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Richard Henry Lee
- Born January 20, 1732, at Stratford Hall in Westmoreland County, Virginia
- Parents: Thomas and Hannah Ludwell Lee
- Tutored by private tutors at home as boy
- Sent to England to complete studies at Wakefield Academy
- Returned to Virginia to study law
- Became a Virginia planter
- Held public office:
- Justice of the Peace, Westmoreland County, 1757
- Delegate, Virginia House of Burgesses, 1758 – 1775
- Delegate, Continental Congress, 1775 – 1779
- Signer, Declaration of Independence,1776
- Member, Virginia House of Delegates, 1777, 1780, 1785
- Delegate, Virginia Constitutional Ratification Convention, 1788
- United States Senator, 1789 – 1792
- Resided in Chantilly, Virginia
- Ann Aglett – first wife
- Anne Pinnckard – second wife
- Died June 19, 1794, in Chantilly, Virginia
Aligned with Patrick Henry
Richard Henry Lee was a staunch defender of colonial rights and was aligned with Patrick Henry as a strong opponent of the Stamp Act.
In late 1765, Lee reportedly led a "mob of gentlemen" to confront an official stamp collector and force him to promise never again to perform his duty as a stamp collector. Later, in February 1766, Lee gathered the citizens of his own county together into an "association" to agree to stop importing British goods until the Stamp Act was repealed.
Organizer and supporter of "Day of Fasting, Humiliation, and Prayer"
Lee, along with Patrick Henry, Thomas Jefferson, and a few other burgesses, wrote the 1774 resolution to make June 1, the day when the port of Boston was closed, a day of "Fasting, Humiliation, and Prayer" in support of the citizens of Boston. As a result of this resolution, Lord Dunmore dissolved the assembly, and a number of the burgesses met at the Raleigh Tavern to continue their discussions.
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A Slave's Perspective
The Declaration of Independence was a promise extended to white men only. Hope Smith portrays Eve, a slave in the Peyton Randolph house. July 16, 2007
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Mr. Wythe's Cook
Valarie Holmes interprets Lydia Broadnax - a cook for one of Williamsburg's most influential men. June 19, 2006
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James Armistead
Interpreter Richard Josey talks about an enslaved man who became a valuable spy during the Revolution. September 26, 2005
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Smallpox and the Covenant
America's smallpox eradication has its roots in 18th-century Boston. July 13, 2009
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Carolyn Wilson on Betty Randolph and Independence
In the pursuit of American independence, Betty Randolph played the role of lady and wife, enabling husband Peyton to fight for freedom. June 21, 2005
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A Splendid Coincidence
Inspiration intersects with means in a partnership that resurrects a city. Character interpreter Ed Way portrays W.A.R. Goodwin at Colonial Williamsburg. November 3, 2008
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Journal articles
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The Truth About Betsy Ross
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A Man of Firmness
Justice John Blair and the Letter of the Law
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Captain John Smith
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To Boldly Go
Captain James Cook and the Search for the Northwest Passage
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