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First Founding Father: Richard Henry Lee and the Call to Independence
Before Washington, before Jefferson, before Franklin or John Adams, there was Lee--Richard Henry Lee, the First Founding Father
Richard Henry Lee was first to call for independence, first to call for union, and first to call for a bill of rights to protect Americans against government tyranny. A towering figure in America's Revolutionary War, Lee was as much the "father of our country" as George Washington, for it was Lee who secured the political and diplomatic victories that ensured Washington's military victories. Lee was critical in holding Congress together at a time when many members sought to surrender or flee the approach of British troops. Risking death on the gallows for defying British rule, Lee charged into battle himself to prevent British landings along the Virginia coast--despite losing most of his left hand in an explosion.
A stirring, action-packed biography, First Founding Father will startle most Americans with the revelation that many historians have ignored for more than two Richard Henry Lee, not Thomas Jefferson, was the author of America's original Declaration of Independence.
Richard Henry Lee was first to call for independence, first to call for union, and first to call for a bill of rights to protect Americans against government tyranny. A towering figure in America's Revolutionary War, Lee was as much the "father of our country" as George Washington, for it was Lee who secured the political and diplomatic victories that ensured Washington's military victories. Lee was critical in holding Congress together at a time when many members sought to surrender or flee the approach of British troops. Risking death on the gallows for defying British rule, Lee charged into battle himself to prevent British landings along the Virginia coast--despite losing most of his left hand in an explosion.
A stirring, action-packed biography, First Founding Father will startle most Americans with the revelation that many historians have ignored for more than two Richard Henry Lee, not Thomas Jefferson, was the author of America's original Declaration of Independence.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published November 7, 2017
26 people are currently reading
247 people want to read
About the author
Harlow Giles Unger
37 books171 followersHarlow Giles Unger is an American author, historian, journalist, broadcaster, and educator known for his extensive work on American history and education. Educated at the Taft School, Yale College, and California State University, Unger began his career as a journalist for the New York Herald Tribune Overseas News Service in Paris. He later wrote for newspapers and magazines across Britain, Canada, and other countries, while also working in radio broadcasting and teaching English and journalism at New York-area colleges.
Unger has written over twenty-seven books, including ten biographies of America's Founding Fathers and a notable biography of Henry Clay. His historical works include Noah Webster: The Life and Times of an American Patriot, The Last Founding Father: James Monroe and a Nation’s Call to Greatness, and First Founding Father: Richard Henry Lee and the Call to Independence. He is also the author of the Encyclopedia of American Education, a three-volume reference work.
A former Distinguished Visiting Fellow in American History at Mount Vernon, Unger has lived in Paris and currently resides in New York City. An avid skier and horseman, he has spent time in Chamonix, France, and Jackson Hole, Wyoming. He has one son, Richard C. Unger.
Unger has written over twenty-seven books, including ten biographies of America's Founding Fathers and a notable biography of Henry Clay. His historical works include Noah Webster: The Life and Times of an American Patriot, The Last Founding Father: James Monroe and a Nation’s Call to Greatness, and First Founding Father: Richard Henry Lee and the Call to Independence. He is also the author of the Encyclopedia of American Education, a three-volume reference work.
A former Distinguished Visiting Fellow in American History at Mount Vernon, Unger has lived in Paris and currently resides in New York City. An avid skier and horseman, he has spent time in Chamonix, France, and Jackson Hole, Wyoming. He has one son, Richard C. Unger.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
July 28, 2025
Stratford Hall has produced a dynasty of one Lee after another, all of whom have had some form of impact on both Virginia and its constituents. Historian Harlow Giles Unger returns with boldness in declaring Richard Henry Lee the first among the Founders of the Early American Republic, chronicling the wealthy statesman’s life from birth to death. From the opening pages, it’s clear that status and birthright were two important requirements that young Richard would be reminded of time and again from the elder Lees—a family that held no actual title of nobility in the mother country, but for generations had always esteemed to prove otherwise.
As the second son born to Thomas Lee (founder of the prosperous Ohio Land Company and architect of the fortress-like Stratford Hall), Richard was pressed to make a name for himself with the foresight that he would not inherit his father’s vast empire. Here, Unger leaves no stone unturned when following his early rise—noting his educational gifts gained abroad at Wakefield (England), his return home where he immersed himself in books and helped his oldest brother to manage the thousands of acres inherited, and his camaraderie with the young surveyor George Washington. While Unger unfortunately leaves out any mention of how Lee met and flattered his wife to be, he does explain in detail how dominating the Lee name became in the House of Burgess when Richard and two of his brothers joined eight cousins and in-laws—creating a powerhouse of dynastic rule in Virginia.
