Peyton Randolph

Peyton Randolph (* September 1721 in Williamsburg, Virginia; † October 21, 1775 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) was the first President of the Continental Congress.

Life

Peyton attended the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, and later studied at the Inns of Court in London. 1743 he passed the exam, so that could work as a lawyer and became a member of the Bar, the professional organization of lawyers. Then he returned to Williamsburg and was appointed the following year to the Prosecutor of the Virginia Colony. He served from 1748 several terms of office in the House of Representatives from Virginia. 1751 resulted in his dual role as prosecutor and deputy to an extraordinary conflict of interest.

The new governor, Robert Dinwiddie had to pay a fee for the issue of basic documents enforced against the strict opposition of the House of Representatives. The House of Representatives chose Peyton Randolph as representatives of their case at the crown in London. In his role as a prosecutor, he was, however, obliged to defend the actions of the governor. Randolph went against the instructions of Governor Dinwiddie to London and was relieved for a short time of his duties as a prosecutor. He was employed on his return at the behest of superiors in London again, which also advised the Governor to abolish the fee.

1765 Randolph found himself with the new MPs Patrick Henry in a debate on the issue of response to the Stamp Act. The House of Representatives appointed Randolph to draft recommendations to this law, but his more conservative plan was overruled when Henry reached the confirmation of five of his seven Virginia Stamp Act Resolutions. This was done at a meeting of the House of Representatives, at which most of the members did not participate and the Randolph presided without a speaker.

Randolph was released in 1766 as a prosecutor. As the friction between Britain and the colonies continued, it became more and more a supporter of independence. 1769 the House of Representatives was dissolved by the Governor in response to actions against the Townshend Acts. Randolph was at this time Speaker of the House of Representatives. Then he sat in front of a group of former deputy meetings in a Williamsburg tavern, working on responses to the unwelcome tax estimates the British government.

Randolph was elected to both the First and the Second Continental Congress also preside. Largely due to its reputation, which he had acquired as Chairman of the House of Representatives. He witnessed the independence of the nation led by him no more; He died in Philadelphia and was buried in Christ 's Church. His nephew, Edmund Randolph was the first United States Attorney General. Two ships of the United States Navy called in his honor USS Randolph.