Richard Henry Lee was born to an aristocratic family in Virginia and attended a private school in England before returning to Virginia in 1751. In 1757 Lee was appointed Justice of the Peace and later elected to the Virginia House of Burgesses. In 1774 he was elected to attend the first Continental Congress and played an important role, offering the Resolutions for Independence in 1776. Lee served in Congress throughout the War and was selected as president of Congress in 1783. He opposed the federal constitution, preferring strong state rights but was elected as the first State Senator from Virginia under the new federal government. Lee was known for his oratory skills and his radical political views. He died in 1794 at the age of 62.
