Of the 56 delegates who signed the Declaration of Independence, two were brothers. Richard Henry Lee and Francis Lightfoot Lee both represented Virginia in the Continental Congress, but it was Richard as the older of the two who introduced the formal resolution that led to the Declaration of Independence.
The Lee Resolution, also known as “The Resolution for Independence,” was introduced on June 7, 1776. The controversial resolution proposed the colonies formally break from England.
Widely known for his eloquent and persuasive oratory skills, Richard Henry Lee has been referred to as the “Cicero” of the American Revolution. Not all the delegates agreed with Lee’s resolution though, and amid some heated debate, John Hancock, the president of Congress at the time, tabled the controversial resolution to give the colonies and their delegates time to consider….