Talk:Richard Henry Lee

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PAGE IS VANDALIZED SOMEONE PLEASE FIX — Preceding unsigned comment added by 107.3.157.22 (talk) 06:03, 18 December 2013 (UTC)

Jason Barfield II (1626–1700) is listed as an ancestor, with no explanation.

holding office from November 30, 1784 to November 22, 1775.

Vandalism.

Page got vandalized again, fixed. 71.165.80.142 (talk) 00:43, 9 December 2008 (UTC)colton deno

President of the United States in Congress Assembled

It is specious to label Richard Henry Lee as a President of the Continental Congress. Although you have changed my edits of Richard Henry Lee back to a Continental Congress President, perhaps you can leave this post on the talk page to help your readers discern which listing - President of the Continental Congress or President of the United States in Congress Assembled is correct. A brief case that the Continental Congress expired with the ratification of the Articles of Confederation and the offices had significant differences is as follows:

Although the Articles of Confederation was passed by the U.S. Continental Congress on November 15th, 1777, this Constitution of 1777 required the unanimous ratification by all the 13 states. Maryland was the last state to adopt the Articles of Confederation, completing its ratification on February 2, 1781. On February 22, 1781, it was unanimously resolved by Congress that:

The delegates of Maryland having taken their seats in Congress with powers to sign the Articles of Confederation: "Ordered, That Thursday next [March 1, 1781] be assigned for compleating the Confederation; and that a committee of three be appointed, to consider and report a mode for announcing the same to the public: the members, [Mr. George] Walton, Mr. [James] Madison, Mr. [John] Mathews."

The March 1st, 1781, enacted Constitution of 1777 provided for a unicameral governing body called the United States in Congress Assembled (USCA) to govern the United States of America. The USCA was charged " .. to appoint one of their members to preside, provided that no person be allowed to serve in the office of president more than one year in any term of three years."

On March 2nd, 1781, the Delegates, who were duly elected after each State had ratified the Articles of Confederation, convened in Philadelphia as the United States in Congress Assembled with Samuel Huntington presiding as the first USCA President. Additionally, George Washington continued to serve as General and Commander-in-Chief of the United States Continental Army.

The Constitution of 1777 Presidency, although similar to its predecessor, was a different and weaker office then that of the U.S. Continental Congress Presidency.

For instance, the Continental Congress Presidents, who served from September 5, 1774 to February 28, 1781, presided over a government that could enact legislation binding all 13 States with only a seven state quorum as opposed to the nine state minimum required by the Constitution of 1777. Additionally, Continental Congress Presidents, who decided what legislation came before Congress, often found themselves as the sole vote for their state, giving them a 1/7th to 1/13th vote over crucial legislation, appointments, judicial decisions, and even military orders enacted during the Revolutionary War. After March 1, 1781, the Constitution of 1777 mandated that two or more delegates must be present from each state for that delegation to be marked present and be eligible to vote in the new USCA government. Therefore, on March 2nd, 1781, the first act of the USCA was to disqualify both New Hampshire and Rhode Island from voting in the new assembly because they each had only one delegate present.

On May 4, 1781, to further weaken presidential powers, Congress passed the "Rules for conducting business in the United States in Congress assembled." that stripped the President of his power to control the congressional agenda which, was a tactic that the presiding officers (especially Henry Laurens) had expertly wielded as Continental Congress Presidents. These new USCA rules even went so far as to eliminate the President's prerogative to continue the debate, before a second to the motion was brought to the floor.

"Rule 10. When a motion is made and seconded it shall be repeated by the President or If he or any other member desire being in writing it shall be delivered to the President in writing and read aloud at the table before it, shall be debated."

There are numerous other examples on the differences between the two offices that range from the USCA's Committee of the States experiment to govern the USA by a "Board of Directors" without the USCA President at its head to John Hanson's success in championing the congressional resolution that moved the bulk of his presidential correspondence duties to USCA Secretary Charles Thomson. Moreover, USCA Foreign Secretaries Robert R. Livingston and John Jay took over most of the U.S. Presidential duties of entertaining foreign diplomats and dignitaries under the Articles of Confederation government.

Richard Henry Lee served as the President of the United states in Congress Assembled and not as President of the Continental Congress. To view the primary sources supporting this fact go to http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c_Pu5PAiP_g/UOX0C4AiqhI/AAAAAAAADe0/tvVawnkqk5M/s1600/AA+AC.jpg and for documents signed by Richard Henry Lee as President of the United States in Congress Assembled please go here -- www.richardhenrylee.org. -- Stas.klos (talk) 14:35, 24 January 2013 (UTC)

I haven't read nor compared all of this with what's in the article, but it appears the inaccuracies mentioned here have not been addressed. A thorough review is needed because the issues raised are legitimate. Allreet (talk) 15:28, 16 May 2022 (UTC)

Offspring

I deleted the claim that RHL had twins who died in infancy, but one fathered a child. I also changed the claim that Francis Lightfoot Lee II was RHL's "youngest son," to "fourth son," since the three subsequent siblings who were said to have perished in infancy are not identified by genders. I expect the problems may have been the work of vandals a few years ago. Activist (talk) 07:29, 12 May 2016 (UTC)

Lee's stance on the Constitution and Bill of Rights

Oddly, because of its relevance regarding the subject, Lee's position on the Constitution is not mentioned. Lee vehemently opposed a strong central government and thus refused to attend the Constitutional Convention in 1787. While this may seem to lesser his importance, Lee was also instrumental in securing the Bill of Rights, the original absence of which partly explains his opposition to the Constitution. Sources abound, so adding a section on these issues should be easy. I'll do that as soon as I can wrap up some other matters regarding the nation's founding. Allreet (talk) 15:19, 16 May 2022 (UTC)

Career as senator

We need more info about what he did in his three years as a US senator. Richard75 (talk) 16:27, 9 March 2024 (UTC)