Though Lee himself belonged to an agricultural empire that thrived off of the work of hundreds of slaves, Unger paints him—alongside fellow burgess Patrick Henry—as a staunch advocate for the abolition of the slave trade (later the two would also decry the Stamp Act). Two tragedies strike Lee seemingly at once, with the loss of four fingers in a gun accident (leaving only his thumb attached to his left hand), and the death of his first wife—though he would soon remarry and grow his brood to nine healthy children. Unger aptly points out that Richard became such a force of colonial dissent due to his unabashed ire for each new law and act passed, most notably the Quebec and Quartering Acts. Lee also obtained significant ties both domestically and abroad—with his brothers Arthur and William becoming acquainted with the likes of Benjamin Franklin, Catharine Macaulay, and John Wilkes.
As is expected, Unger’s keen familiarity with his subject can be seen through his comprehensible prose and recognizable technique of keeping the reader engaged with each new chapter. He expertly describes how Lee’s role in the Continental Congress was instrumental in gaining Washington the necessary arms and supplies that his army desperately needed, as well as streamlining the efforts to build and outfit an answerable and formidable navy. In what is likely Lee’s most monumental and lasting impact on the Congress, he also put forth before his fellow congressmen the first resolution for the colonies to declare independence from Great Britain—paving the way days later for the drafting of what would become the enduring Declaration of Independence:
Lee had unquestionably engineered one of the most significant events in American—indeed, world—history, giving an entire people the right and power of self-determination for the first time since man had shed his gills and, at the same time, putting the lie to and signaling the end of any man’s divine right to rule over others. To add luster to Lee’s concise declaration, however, Congress appointed a committee of five members with literary gifts to embellish it with the reasoning that spawned it. Because Lee had planned to return to Virginia immediately after the vote, Congress named John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Robert R. Livingston of New York, and Roger Sherman of Connecticut to the committee, but the older members were so exhausted that they assigned the chore to Jefferson.
Surprisingly, Unger only briefly touches on the Lee brothers’ shameful plot to turn Congress against the French envoy Silas Deane—brushing off their blatant disdain and hostility—and all but proclaiming an outright guilty verdict for the merchant-turned-ambassador. The hypocrisy behind their accusations that Deane was profiting off the very deal that would later save the Continental Army is astounding, as the Lees and countless other political forces both at home and overseas had always and would continue to negotiate terms with similar intentions and personal interests. Likewise, while Lee’s alleged role in the Conway Cabal is discussed in length (he eventually would refute any claims and was first to call on Congress to dissolve the scheming Board of War), Unger is regrettably quick to pass over Lee’s hand in the development and passage of the legendary Articles of Confederation—which would formally bind the states together.
Unger superbly manages to weed together minor facts with well-known ones, noting Richard’s time as field commander of a Virginia militia unit in 1780, as well as his subsequent fallout with Thomas Jefferson—who Lee rightfully criticized for the Virginia governor’s lack of preparation and defense in the aftermath of debilitating British raids. In 1784, Lee became the sixth U.S. President of Congress under the Articles of Confederation, where he faced the dilemma of repaying overdue war debts to France and the Dutch Republic, to which many states felt no obligation to aid or provide relief for. Merely three years later, Lee quite reasonably had concerns and arguments against the ratification of the Constitution, placing him high amongst the ranks of fellow Anti-federalists—a growing faction who were sounding the alarm against (from their perspective) the inevitability of an unchecked and invasive Federal government.
Fittingly, Unger chooses to point out that just before Richard Henry’s fulfilling death in 1794, one of his last letters was to his old friend Washington (now President and leader of the opposing Federalist party), in which Lee wholeheartedly supported his controversial decision to remain neutral in the international war taking place during the French Revolution. With a concise ‘Afterword’ that touches on the later lives and generations of both Lee relatives and descendants alike, the most interesting section pertains to why Unger indeed felt Richard Henry had been forgotten among the ranks of the Founding Fathers. While it may lack some of the negative aspects and faults of Lee’s life that the typical modern biography is quick to point out and hone in on (notably his role as slave owner), Unger’s chronicling truly makes the case for Richard Henry Lee being the “first” among men fighting for liberty in the Colonies—both politically and radically. Two appendix sections are included, as well as over thirty illustrations scattered throughout.
