Richard Henry Lee letters - NYPL Digital Collections

Click to visit the main New York Public Library Homepage

The New York Public Library

Digital Collections

About Digital Collections

Search Browse About

Items Collections Divisions

Digital Collections Using Images Using Data

Richard Henry Lee letters

Navigation About Filters

This collection is also available in Archives & Manuscripts
View In Archives »

Collection Data

Description: Richard Henry Lee (1732-1794), American statesman, was a signer of the Declaration of Independence and the Articles of Confederation. He represented Virginia in the Continental Congress and later in the United States Senate. The Richard Henry Lee letters, dated 1773-1793, are written mainly to family members, including his brother William Lee, and chiefly concern mercantile affairs, family matters and political or military news of the day. A letter to kinsman Charles Lee, August 31, 1779, discusses international alliances and mentions his brother Arthur Lee's interest in bringing a libel suit against Silas Deane for his published Address of December 5, 1778. Letters to other correspondents include a 1778 letter to Virginia statesman John Page, discussing British and American military movements and France's entry in the war, and a 1781 letter to an unidentified recipient suggesting means to secure a loan from Holland to help defray Virginia's war costs. Also present are Richard Henry Lee's letter of March 26, 1787 declining the position of delegate at the Constitutional Convention, and his resignation from the United States Senate, October 8, 1792, both letters citing poor health.
Names: Lee, Charles, 1758-1815 (Addressee); Lee, William, 1739-1795 (Addressee); Page, John, 1744-1808 (Addressee); Lee, Richard Henry, 1732-1794 (Creator); Lee, Richard Henry, 1732-1794 (Correspondent)
Dates / Origin: Date Created: 1771 - 1793
Library locations: Manuscripts and Archives Division; Shelf locator: MssCol 4522
Topics: Deane, Silas, 1737-1789; Lee, Richard Henry, 1732-1794; Lee family; Merchants; Statesmen; Merchants -- Virginia -- 18th century; United States -- History -- Revolution, 1775-1783; United States -- Politics and government -- 1775-1783; Virginia -- History -- Revolution, 1775-1783; Virginia -- Politics and government -- 1775-1783
Genres: Correspondence
Notes: Funding: Digitization was made possible by a lead gift from the Polonsky Foundation.
Physical Description: Extent: .1 linear feet 1 folder
Type of Resource: Text
Identifiers: MSS Unit ID: 4522; Barcode: 33433108792130; NYPL catalog ID (B-number): b19984005; Universal Unique Identifier (UUID): 4345b0f0-cb2b-0132-27cb-58d385a7b928

17 results found