Richard Henry Lee was born into a family of great English tradition. Born on January 20, 1732, he was the seventh child of 11 to Thomas and Hannah Ludlow Lee. His great grandfather, Richard Lee, left England in 1639 and landed at Jamestown, VA. He established a trading business that involved members of the Lee family in both England and the English-American colonies. Mr. Lee and his siblings grew up at Stratford Hall, a vast tobacco plantation in Westmoreland County, VA. Education was most important to Mr. and Mrs. Lee. Scottish ministers were hired to teach the children, and often they slept above their school room in a separate building when engaged in their educational instruction. Classes began before breakfast on most days and lasted until 5pm. 

When Mr. Lee was 16 years of age, he was sent, along with his older brothers, to England to complete their education at Wakefield Academy in Yorkshire. Their parents desired that they learn about English customs and law. Sadly, while in England, his parents died. Upon finishing his education, he came back to Virginia and was eager to serve the crown by battling the French and its allies. At 23 years of age, he formed a military company in order support General Edward Braddock fight the French in the French and Indian War. As described by Benjamin Franklin, Gen. Braddock “had too much self-confidence.” One can presume this is the reason for the general refusing Mr. Lee’s offer. The general’s pride caused his permanent fall when he was mortally wounded in a surprise attack on July 9, 1755. He died four days later.

In 1758, Richard Henry Lee began his life of public service when he was elected to the House of Burgesses. He held this office for almost the rest of his life. He was married in the same year and built a house about three miles away from Stratford Hall named “Chantilly-on-the-Potomac.” In 1764, he and the Houses of Burgesses began to understand the crown’s position toward the colonies. The Sugar Act was passed by Parliament in 1764, and the following year, the Stamp Act was passed. During this period, Mr. Lee applied to be a tax collector due to a growing family and the fluctuating profitability of tobacco. 

Mr. Lee’s interest in collecting the Stamp Act was frowned upon by the House. He was censured for it. He claimed ignorance of the Stamp Act’s impact in his defense. He said, “I believe… no more than myself, nor perhaps a single person in this country, has at that time reflected the least on the nature and tendency of such an act.” He was forgiven and continued his work by writing the Westmoreland Resolution of 1766, which bound Virginians to support “our lawful sovereign, George the Third…so far as is consistent with the preservation of our rights and liberty.” 

The resolution built on the sentiments of Patrick Henry who had spoken against the Stamp Act the year before. He had warned King George III of those who had rebelled against former monarchs in the past. At the time, fellow House representatives heckled him by yelling at him, “Treason!” Rep. Lee’s resolution garnered the same response. His motion would be the framework for the drafters of the Declaration of Independence.

Personal and bodily tragedy occurred in 1768. His wife died leaving behind four children. The other was his gun exploded while he was goose hunting during the winter. He lost the four fingers on his left hand. For the remainder of his life, he covered the hand with black silk or wore a black glove. 

In the following years, Mr. Lee continued his protest against Parliament and the king. He protested against the Townshend Act and helped create the Virginia Association, a non-importation agreement. By 1770, Parliament had repealed most of the intrusive tax measures. Tensions lowered for a time. But Parliament stirred the pot again in 1773 with the Tea Act. When the British closed Boston Harbor in response to the Boston Tea Party, Reps. Lee, Henry, and Thomas Jefferson advocated for a day of fasting and prayer. This irked the Royal Governor of Virginia and he dissolved the House of Burgesses. The members reconvened at Raleigh’s Tavern and proposed an intercolonial Congress. Before the details were drawn up, the body was invited by colonists from Massachusetts to attend a Congress in September in Philadelphia. Virginia sent seven delegates including Mr. Lee.

Richard Henry Lee’s refined oratory quickly garnered the attention of the delegates. John Adams noted, “The great orators here are Lee, Hooper, and Patrick Henry.” St. George Tucker, a militia officer and lawyer, stated, “The fine powers of language united with that harmonious voice, made me sometimes think that I was listening to some being inspired with more than mortal powers of embellishment.” Mr. Lee bonded with Mr. Adams and often met with Mr. Adams’ cousin, Samuel Adams, at Mr. Lee’s sister’s house in Philadelphia.

The conversation about declaring independence from Great Britain came to a crescendo on May 6th at the Fifth Virginia Convention. There, delegates voted to declare independence from England. They also approved a state constitution and a declaration of rights. Instructions to the Virginia delegates were sent to Philadelphia. On June 7th, Mr. Lee stood up and made the motion for independence. 

He said, “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.” 

John Adams seconded the motion. Debate was suspended until July 1st in order for a committee to draft a declaration of independence based on Mr. Lee’s Westmoreland Resolutions. On July 2nd, the Second Continental Congress approved the resolution for independence. Ironically, he was not present for the vote on July 4th when the Declaration was approved. He was away in Williamsburg attending to state business. And he did not sign the document on August 2nd like many of his colleagues. He signed it on September 4th. He and his brother, Francis, were the only brothers to sign the proclamation.

When Mr. Lee returned to the Congress, he participated in many debates concerning the Articles of the Confederation. He voted for and signed the country’s first constitution. He is only one of 16 men to sign both of America’s founding documents.

Richard Henry Lee was also needed in the defense of the Stratford wharf. Having been recommissioned as a colonel in the Westmoreland militia, he led a force against the British. At one point, he found himself in a predicament. In a letter to Samuel Adams, he recounted, “I am at present lamed by my horse falling on me in a late engagement with the enemy who landed under cover of heavy cannonades from three vessels of war upon a small body of our militia were posted. After a small engagement we had the pleasure to see the enemy, tho superior in numbers, run to their boats and precipitately reembark having sustained a small loss of killed and wounded.”

One of his last battles, politically speaking, was regarding the Constitutional Convention. He did not attend and led congressional opposition to accepting the constitution because it lacked a bill of rights. Without this aspect, he and others feared too much power would be centralized in the federal government. His advocacy finally brought fruit in 1791 when the Bill of Rights was amended to the U.S. Constitution.

Richard Henry Lee’s contribution to the formation of Virginia and the United States is inestimable. When he retired from public service in 1792, the Virginia Assembly voted unanimously in favor of a resolution of appreciation. He died at his estate, Chantilly, on June 19, 1794. He is buried in the family cemetery. His headstone aptly reads, “Here was Buried Richard Henry Lee of Virginia, 1732-1794, Author of the Westmoreland Resolutions of 1766, Mover of the Resolution for Independence, Signer of the Declaration of Independence, President of the Continental Congress, United States Senator from Virginia.”

Richard Henry Lee lived to be 62 years of age.