As the second son born to Thomas Lee (founder of the prosperous Ohio Land Company and architect of the fortress-like Stratford Hall), Richard was pressed to make a name for himself with the foresight that he would not inherit his father’s vast empire. Here, Unger leaves no stone unturned when following his early rise—noting his educational gifts gained abroad at Wakefield (England), his return home where he immersed himself in books and helped his oldest brother to manage the thousands of acres inherited, and his camaraderie with the young surveyor George Washington. While Unger unfortunately leaves out any mention of how Lee met and flattered his wife to be, he does explain in detail how dominating the Lee name became in the House of Burgess when Richard and two of his brothers joined eight cousins and in-laws—creating a powerhouse of dynastic rule in Virginia.
Though Lee himself belonged to an agricultural empire that thrived off of the work of hundreds of slaves, Unger paints him—alongside fellow burgess Patrick Henry—as a staunch advocate for the abolition of the slave trade (later the two would also decry the Stamp Act). Two tragedies strike Lee seemingly at once, with the loss of four fingers in a gun accident (leaving only his thumb attached to his left hand), and the death of his first wife—though he would soon remarry and grow his brood to nine healthy children. Unger aptly points out that Richard became such a force of colonial dissent due to his unabashed ire for each new law and act passed, most notably the Quebec and Quartering Acts. Lee also obtained significant ties both domestically and abroad—with his brothers Arthur and William becoming acquainted with the likes of Benjamin Franklin, Catharine Macaulay, and John Wilkes.
As is expected, Unger’s keen familiarity with his subject can be seen through his comprehensible prose and recognizable technique of keeping the reader engaged with each new chapter. He expertly describes how Lee’s role in the Continental Congress was instrumental in gaining Washington the necessary arms and supplies that his army desperately needed, as well as streamlining the efforts to build and outfit an answerable and formidable navy. In what is likely Lee’s most monumental and lasting impact on the Congress, he also put forth before his fellow congressmen the first resolution for the colonies to declare independence from Great Britain—paving the way days later for the drafting of what would become the enduring Declaration of Independence:
Lee had unquestionably engineered one of the most significant events in American—indeed, world—history, giving an entire people the right and power of self-determination for the first time since man had shed his gills and, at the same time, putting the lie to and signaling the end of any man’s divine right to rule over others. To add luster to Lee’s concise declaration, however, Congress appointed a committee of five members with literary gifts to embellish it with the reasoning that spawned it. Because Lee had planned to return to Virginia immediately after the vote, Congress named John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Robert R. Livingston of New York, and Roger Sherman of Connecticut to the committee, but the older members were so exhausted that they assigned the chore to Jefferson.
Surprisingly, Unger only briefly touches on the Lee brothers’ shameful plot to turn Congress against the French envoy Silas Deane—brushing off their blatant disdain and hostility—and all but proclaiming an outright guilty verdict for the merchant-turned-ambassador. The hypocrisy behind their accusations that Deane was profiting off the very deal that would later save the Continental Army is astounding, as the Lees and countless other political forces both at home and overseas had always and would continue to negotiate terms with similar intentions and personal interests. Likewise, while Lee’s alleged role in the Conway Cabal is discussed in length (he eventually would refute any claims and was first to call on Congress to dissolve the scheming Board of War), Unger is regrettably quick to pass over Lee’s hand in the development and passage of the legendary Articles of Confederation—which would formally bind the states together.
Unger superbly manages to weed together minor facts with well-known ones, noting Richard’s time as field commander of a Virginia militia unit in 1780, as well as his subsequent fallout with Thomas Jefferson—who Lee rightfully criticized for the Virginia governor’s lack of preparation and defense in the aftermath of debilitating British raids. In 1784, Lee became the sixth U.S. President of Congress under the Articles of Confederation, where he faced the dilemma of repaying overdue war debts to France and the Dutch Republic, to which many states felt no obligation to aid or provide relief for. Merely three years later, Lee quite reasonably had concerns and arguments against the ratification of the Constitution, placing him high amongst the ranks of fellow Anti-federalists—a growing faction who were sounding the alarm against (from their perspective) the inevitability of an unchecked and invasive Federal government.
