Browsing named entities in Harper's Encyclopedia of United States History (ed. Benson Lossing). You can also browse the collection for Richard Henry or search for Richard Henry in all documents.

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Harper's Encyclopedia of United States History (ed. Benson Lossing), Lee, Francis Lightfoot 1734-1797 (search)
Lee, Francis Lightfoot 1734-1797 Signer of the Declaration of Independence; born in Stratford, Westmoreland co., Va., Oct. 14, 1734; brother of Richard Henry and Arthur Lee. In 1765 he was a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses, and held that post until 1772. He was in the Continental Congress from 1775 to 1779, and was active and efficient in framing the Articles of Confederation. He was afterwards a State Senator. He died in Richmond, Va., April 3, 1797.
Harper's Encyclopedia of United States History (ed. Benson Lossing), Lee, William 1737-1795 (search)
Lee, William 1737-1795 Diplomatist; born in Stratford, Va., in 1737: brother of Richard Henry and Arthur; was agent for Virginia in London, and became a merchant there. The city of London being overwhelmingly Whig in politics, William Lee was elected sheriff of that city and Middlesex county in 1773. In 1775 he was chosen alderman, but on the breaking out of the war in America retired to France. Congress appointed him commercial agent at Nantes at the beginning of 1777, and he was afterwards American minister at The Hague. Mr. Lee was also agent in Berlin and Vienna, but was recalled in 1779. In 1778 Jan de Neufville, an Amsterdam merchant, procured a loan to the Americans from Holland, through his house, and, to negotiate for it, gained permission of the burgomasters of Amsterdam to meet Lee at Aix-la-Chapelle. There they arranged terms for a commercial convention proper to be entered into between the two republics. When Lee communicated this project to the American commi
Harper's Encyclopedia of United States History (ed. Benson Lossing), Revolution, diplomacy of the (search)
pital point, if these United States shall be formally admitted as a party to the convention of the neutral maritime powers for maintaining the freedom of commerce. Thus early, while yet fighting for independence, the American statesmen assumed the dignity and used the language of the representatives of a powerful nation, which they certainly expected to form. The Americans had opened negotiations with the States-General of Holland for a treaty as early as 1778. William, brother of Richard Henry and Arthur Lee, had begun the discussion of such a treaty with Van Berkel, the pensionary of Amsterdam. This negotiation with a single province was made in secret. Lee had no authority to sign a treaty, nor could the expression of a single province bind the Dutch Republic. Finally, Henry Laurens was sent by Congress to negotiate a treaty with the States-General, but was captured while crossing the Atlantic, and imprisoned in England. Then John Adams was sent for the purpose to The Ha