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Harper's Encyclopedia of United States History (ed. Benson Lossing), Clay, Henry 1777-1852 (search)
Clay, Henry 1777-1852 Statesman; born in Hanover county, Va., April 12, 1777; received the rudiments of education in a log-cabin school-house; labored on a farm until he was fifteen years of age, when he entered the office of the High Court of Chancery, in Richmond, at which time his mother, who had married a second time, emigrated to Kentucky. He studied law under the direction of Chancellor Wythe, and was admitted to the bar in 1797, when he opened a law-office in Lexington, Ky., where he obtained an extensive practice. In 1803 he was elected to the Kentucky legislature, and was speaker in 1807-8. He became United States Senator in 1808, and member of Congress and Speaker in 1811-14. In 1814 he was a Henry Clay at 40. commissioner to treat for peace with Great Britain, and afterwards, in Congress, was five times elected Speaker of the House of Representatives. Mr. Clay was Secretary of State in the cabinet of John Quincy Adams (1825-29), and again a member of the United
Harper's Encyclopedia of United States History (ed. Benson Lossing), Declaration of Independence. (search)
Treat Paine, Elbridge Gerry. Rhode Island, Etc. Stephen Hopkins, William Ellery. Connecticut. Roger Sherman, Samuel Huntington, William Williams, Oliver Wolcott. New York. William Floyd, Philip Livingston, Francis Lewis, Lewis Morris. New Jersey. Richard Stockton, John Witherspoon, Francis Hopkinson, John Hart, Abraham Clark. North Carolina. William Hooper, Joseph Hewes, John Penn. Georgia. Button Gwinnett, Lyman Hall, George Walton. Pennsylvania. Robert Morris, Benjamin Rush, Benjamiin Franklin, John Morton, George Clymer, James Smith, George Taylor, William Paca, George Ross. Delaware. Caesar Rodney, George Read, Thomas McKean. Maryland. Samuel Chase, James Wilson, Thomas Stone, Charles Carroll of Carrollton. Virginia. George Wythe, Richard Henry Lee, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Harrison Thomas Nelson, Jr., Francis Lightfoot Lee, Carter Braxton. South Carolina. Edward Rutledge, Thomas Heyward, Jr., Thomas Lynch, Jr., Arthur Middleton.
Harper's Encyclopedia of United States History (ed. Benson Lossing), Federal convention, the. (search)
ontinental Congress of 1774. From that body also were Roger Sherman, of Connecticut; William Livingston, governor of New Jersey; George Read, of Delaware, and George Wythe, of Virginia. From among the signers of the Declaration of Independence, besides Franklin, Read, Wythe, and Sherman, had come Elbridge Gerry, of MassachusettsWythe, and Sherman, had come Elbridge Gerry, of Massachusetts, and Robert Morris, George Clymer, and James Wilson, of Pennsylvania. Eighteen members had, at the same time, been delegates to the Continental Congress; and among the whole number there were only twelve who had not at some time sat in that body. The officers of the Revolution were represented by Washington, Mifflin, Hamilton, an Carroll, John Francis Mercer, and Luther Martin; Virginia—George Washington, Patrick Henry, Edmund Randolph, John Blair, James Madison, Jr., George Mason, and George Wythe. Patrick Henry having declined the appointment, George McClure was nominated to supply his place; North Carolina—Richard Caswell, Alexander Martin, William Ri
Harper's Encyclopedia of United States History (ed. Benson Lossing), Jefferson, Thomas 1743- (search)
Jefferson, Thomas 1743- Third President of the United States; born in Shadwell, Va., April 2, 1743; was educated at the College of William and Mary; studied law under George Wythe; and was admitted to the bar in 1767. From 1769 to 1775 he was an active member of the Virginia House of Burgesses. In that body he introduced a bill empowering masters to manumit their slaves. On Jan. 1, 1771, Statue of Thomas Jefferson. he married Martha Skelton, a rich and beautiful young widow of twenty-three. He was a member of the committee of correspondence of Virginia, which he assisted in forming, and was engaged in active public life until his retirement from the Presidency of the United States. In 1774 he wrote his famous Summary view of the rights of British America, which, it is believed, procured for him a place in the list of American traitors denounced by the British Parliament. He had taken an active part against the Boston port bill. Mr. Jefferson took his seat in the Continen
Harper's Encyclopedia of United States History (ed. Benson Lossing), Pendleton, Edmund 1721-1803 (search)
tal Congress in 1774-75, and president of the Virginia conventions of December, 1775, and May, 1776, the latter instructing their representatives in Congress to vote for independence. Mr. Pendleton had been a member of the committee of correspondence before the war, and during the earlier period of the war was one of the committee of safety, which controlled the military and naval affairs of Virginia. On the organization of the State Senate he was appointed speaker of the Assembly, and with Wythe and Jefferson revised the colonial laws. He was president of both the court of chancery and court of appeals, and in 1788 he presided over the convention that ratified the national Constitution, of which he was a powerful champion. In 1789 Washington appointed him judge of the United States District Court of Virginia, but he declined it; and when war with France seemed imminent, in 1798, he protested against hostilities towards a sister republic. He died in Richmond, Va., Oct. 23, 1803.