Fittingly, Unger chooses to point out that just before Richard Henry’s fulfilling death in 1794, one of his last letters was to his old friend Washington (now President and leader of the opposing Federalist party), in which Lee wholeheartedly supported his controversial decision to remain neutral in the international war taking place during the French Revolution. With a concise ‘Afterword’ that touches on the later lives and generations of both Lee relatives and descendants alike, the most interesting section pertains to why Unger indeed felt Richard Henry had been forgotten among the ranks of the Founding Fathers. While it may lack some of the negative aspects and faults of Lee’s life that the typical modern biography is quick to point out and hone in on (notably his role as slave owner), Unger’s chronicling truly makes the case for Richard Henry Lee being the “first” among men fighting for liberty in the Colonies—both politically and radically. Two appendix sections are included, as well as over thirty illustrations scattered throughout.
October 23, 2018
For an historian, the author seems to have trouble with dates. One example (pp 62-63),
"Convinced that the calm presaged another storm, Richard Henry Lee insisted that Congress lay the foundation of an intelligence network in Europe...Richard Henry wrote to Arthur on behalf of the Committee of Secret Correspondence of Congress". And then, the storm breaks: "On Sunday, November 28, 1773, the first Boston bound ship glided toward the wharf in Boston with its cargo of tea." And then, the Congress first met in September 1774, at least a year after Lee began insisting to it, and writing on its behalf.
"Convinced that the calm presaged another storm, Richard Henry Lee insisted that Congress lay the foundation of an intelligence network in Europe...Richard Henry wrote to Arthur on behalf of the Committee of Secret Correspondence of Congress". And then, the storm breaks: "On Sunday, November 28, 1773, the first Boston bound ship glided toward the wharf in Boston with its cargo of tea." And then, the Congress first met in September 1774, at least a year after Lee began insisting to it, and writing on its behalf.
August 16, 2025
To say that this book only deserves three stars has more to do with my expecting the book to be an excellent read about the early history of the creation of America than how well the book is written and the story that it tells.
After reading the first 70 odd pages, I began to realize that this book is basically a re-telling of the birth of the American Independence, the Revolutionary War, the creation of the Constitution all told through the life of someone I had never heard of...Richard Henry Lee who the author names as being the First Founding Father.
Had I never read any books on George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin and numerous other founding fathers, I would have enjoyed this book to the degree that I expected to enjoy this book. Unfortunately, the enjoyment was not to be had and the last chapter details exactly why?
Practically everything that Richard Henry Lee's name was connected with has faded into history or obscured by other facts.
The Lee family was one of the first wealthy Virginia families that owned thousands of acres of land leading all the way to the Mississippi River; his burial place sits in a relative unknown area where he was born in 1732; his stately home was destroyed during the War of 1812 and there is no marker to show its place of significance; his draft of the declaration of independence was the original Dec of Ind otherwise known as the Lee Resolution which was later claimed by Thomas Jefferson as the "sole author" of the document; and because the federalists won the struggle over ratification of the Constitution practically all anti-federalists (with one exception being Patrick Henry) have been forgotten.
The last (and probably most unfortunate) connection that Richard Henry Lee has to American history is the Civil War by way of being the cousin of the father of Robert E Lee, a man whose fateful decision was to break up the very country that Richard Henry Lee fought to create.
After reading the first 70 odd pages, I began to realize that this book is basically a re-telling of the birth of the American Independence, the Revolutionary War, the creation of the Constitution all told through the life of someone I had never heard of...Richard Henry Lee who the author names as being the First Founding Father.
Had I never read any books on George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin and numerous other founding fathers, I would have enjoyed this book to the degree that I expected to enjoy this book. Unfortunately, the enjoyment was not to be had and the last chapter details exactly why?
Practically everything that Richard Henry Lee's name was connected with has faded into history or obscured by other facts.
The Lee family was one of the first wealthy Virginia families that owned thousands of acres of land leading all the way to the Mississippi River; his burial place sits in a relative unknown area where he was born in 1732; his stately home was destroyed during the War of 1812 and there is no marker to show its place of significance; his draft of the declaration of independence was the original Dec of Ind otherwise known as the Lee Resolution which was later claimed by Thomas Jefferson as the "sole author" of the document; and because the federalists won the struggle over ratification of the Constitution practically all anti-federalists (with one exception being Patrick Henry) have been forgotten.
The last (and probably most unfortunate) connection that Richard Henry Lee has to American history is the Civil War by way of being the cousin of the father of Robert E Lee, a man whose fateful decision was to break up the very country that Richard Henry Lee fought to create.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 29, 2021
This one snuck up on me a bit. It wasn't on my to-read list, but the title interested me and I've read two of Unger's other books so I picked it up.
