Laurens, Henry (1724-1792)
- Name:
- Laurens, Henry (1724-1792)
- Title:
- Second Continental Congress Delegate
Signatory to Articles of Confederation.
Diplomat to Neteralands, involved with treaty of alliance between US and Dutch.
Prisoner of War by British, held in Tower of London, later exchanged for General Lord Cornwallis.
Member of American Philosophical Society, Philadelphia, PA.
Elected to Provincial Congress, 1775.
President of Committee of Safety, June to March 1776.
President of the Continental Congress, 1777-78. - Born:
- 03/06/1724
- Birthplace:
- South Carolina
- Died:
- 12/08/1792
- Death Location:
- Mepkin, Berkeley County, SC
- Residence:
- Mepkin, Berkeley County, SC.
Paris, France.
England. - Nationality:
- American
- Occupation:
- Merchant and rice planter
Politician.
Slave trader. - Relations:
- General Lord Cornwallis: British general exachanged for Henry Laurens, POWs.
General Lachlan McIntosh: clerk and close friend; named Fort Laurens, Ohio in Lauren's honor. - Spouse:
- Ball, Eleanor (?-1770).
- Children:
- Laurens, John: Son, persuaded Continental Congress to allow slaves freedom if enlisted in army. After his death, Henry Laurens freed their slaves in response to his son's abolitionism.
- Notes:
- Wikipedia, "Henry Laurens", 15-7-2011.
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