Harper's Encyclopedia of United States History (ed. Benson Lossing), Privateering, (search)
to fit out privateers. Franklin expressed a wish that such an act should be preceded by a declaration of war, as of one independent nation against another. Two days afterwards, after an able debate, privateers were authorized to cruise against ships and their cargoes belonging to any inhabitant, not of Ireland and the West Indies, but of Great Britain. All New England and New York, Virginia, and North Carolina voted for it. Maryland and Pennsylvania voted against it. On the following day Wythe, Jay, and Wilson were appointed to prepare a preamble to the resolutions, and when on the 22d Lee presented their report (being in the minority), he moved an amendment, charging the King himself with their grievances, inasmuch as he had rejected their petitions with scorn and contempt. This was new and bold ground, and was objected to as severing the King from the colonies. Never before had they disclaimed allegiance to their monarch, and Congress hesitated; but on the following day (the 2
Harper's Encyclopedia of United States History (ed. Benson Lossing), Wythe, George 1726-1806 (search)
Wythe, George 1726-1806 Signer of the Declaration of Independence; born in Elizabeth City county, Va., in 1726; was educated at the College of William and Mary, after receiving home instruction. Losing his parents in his youth, and having control of a large fortune, he led a dissipated and extravagant life until he was thirty years of age, when his conduct entirely changed. He studied law, and was admitted to the bar in 1757, when he soon became very eminent in his profession for learning, industry, and eloquence. For many years he was a prominent member of the Virginia House of Burgesses. In 1764, as chairman of the committee appointed by the House of Burgesses, he reported a petition to the King, a memorial to the House of Lords, and a protest to the House of Commons, against the proposed Stamp Act, which were so bold in their tone that the House feared they were treasonable and refused to accept them until they were materially modified. He was Professor of Law from 177
Hon. J. L. M. Curry , LL.D., William Robertson Garrett , A. M. , Ph.D., Confederate Military History, a library of Confederate States Military History: Volume 1.1, Legal Justification of the South in secession, The South as a factor in the territorial expansion of the United States (ed. Clement Anselm Evans), The South as a factor in the territorial expansion of the United States. (search)
t us examine their proceedings to arrive at the origin of the controversy. The Virginia convention met at Williamsburg, May 6, 1776. Some of her leaders were absent. Washington was in command of the army. Jefferson, Richard Henry Lee and George Wythe were in Congress. Yet many of her ablest men were present, some of whom were already famous, and others were to gain fame in this assembly. Patrick Henry was there in the plenitude of his powers, the ruling spirit of the convention. Edmund y forbidden their delegates to consent to such a declaration; that if such a declaration should now be agreed to, these delegates must retire, and possibly their colonies might secede from the Union. The other side was argued by J. Adams, Lee, Wythe and others, who urged prompt action, and argued: There are only two colonies, Maryland and Pennsylvania, whose delegates are absolutely tied up, and that these had by their instructions, only reserved the right of confirming or rejecting the meas
Southern Historical Society Papers, Volume 19. (ed. Reverend J. William Jones), chapter 1.18 (search)
ices of the University of Pennsylvania, of Princeton, Harvard, and Yale were availed of. Our women, ever the sweetest and noblest of their sex, it is realized, were effective factors in the formation of Virginian character. It is notable that George Wythe was taught Latin and Greek by his mother, and the brilliant John Randolph of Roanoke acknowledged his indebtedness to the same tender regard. It has been ever patent that the most precious accomplishments have continued with the daughters of k Power, Edward Barradall, Stevens Thomson, and John Mercer, the last the founder of a distinguished family, the compiler of an Abridgement of the Laws of Virginia, a cogent writer, and an accomplished botanist. With the luminous names of Bland, Wythe, Nicholas, Henry, Robinson, Lee, Waller, Randolph, Pendleton, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, Wayles, Page, Corbin, Lyons, Tazewell, Tucker, Cary, Mason, Curle, Ronald, Harrison, and others in succeeding eras you are familiar. Books were a concomi
Southern Historical Society Papers, Volume 36. (ed. Reverend J. William Jones), chapter 1.6 (search)
peal to the world, in the form of a declaration of independence, was drawn by another Virginian. It was in the Convention of 1776 that the first written constitution ever framed by an independent political society was adopted. In importance to the world it far exceeded the significance of Magna Charta granted by King John at Runnymede. The delegates ip the general convention from Virginia were George Washington, Patrick Henry, Edmund Randolph, John Blair, James Madison, George Mason, George Wythe. Henry declined the appointment and Richard Henry Lee was appointed in his stead, but he also declined, and Dr. James McClurg, who lies buried in St. John's churchyard, was then appointed. This constitution was signed and recommended only by Washington, Blair and Madison, a minority of the delegation. During the debates in the Convention, when Henry was twitted for shirking this responsibility, he made the undignified reply that He smelt a rat. Pendleton was a man of pure and benevole
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