It ticks all the boxes: easy to read, has notes, bibliography, an index, and illustrations. The subject is fascinating, the author provides enough context to properly show the motivations of the players involved. To further sweeten the pot, the subject was a key figure in important events but is relatively forgotten today. What's not to like?
Richard Henry Lee was an important figure in the Lee dynasty in Virginia. (The family features many important men but is today notorious primarily for the deeds of the Confederate general who tried to undo everything his family worked to build.) On July 2, 1776, he issued a short declaration of independence which was superseded in history by the one two days later.
Unger makes it easy to sympathize with Richard Henry by pointing out his many views that resonate today. He didn't like the electoral college, spoke out about the evils of slavery (even though he owned slaves), wanted Senators to be popularly elected, was against the national bank, thought representatives had too many constituents, and was anti-federalist to the core.
And he thought the constitution as ratified was no better than the system he worked to be free from and arose in a process that was not legal. The convention was called for a specific task, not to devise a whole new constitution. He was offended by the hypocrisy of "We the People" given that the people had little to do with its creation.
Many of the outcomes he desired were achieved only much later, like the popular election of Senators. On those items he was ahead of his times; quite progressive. At the same time, he had many fears about the future. While the worst ones did not come to pass, it was not unreasonable for him to have those fears.
It ticks all the boxes: easy to read, has notes, bibliography, an index, and illustrations. The subject is fascinating, the author provides enough context to properly show the motivations of the players involved. To further sweeten the pot, the subject was a key figure in important events but is relatively forgotten today. What's not to like?
Richard Henry Lee was an important figure in the Lee dynasty in Virginia. (The family features many important men but is today notorious primarily for the deeds of the Confederate general who tried to undo everything his family worked to build.) On July 2, 1776, he issued a short declaration of independence which was superseded in history by the one two days later.
Unger makes it easy to sympathize with Richard Henry by pointing out his many views that resonate today. He didn't like the electoral college, spoke out about the evils of slavery (even though he owned slaves), wanted Senators to be popularly elected, was against the national bank, thought representatives had too many constituents, and was anti-federalist to the core.
And he thought the constitution as ratified was no better than the system he worked to be free from and arose in a process that was not legal. The convention was called for a specific task, not to devise a whole new constitution. He was offended by the hypocrisy of "We the People" given that the people had little to do with its creation.
Many of the outcomes he desired were achieved only much later, like the popular election of Senators. On those items he was ahead of his times; quite progressive. At the same time, he had many fears about the future. While the worst ones did not come to pass, it was not unreasonable for him to have those fears.
January 14, 2018
Richard Henry Lee, is as the author suggests, a somewhat forgotten man. It was Lee who proposed independence during the Second Continental Congress. His proposal eventually morphed into the Declaration of Independence a few Congressional discussions later. In many ways, he was the father of public education in Virginia and the author of the original Northwest Ordinance that provided funding for public schools in the Old Northwest Territory. As noted on p. 197, Lee stated "A popular government cannot flourish without virtue in the people," and ... knowledge is a principle [sic] source of virtue." He continues "These facts render the establishment of schools for the instruction of youth a fundamental concern in all free communities."
On p. 210, Unger mentions Franklin's humorous antidote about the difference between sects and p. 220 discusses Lee's concerns that only three types of people will be liable to serve in public office under the new constitution.
On p. 210, Unger mentions Franklin's humorous antidote about the difference between sects and p. 220 discusses Lee's concerns that only three types of people will be liable to serve in public office under the new constitution.
March 1, 2021
More an encomium than an even-handed biography, Unger's book portrays Virginia's Richard Henry Lee as the "First Founding Father," the driving force and co-author of the Declaration of Independence, suggesting that Jefferson's Declaration simply dressed up (in admittedly immortal language) Lee's historic call for independence in the June 7, 1776 resolution he put before the Continental Congress. While the nation owes a great debt to Lee for his courage and foresight in 1776, it seems to me that once the nation gained its independence, Lee was consistently on the wrong side of history. He was a vociferous critic of the Constitution, a staunch opponent of ratification and a constant Antifederalist thorn in the side of George Washington's administration when he served in the first Congress as U.S. Senator from Virginia. To call anyone other than George Washington the "First Founding Father" is a bridge too far for me and, I expect, for most other students of the Founding generation.
