Richard Henry Lee

I entered a contest hosted by fellow blogger, Jocelyndixon. She challenged contestants to write about their favorite signer of the Decleration of Independence and explain why they are admired. After writing my submission I thought it might interest some of my regular readers and so I decided to use it as a post. Here it is:


Mr. Lee was a lawyer back before the legal trade was so full of scum. He was born in Virginia and lived there during his early life. He was sent to school in England but returned to practice law in Virginia. After a few years of practicing law he was elected a Justice of the Peace. A few years later he became a member of the House of Burgesses.

Richard Henry Lee was one of the earliest advocates of independence and started several of the first Committees of Correspondence, early political organizations which promoted the interests of the colonists and stoked resistance against the British government. It naturally followed that he was chosen as one of Virginia's delegates to the Continental Congress.

During the Revolutionary War, he served as a Colonel.

It is virtually unknown but the original resolution declaring independence from England was not penned by Thomas Jefferson but rather by Richard Henry Lee. While serving as a delegate at the Second Continental Congress, he put forth what has become known as Lee's Resolution which declared the Thirteen Colonies free and independent from the rule of Great Britain. The resolution was passed on July 2, 1776. This resolution is what actually created the United States as a separate country. Unfortunately for Mr. Lee, his wife became very ill and he was unable to pen the public Deceleration of Independence and this duty was passed on to Thomas Jefferson. The adoption of this public declaration on July 4 has become accepted as Independence Day.

Mr. Lee's service didn't end once independence was achieved. He served as the sixth president of the United States under the Articles of Confederation. Later on he opposed the adoption of the Constitution because he thought that it gave too much power to the Federal government. I think the current bloated size of our government largely validates his views. It was at his insistence that the 10^th Amendment, reserving all powers not specifically given to the federal government to the states and the people, was passed. Unfortunately, this Amendment has long been ignored.

After the Constitution was adopted, Richard Henry Lee was elected as one of the first two Senators from Virginia. He was unable to complete his term because of poor health and died 1794 a few years after resigning.