Richard Henry Lee facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Richard Henry Lee
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| President pro tempore of the United States Senate | |
| In office April 18, 1792 – October 8, 1792 |
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| Preceded by | John Langdon |
| Succeeded by | John Langdon |
| United States Senator from Virginia |
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| In office March 4, 1789 – October 8, 1792 |
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| Preceded by | Inaugural Holder |
| Succeeded by | John Taylor |
| 4th President of the Congress of the Confederation | |
| In office November 30, 1784 – November 4, 1785 |
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| Preceded by | Thomas Mifflin |
| Succeeded by | John Hancock |
| Delegate to the Congress of the Confederation from Virginia |
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| In office November 1, 1784 – October 30, 1787 |
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| Member of the Virginia House of Burgesses from Westmoreland County |
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| In office September 14, 1758 – May 6, 1776 |
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| Preceded by | Augustine Washington Jr. |
| Succeeded by | Position abolished |
| Personal details | |
| Born | January 20, 1732 Stratford Hall, Westmoreland County, Colony of Virginia, British America |
| Died | June 19, 1794 (aged 62) Chantilly Plantation, Westmoreland County, Virginia, U.S. |
| Resting place | Burnt House Fields, Lee Family Estate, Coles Point, Westmoreland County, Virginia |
| Political party | Anti-Administration |
| Spouses | Anne Aylett (died 1768) Anne (Gaskins) Pinckard |
| Children | 13 |
| Parents | Thomas Lee Hannah Harrison Ludwell |
| Profession | Law |
| Signature |  |
Richard Henry Lee (born January 20, 1732 – died June 19, 1794) was an important American leader from Virginia. He is known as one of the Founding Fathers.
Lee is famous for suggesting that the American colonies should become independent from Great Britain. This idea, called the Lee Resolution, led to the United States Declaration of Independence, which he signed. He also served as the president of the Continental Congress for a year. Later, he became a U.S. Senator for Virginia.
He was part of the Lee family, a very important family in Virginia's history and politics.
Contents
Richard Henry Lee's Early Life and Education
Richard Henry Lee was born on January 20, 1732, in Westmoreland County, Virginia. His parents were Colonel Thomas Lee and Hannah Harrison Ludwell Lee. His family had many military officers, diplomats, and lawmakers.
His father was the governor of Virginia before he passed away in 1750. Richard spent his early years at Stratford Hall in Virginia. There, he received private lessons and learned many useful skills. To help him prepare for a political career, his father encouraged him to meet other important landowners nearby.
In 1748, when he was 16, Lee went to Yorkshire, England. He finished his formal education at Queen Elizabeth Grammar School, Wakefield. Both of his parents died in 1750. After traveling around Europe, he returned to Virginia in 1753. He helped his brothers manage the family estate.
Richard Henry Lee's Career
In 1757, Lee became a justice of the peace for Westmoreland County. This meant he helped keep law and order. The next year, in 1758, he was elected to the Virginia House of Burgesses. This was a law-making assembly, where he met Patrick Henry.
Lee strongly supported independence for the colonies. He was one of the first to set up Committees of Correspondence. These groups helped different colonies share news and ideas about becoming independent.
In 1766, about ten years before the American Revolutionary War, Lee wrote the Westmoreland Resolution. This document was signed by many important landowners who met in Leedstown, Virginia. Among the signers were three brothers and a close cousin of George Washington.
Role in the American Revolution
In August 1774, Lee was chosen to be a delegate to the First Continental Congress in Philadelphia. This was a meeting of representatives from the different colonies.
Lee had returned to Virginia when the Declaration of Independence was voted on. However, he signed the document when he came back to Congress.
Serving as President of Congress
On November 30, 1784, Richard Henry Lee was chosen as the sixth president of Congress. This was under the Articles of Confederation, which was the first constitution of the United States. Congress met in Trenton, New Jersey, and later in New York City Hall. Lee led these meetings until November 23, 1785. He did not get a salary, but his household expenses were covered.
Lee did not like the idea of the federal government collecting taxes. He also thought borrowing money from other countries was a bad idea. He believed that states should give up their claims to the Northwest Territory. This way, the government could sell land to pay its debts.
A new law, the Land Ordinance of 1785, was passed on May 20, 1785. This law helped set up a system for surveying new lands. However, the government did not have enough resources to manage these lands. Native Americans still lived on much of the land. Also, many people were living on the land without permission (squatters). Because Congress could not enforce the rules, Lee's plan for land sales did not fully succeed. However, the survey system created by this law is still used today.
Important Political Roles
Richard Henry Lee held several important political positions:
- Justice of the Peace for Westmoreland County, Virginia (1757)
- Member of the Virginia House of Burgesses (1758–1775)
- Delegate to the Continental Congress (1774–1779, 1784–1785, 1787)
- Member of the Virginia House of Delegates (1777, 1780, 1785)
- President of the Confederation Congress (November 30, 1784 – November 4, 1785)
- United States Senator from Virginia (March 4, 1789 – October 8, 1792)
- President pro tempore during the Second Congress (April 18 – October 8, 1792)
Richard Henry Lee's Family Life
Richard Henry Lee's mother, Hannah Harrison Ludwell, died in 1750. On December 5, 1757, he married Anne Aylett. She was the daughter of William Aylett. Anne passed away on December 12, 1768. They had six children together, but only four lived past infancy.
Lee married again in June or July 1769 to Anne (Gaskins) Pinckard. They had seven children, and five of them survived infancy.
He honored his brother, Francis Lightfoot Lee, by naming one of his sons after him. Francis Lightfoot Lee also signed the Articles of Confederation and the Declaration of Independence.
Richard Henry Lee's Death and Legacy
Richard Henry Lee died on June 19, 1794, when he was 62 years old.
Several places are named after him, including schools in Rossmoor, California, Glen Burnie, Maryland, and Chicago. During World War II, a ship called the SS Richard Henry Lee was named in his honor. His former home, the Chantilly Archaeological Site, was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971.
See also
