Publisher Description

In bridging the gap between Lee's private interests and public career, J. Kent McGaughy seeks to overturn many of the misconceptions about Lee and shows that, throughout his life, he remained dedicated to his family and public service.

Author Biography

J. Kent McGaughy is instructor of history at Houston Community College, Northwest.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Prologue: "We Cannot Do Without You" Chapter 2 A Virginia Dynasty Chapter 3 Richard Henry Lee, Esquire Chapter 4 Chantilly-on-the-Potomac Chapter 5 The Making of a Radical Chapter 6 The Decision for American Independence Chapter 7 Business and Politics Chapter 8 Defending the Potomac Chapter 9 "Mr. President" Chapter 10 "Killing Ourselves for Fear of Dying": The Debate over the Federal Constitution Chapter 11 The Honorable Senator from Virginia Chapter 12 Twilight Chapter 13 Epilogue: Legacies

Review

J. Kent McGaughy has fashioned a highly readable and informative account of the life of Richard Henry Lee. In this concise biography Lee is depicted as a conservative, pragmatic agent for many of the changes that helped create the American Revolution and form the early republic. . . .with his persuasive use of primary resources, McGaughy does a fine job of dispelling many earlier historian's pejorative assessments of Lee. * Journal of Southern History *
Kent McGaughy does good historical detective work. He established some years ago that Richard Henry Lee was not the author of the 'Letters from the Federal Farmer' attributed to him by generations of leading American historians. In this volume he persuades readers that Lee deserves higher ranking among the astounding generation of this nation's founding fathers than most historians have accorded him. -- Philip L. White, University of Texas

Long Description

Richard Henry Lee played a pivotal role during the American Revolution, yet he remains one of the most misunderstood revolutionaries. His contemporaries, as well as modern historians, deemed him a political opportunist or dismissed him as an enigma. In bridging the gap between Lee's private interests and public career, J. Kent McGaughy seeks to overturn many of the misconceptions about Lee and shows that, throughout his life, he remained dedicated to his family and public service. By separating fact from fiction and unraveling the history of Lee's life and the times in which he lived, J. Kent McGaughy brings to light not only the truth about Lee, but also the hidden history of the American Revolution.

Review Quote

J. Kent McGaughy has fashioned a highly readable and informative account of the life of Richard Henry Lee. In this concise biography Lee is depicted as a conservative, pragmatic agent for many of the changes that helped create the American Revolution and form the early republic. . . .with his persuasive use of primary resources, McGaughy does a fine job of dispelling many earlier historian's pejorative assessments of Lee.

Details