Rash's Surname Index
Notes for Richard Henry LEE
Encarta 98 Desk Encyclopedia. Richard Henry Lee, a leader of the American Revolution (1771-1783). Lee was born in Stratford, Virginia. He served in the Virginia House of Burgesses from 1758 to 1775. Lee was among those who proposed the Committees of Correspondence that organized American resistance to British political and economic pressures. He was a delegate to the Continental Congress from 1774 to 1779; in June 1776, he offered a resolution that ultimately gave rise to the Declaration of Independence, which he signed. A defender of states' rights, he proposed the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution: "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people."
COLONIAL FAMILIES OF THE SOUTHERN STATES OF AMERICA
Richard Henry, signer of the Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776, Articles of Confederation, 1778, Legislature of Virginia, 1780-84, and 1784 elected President of U.S. Congress; of U. S. Senate, first and second Congress; selected for the Hall of Fame, Oct., 1900.
LEE, Richard Henry, signer, was born at Stratford, Westmoreland county, Va., Jan. 20, 1732; fifth son of Thomas and Hannah (Ludwell) Lee. After a course of private tuition, he was sent to Wakefield academy, Yorkshire, England, and returned to Virginia in 1751. In 1753 he raised a company to join General Braddock in his expedition against the Indians and the French, but their aid was declined by the haughty Englishman. In 1757 he was appointed a justice of the peace for Westmoreland county and about this time was chosen a member of the house of burgesses. He continued a member of that body, when not a representative in congress, until 1792, when he finally retired from active public life. In his first speech in the house of burgesses he proposed" to lay so heavy a tax upon the importation of slaves as effectually to put an end to that iniquitous and disgraceful traffic within the colony." He brought before the assembly the act of Parliament, claiming their right to tax America, and he served on the special committee appointed to draft an address to the king, a memorial to the house of lords, and a remonstrance to the commons, and was selected to prepare the first and last of these papers. In February, 1766, he organized the "Westmoreland Association" of patriots and wrote their resolutions. The articles expressed a determination to "exert every faculty to prevent the execution of the "Stamp Act in any instance whatsoever within this colony." On July 25, 1768, he wrote to John Dickinson, of Pennsylvania, suggesting not only that select committees should be appointed to correspond and communicate with their sister colonies in America, respecting the acts [p.383] and resolutions of the British Parliament," but that private correspondence should be conducted between lovers of liberty in every province." In 1773 the Virginia assembly (Massachusetts took similar action about the same date) appointed a "Committee of Correspondence" of which Mr. Lee was a member, and in that capacity opened a correspondence with Samuel Adams, which resulted in their lasting friendship. Mr. Lee was elected a delegate to the first Continental congress which met in Carpenters' Hall, Philadelphia, Pa., Sept. 4, 1774. He prepared the memorial of congress to the people of British America, urging them to join in the struggle for freedom, and in the next congress he wrote their address to the people of Great Britain. As chairman of the committee he drew up the instructions of congress to General Washington upon his assuming command of the army. On June 7, 1776, in accordance with the instructions of the Virginia convention, and at the request of his colleagues, he proposed the resolution for the independence of the colonies: "Resolved, that these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent States, that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain is, and ought to be, totally dissolved," and the motion was seconded by John Adams of Massachusetts and the discussion upon its adoption continued until June 10. He received word of the serious illness of his wife, and left Philadelphia the same day to visit her. Owing to his absence Mr. Jefferson was appointed the same day chairman of the committee and the task of defending the motion fell upon Mr. Adams, Mr. Jefferson not being a ready speaker. Lee did not return until the Declaration had been passed and signed and he then added his signature to the instrument. He served in the Continental congress, 1774-80 and 1784-87, and was one of the signers of the Articles of Confederation in 1778. During the sessions of 1784 he was president of congress, being, it is said, the unanimous choice of the delegates present. He is said to have served upon nearly one hundred committees during the sessions of 1776-77. Mr. Lee opposed the adoption of the constitution of 1787; in this opposition he was in agreement with George Mason, Patrick Henry, Benjamin Harrison, Thomas Jefferson and others in Virginia and many of the ablest patriots of the time in other states. After the ratification of the constitution he consented to serve as one of the senators from Virginia, mainly for the purpose of urging some amendments which he believed to be needed and many of these he was instrumental in securing. After serving as U.S. senator in the 1st and 2d congresses, 1789-92, he resigned in 1792 and was succeeded by John Taylor. During the first and second sessions of the 2d congress he was president pro tempore of the senate, April to November, 1789. Both branches of the Virginia assembly gave him a vote of thanks for his patriotic services. He was twice married, first to Anne Aylett by whom he had two sons and two daughters, and secondly to Mrs. Anne (Gaskins) Pinckard, by whom he had two sons and three daughters. In the selection of names for a place in the Hail of Fame for Great Americans, New York university, made in October, 1900, his was one of the thirty-seven names in "Class M, Rulers and Statesmen," and received three votes, his votes in the class exceeding those for Van Buren, Charles Carroll, John J. Crittenden and Henry Wilson, and equalling those for Robert R. Livingston and Stephen A. Douglass. He is the author of numerous political pamphlets and his correspondence, with memoirs by his grandson. Richard Henry Lee, was published in 1825. He died at Chantilly, Westmoreland county, Va., June 19, 1794.
| HOME | EMAIL | SURNAMES |
Return to The Pennocks of Primitive Hall website.
The information in this database may contain errors. If you find any questionable data, or if you have something to add my findings, please feel free to e-mail me by clicking on the "E-MAIL" link above. Thank you!
Page built by Gedpage Version 2.21 ©2009 on 07 July 2020