many ancestors who immigrated out of Africa (there ancestral home for generations--a few generations before 1066).

 

[rewebster]

PS
(...a few generations before 1066)* ----maybe about 3000 generations

 

[TheStatutoryApe]

Having a distant ancestor who was Black does not make one Black. The "one drop" rule was a peculiar perversion of biology that arose during the Jim Crow days. I had an ancestor who "immigrated" to England at Hastings in 1066; does that make me French-American? I think not.

Obama is only half black and the persons mentioned in the article I linked are all a quarter to half. Obama just looks "more black".

Under the Articles of Confederation, the "president" was NOT the head of a separate executive branch. He was, essentially, in charge of all the secretaries and other assistants who did the day to day running of the (very small) central government. All actual "Governing" was done by the congress or a sub-committee that stayed in Philadelphia when the congress was not in session

Yes. That and other things are adressed in the John Hanson (Myths) article aswell.




{Thank you Russ}

 

[TeTeC]

And why all of this matters ?

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Why does anything matter?

 

[Ivan Seeking]

According to John McLaughlin, the answer is Warren G Harding.

 

[TeTeC]

Why does anything matter?

Why do you think it's important to know if he's going to become the first black president ? (or not.)

 

[Ivan Seeking]

It is a matter of history.

I might ask: What you are afraid of? You seem defensive.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

I find it all to be more than a bit amusing. The idea that Warren G Harding was black about made me bust a gut.

 

[TeTeC]

It is a matter of history.

I might ask: What you are afraid of? You seem defensive.

I'm just curious. I follow the American elections from Europe, and I find a bit strange that we often refer to Obama as the "black candidate", or Clinton as the "woman candidate". I understand that people are influenced by these physical traits, but I don't really grasp why it has to go so deep (and that might be just an impression). I don't have any particular opinion about that, mostly because I don't know how Americans are influenced by the issue.

 

[Cyrus]

According to John McLaughlin, the answer is Warren G Harding.

WRONG!

 

[Ivan Seeking]

I'm just curious. I follow the American elections from Europe, and I find a bit strange that we often refer to Obama as the "black candidate", or Clinton as the "woman candidate". I understand that people are influenced by these physical traits, but I don't really grasp why it has to go so deep (and that might be just an impression). I don't have any particular opinion about that, mostly because I don't know how Americans are influenced by the issue.

Ah, I see. Well, the fact that we have never [knowingly] had a black or female President speaks to the significance that race and sex have had. So what make it significant is the fact that it will no longer be significant. Many black leaders view this as the final death rattle of institutionalized racism. Many believe that as of right now, we are living in Martin Luther King's dream.

 

[Evo]

Ah, I see. Well, the fact that we have never [knowingly] had a black or female President speaks to the significance that race and sex have had. So what make it significant is the fact that it will no longer be significant. Many black leaders view this as the final death rattle of institutionalized racism. Many believe that as of right now, we are living in Martin Luther King's dream.

Don't forget that it hasn't been that long since blacks and women weren't even allowed to vote in the US.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

WRONG!

Haha, so it would seem.

BYE BYE!

btw, Tsu and I say that and give the McL waive to each other when one of us is leaving.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Don't forget that it hasn't been that long since blacks and women weren't even allowed to vote in the US.

Yes, and as much as I understand the extreme disappointment that Hillary's supporters feel, from my point of view, Hillary has shown that a woman could be elected. It just wasn't meant to be this time around. The fact that the first viable female candidate would be matched against the first viable black candidate, and in particular that it would be against Clinton, is one of the great ironies in US political history.

 

[Jimmy Snyder]

I have heard all kinds of explanations that purport to be more authoritative than the document itself. The Articles of Confederation were the law of the United States of America and they provide in Article IX for a president. Period. Well semicolon anyway.

The United States in Congress assembled shall have authority to appoint a committee, to sit in the recess of Congress, to be denominated 'A Committee of the States', and to consist of one delegate from each State; and to appoint such other committees and civil officers as may be necessary for managing the general affairs of the United States under their direction — to appoint one of their members to preside, provided that no person be allowed to serve in the office of president more than one year in any term of three years;

Was that office more like our Speaker of the House? OK, then fine, the office of president was more like our Speaker of the House. But Hanson was president of the United States of America.

 

[vociferous]

According to polls and projections, Obama loses to McCain, so unless there is a reversal of public opinion in swing States (or an untimely death), the first black or woman President is not going to come to pass for at least another four years.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Not according the polls that I'm seeing, but please stay on topic.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

I'm just curious. I follow the American elections from Europe, and I find a bit strange that we often refer to Obama as the "black candidate", or Clinton as the "woman candidate". I understand that people are influenced by these physical traits, but I don't really grasp why it has to go so deep (and that might be just an impression). I don't have any particular opinion about that, mostly because I don't know how Americans are influenced by the issue.

I just posted this in another thread

I never knew this until just the other day, but when LBJ signed the Civil Rights Act in 1964, he predicted that he has just signed the South over to the Republicans for the rest of the lives of everyone present.

This may be the first election since not bound by LBJs prediction.

It might be argued that Obama's candidacy is the death-rattle of the civil war.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

How fitting that Obama announced that he would run from the same steps as did Lincoln.

 

[MeJennifer]

It seems to me that Obama is just as much black as he is white. His father was black and his mother was white.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

It seems to me that Obama is just as much black as he is white. His father was black and his mother was white.

How about that. Again, rather poetic, don't you think? That we would have a candidate with his qualities and capabilities in addition to such a fairytale life-story is fortuitous beyond belief. I can't think of a greater American success story.

 

[MeJennifer]

Perhaps many of those who only call Obama black and not half black and half white are still under the spell of the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One-drop_theory.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Obama considers himself to be black. Just making a wild guess here, but it may be because he looks black.