Date

4-7-2026

Department

College of Arts and Sciences

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy in History (PhD)

Chair

David Clemons

Keywords

Richard Henry Lee, Enlightenment, Christianity, American Revolution, Declaration of Independence, Early Republic, Constitution

Disciplines

Arts and Humanities | History

Abstract

This doctoral dissertation examines the life of Richard Henry Lee, serving as a biography while also looking more closely at the ways Christianity and Enlightenment thought were reflected in Lee’s life and work. Given that Lee is less well known than many of the other American Revolutionaries and founders, this dissertation aims to create a greater awareness of the significant contributions that Lee made in the early history of the United States. In addition to serving as a military leader in Virginia during the American Revolutionary War, he served in a political capacity for decades, including in Virginia’s legislature and the Continental Congress. He was even the president of Congress and a senator from Virginia later in his life. In June of 1776, Lee pushed forward a motion for independence from Britain that ultimately led to the completion of the Declaration of Independence. He demonstrated dedication to furthering the Revolutionary cause and to promoting the preservation of Americans’ rights, advocating for the inclusion of a bill of rights in the Constitution as the founders worked to develop the document in the early republic. Throughout most of his adult life, Lee consistently incorporated both Christian rhetoric and Enlightenment thought into his work, demonstrating areas in which Enlightenment concepts were compatible with Christianity.

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