March 14, 2023
This is the second book I've read by Harlow Giles Unger. The first was Lion of Liberty. Both are enjoyable books. But, I do have a comment about the ending comments in this book. He speaks about Robert E. Lee saying "who sought to shatter the union of American states that Richard Henry Lee, our First Founding Father, helped create."
First, just to get out of the way the Civil War was about freeing the slaves, but many still looked to state rights. That is why Richard Henry Lee was an Antifederalists. He argued (rightfully so) that the states would lose their power to the Federal government. Before the Revolutionary War states’ rights is what mattered to most. Many were not in favor of federal control.
First, just to get out of the way the Civil War was about freeing the slaves, but many still looked to state rights. That is why Richard Henry Lee was an Antifederalists. He argued (rightfully so) that the states would lose their power to the Federal government. Before the Revolutionary War states’ rights is what mattered to most. Many were not in favor of federal control.
December 13, 2017
Very quick and enjoyable read of a founding father mentioned but not in depth in most history books. As always Unger's narrative is excellent and he really brings the characters to life but this particular book seemed a little more rushed than previous works I've read. It could possibly be from a lack of credible information on Lee in comparison to the likes of Washington, Lafayette or Monroe but nonetheless, certain parts of the book seemed rushed. Either way I strongly recommend it to anyone who loves the period's history and wants to learn more about a lesser mentioned but most definitely not a less influential player in the revolution.
October 10, 2020
The insights on this much overlooked founder were interesting. The author seemed to jump around a good bit rather than telling the "story" linearly, which detracted from the reading enjoyment. As well there appears to be limited written record of R. H. Lee's thoughts and contributions so the author provided interpretations and assumptions. All in all, a nice addition to other founding period writings.
October 9, 2021
Well written. I would recommend others read about the founding fathers that seemed to have been forgotten or lost to history. It took all of them to form the nation. The nation was built not on full agreement but on working together to build the best they could. It is a book about the Lees who built a nation and not about those who fought a war to divide the nation. There is more to the Lee family history than a Civil War.
June 22, 2018
A much needed, rich compendium of an important player of the American Revolution. He had the honor of presenting a motion for independence in the Continental Congress that is remembered by Jefferson’s Declaration. Bonus - a helpful relationship breakdown of all the Lees of the period. Unger always satisfies.
December 26, 2021
Excellent!
Suburb history that quickly gave me a new understanding of the motivations, characters, and roles played by many of the founding fathers in the US, England, and France during the Revolution and of the political process after the Revolution in hammering-out the Constitution and Bill of Rights.
Suburb history that quickly gave me a new understanding of the motivations, characters, and roles played by many of the founding fathers in the US, England, and France during the Revolution and of the political process after the Revolution in hammering-out the Constitution and Bill of Rights.
March 17, 2018
Little too apologetic about slavery. Wish he would have skipped this apologia and get on with Lee's biography.
Not a convincing case that he deserves a place among the other founding fathers. Tried too hard. Seemed forced.
Not a convincing case that he deserves a place among the other founding fathers. Tried too hard. Seemed forced.
September 20, 2018
A really good biography of one of the most forgotten of our founding fathers. Unger is one of the best biographers of the founders of the United States. Compelling reading from the beginning. I had difficulty putting this book down once I got started.
October 21, 2020
It may have taken a long time but it was a book worth reading, giving yet another view of the founding of our country. While I don't agree with all the author's views, I do agree that Richard Henry Lee played a pivotal role in American Independence. His story is well worth reading.
July 9, 2019
Quick enjoyable read of one of our founding fathers. One who foreshadowed many problems and one that was a true patriot.
October 30, 2019
I am uncertain about the accuracy of some of the history in this book. Descriptions of the battles are glossed over to the point of inaccuracy. Silas Deane is presented as an embezzler without acknowledgement of any controversy about this claim. Richard Henry Lee is credited as the Federal Farmer, though there is an extensive footnote acknowledging that some believe Melancton Smith to be the Farmer with an explanation as to why Unger believes the Farmer to be Lee. Richard Henry Lee's role in the Conway Cabal against Washington is downplayed to the point of denial.
Overall, the book was not as interesting a read as McCullough's books.
Overall, the book was not as interesting a read as McCullough's books.
November 8, 2022
The subject was a bit boring and the author had trouble sprucing that up with the history surrounding the subject’s life.
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