In 1776, the thirteen states of America announced independence from Great Britain. An official document, the Declaration of Independence, was signed and approved by the Continental Congress to affirm the sovereignty of the American states (Gagne, 2019). Francis Lightfoot Lee was among the prominent people who signed the document. Lee was an established politician who was a member of various law-making bodies, including the House of Burgesses, the Senate of Virginia, and the Continental Congress. This paper explores Lee’s biography and his contribution to signing the Declaration of Independence. Lee’s contribution played a significant role in shaping the history of America by advocating for the independence of the US from the British.
Francis Lightfoot Lee’s history can be traced back to 1734, in Virginia, where he was born. His parents were Thomas Lee and Hannah Harrison Ludwell. Lee’s education was home-based, where he was taught philosophy and history. Lee lost his parents at the age of 16 in 1750. His elder brother, Philip, ended Lee’s education and forced him into farming, thus creating a rift between Lee and his siblings. At the age of 24, Francis Lee had already started his political career by winning the House of Burgesses elections in July 1758 as a representative of Loudoun County (Harrison et al., 2018). As a member of the House of Burgesses, Lee was concerned with improving the welfare of his constituents. He served in the house with his two brothers and his two cousins.
Lee participated in drafting various bills, including a bill that allowed payment of taxes in either monetary form or using commodities. He served on the Committee of Propositions and Grievances. He was later appointed to the Committee of Privileges and Elections in 1766. During the Stamp Act crisis, Lee’s dedication to his duties was demonstrated between 1765 and 1766. During the crisis, the Westmoreland Association was formed by some House members to protest the Stamp Act (Mason, 2020). The British Parliament passed this controversial act, requiring colonies in America to pay for the British forces through taxes. However, Lee refused to join the protest because he believed it would affect his commitment to the people of Loudoun County.
In 1769, Richmond was elected as a Richmond Country representative in the House of Burgesses (Harrison et al., 2018). At the age of 40, Lee had just married Rebecca Tayloe, his cousin, and relocated to Richmond County, where he was given a tract of land as a marriage gift from his father-in-law. He showed the same dedication as before by attending sessions regularly and participating in making decisions that affected the residents of Richmond. He was appointed the justice of the peace in the same county from 1770 to 1774 when the Virginia colonial government collapsed (Mason, 2020). On one occasion in 1771, he has appointed the justice for Loudoun County.
Lee’s commitment to serving saw him appointed to serve in the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia in 1775, forcing him to leave Virginia with his wife. As a member of Congress, Lee was concerned with the leadership of Virginia’s government under governor John Murray. Murray’s decisions were often controversial in favor of the British administration (Whiting, 2019). For instance, Murray activated martial law in the colony and forced the residents to serve King George III of Britain or be subjected to slavery. Based on this atrocity on the people of Virginia, Lee started advocating for the independence of Virginia. His firm stance against the British administration in Virginia made delegates to the Virginia Convention appoint him for a second term in Congress in 1776.
The debate for the independence of Virginia intensified during Lee’s second term in Congress. Later, his brother Richard Henry Lee introduced the motion for declaring Virginia independent from the British in Congress. The motion was then passed and signed by Lee into law. Lee’s political position on the independence of Virginia made him a target of his political opponents who wanted to neutralize his influence (Whiting, 2019). As a result, his family was subjected to various attacks by a cabal believed to be a British politician. Despite these attacks, Lee continued to serve as a member of Congress, where he participated in various debates, including the 1777 debate for the adoption of the Articles of Confederation.
At the end of his third term, Lee knew that he would be appointed for the fourth term. As a result, he requested leave before the appointment. He spent the vacation with his family, where he found his family involved in controversies believed to be initiated by his political opponents. His brothers were accused of corruption and treason, forcing him to resign from Congress to defend his family. He was later appointed to the Virginia Senate, where he served for four years between 1778 and 1782 (Harrison et al., 2018). He retired from politics after presiding over peace negotiations with the British government following the surrender of British troops at Yorktown. He died in 1797 at the age of sixty-two years.
In conclusion, Lee’s contribution to the Declaration of Independence shaped the history of the United States, which marked the end of British rule. He was committed and dedicated to serving the people. This made him earn several appointments in various Houses. His political influence gave him leverage to discuss various essential matters that affected the people of the United States. Lee’s legacy on the Declaration of Independence remains unprecedented.
References
Gagne, T. (2019). Who Were the Signers of the Declaration of Independence?. Mitchell Lane.
Harrison, B., Jefferson, T., Lee, F. L., Lee, R. H., Nelson Jr, T., & Wythe, G. (2018). Virginia and its Signers. The declaration of independence: America’s First Founding Document in US History and Culture, 326.
Mason, M. (2020). North American Calm, West Indian storm: The politics of the Somerset decision in the British Atlantic. Slavery & Abolition, 41(4), 723-747.
Whiting, J. (2019). The Story of the Declaration of Independence. Mitchell Lane.