Randolph managed the settlement of the Citizen Genêt Affair. He prompted a resumption of talks with Spain and assisted in the negotiations of the 1795 Treaty of San Lorenzo, which opened the Mississippi River to U.S. navigation and fixed the boundaries between Spanish possessions and the United States.
What did William Randolph do after he became Attorney General?
Upon the death of his uncle Peyton Randolph in October 1775, Randolph returned to Virginia to act as executor of the estate, and while there was elected as a representative to the Fourth Virginia Convention. He was later mayor of Williamsburg, and then Attorney general of Virginia, a post he held until 1786.
Who was Edmund Randolph and what did he do?
Edmund Randolph. Edmund Jennings Randolph (August 10, 1753 – September 12, 1813) was an American attorney and politician. He was the seventh Governor of Virginia, the second Secretary of State, and the first United States Attorney General.
What did Edmund Randolph say about the judicial branch?
Edmund Randolph additionally suggested and was supported with unanimous approval by the Constitutional Convention’s delegates, that having a national judiciary branch should be necessary. Article III of the United States Constitution created the federal court system, which did not exist under the Articles of Confederation.
What did John Randolph do in the Continental Congress?
Randolph was selected as one of 11 delegates to represent Virginia at the Continental Congress in 1779 and served as a delegate until 1782. He also remained in private law practice, handling numerous legal issues for Washington and others. Randolph was elected as Governor of Virginia in 1786.
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What did Edmund Randolph accomplish as attorney general?
Randolph is perhaps best remembered for introducing the Virginia Plan to the Constitutional Convention, which proposed a legislative branch consisting of two chambers, in which each state would be represented in proportion to their “Quotas of contribution, or to the number of free inhabitants.”1 Following his time as ...
What did Edmund J Randolph do?
Edmund Jennings Randolph (August 10, 1753 – September 12, 1813) was an American attorney and politician. He was the 7th Governor of Virginia, and, as a delegate from Virginia, he attended the Constitutional Convention and helped to create the national constitution while serving on its Committee of Detail.
What did Jennings Randolph do?
Jennings Randolph (March 8, 1902 – May 8, 1998) was an American politician from West Virginia. A Democrat, he was most notable for his service in the United States House of Representatives from 1933 to 1947 and the United States Senate from 1958 to 1985.
Was Edmund Randolph an attorney general?
Randolph was a delegate to the Continental Congress and a member of the Constitutional Convention. He was elected attorney general of Virginia in 1776, served until 1782 and served as Governor of Virginia from 1786-1788.
Did Edmund Randolph want a Bill of Rights?
Randolph's political career began in 1776 when he served in the Virginia Constitutional Convention. He helped draft a BILL OF RIGHTS and a state constitution.
What was Edmund Randolph's proposal to the Constitutional Convention?
At the Constitutional Convention on May 29, 1787, Virginia delegate Edmund Randolph proposed what became known as "The Virginia Plan." Written primarily by fellow Virginian James Madison, the plan traced the broad outlines of what would become the U.S. Constitution: a national government consisting of three branches, ...
Did Edmund Randolph support the Constitution?
Edmund Jennings Randolph, (born August 10, 1753, Williamsburg, Virginia [U.S.]—died September 12, 1813, Clark county, Virginia), Virginia lawyer who played an important role in drafting and ratifying the U.S. Constitution and served as attorney general and later secretary of state in George Washington's cabinet.
Did Edmund Randolph support the Great Compromise?
The compromise melded elements of the New Jersey Plan, proposed by William Paterson and supported by the smaller states, and the Virginia Plan, proposed by Edmund Randolph and championed by the larger states.
How old was Edmund Randolph when he died?
60 years (1753–1813)Edmund Randolph / Age at death
What does the Attorney General do?
The Attorney General is the representative of the public in all legal proceedings for the enforcement of law and the assertion or protection of public rights. The Attorney General defends the constitutionality of Bills referred to the Supreme Court under Article 26 of the Constitution.
How did Edmund Randolph feel about slavery?
Edmund Randolph argued against the importation of slaves and was in favor of the new government having a strong central government. He also supported a plan that had three chief executives from different areas of the country.
Why did Edmund Randolph present the Virginia Plan?
The purpose of the plan was to protect the large states' interests in the new government, which would be stronger federally than under the Articles of Confederation. The Articles of Confederation was the first form of government and had weak federal control; the states had all of the power.
Why did Randolph vote for ratification of the Constitution?
Ultimately, Randolph said he voted for ratification of the Constitution because by June 2, eight other states had already done so, and he did not want to see Virginia left out of the new national government. Randolph believed that Virginia must choose between the stark alternatives of ratification and disunion.
What did Randolph advocate for?
He argued against the importation of slaves and for a strong central government and advocated a plan for three chief executives from various parts of the country.
Why was Randolph so opposed to amending the Constitution?
In common with other advocates of amending the Constitution prior to ratification, Randolph insisted that it would be easier to amend the Constitution before its ratification, when a majority might do so, than to ratify an imperfect Constitution and then to assemble the votes of three fourths of the states.
What was Randolph's most famous case?
His most famous case was defending Aaron Burr at his trial for treason in 1807.
What was Randolph's role in the Articles of Confederation?
Randolph was also a member of the " Committee of Detail ," which was tasked with converting the Virginia Plan's 15 resolutions to a first draft of the Constitution.
What was Randolph's political career?
Early political career. Randolph was selected as one of 11 delegates to represent Virginia at the Continental Congress in 1779 and served as a delegate until 1782. He also remained in private law practice, handling numerous legal issues for Washington and others. Randolph was elected as Governor of Virginia in 1786.
Where was Edmund Randolph born?
Randolph was born on August 10, 1753 to the influential Randolph family in Williamsburg in the Colony of Virginia. He was educated at the College of William and Mary. After graduation he began reading law with his father John Randolph and uncle, Peyton Randolph. In 1775, with the start of the American Revolution, Randolph's father remained a Loyalist and returned to Britain. Edmund Randolph returned to America where he joined the Continental Army as an aide-de-camp to General George Washington.
What was Randolph's role in the Constitution?
He was elected to the Virginia Constitutional Convention of 1776 and served on the committee that drew up a bill of rights and a state constitution. The Virginia Assembly elected him attorney general of the state, and he also served intermittently (1779–82) as a delegate to the Continental Congress. In 1786 Randolph headed the Virginia delegation ...
What is an encyclopedia editor?
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. ...
Why was Randolph's attempt to steer a middle course difficult?
As England and France were then at war and there was strong support in the United States for both antagonists, Randolph’s attempt to steer a middle course was difficult. While the Jay Treaty (1794) with England was under consideration, he performed the delicate task of maintaining friendly relations with France.
When did Randolph resign?
Though the charges were not proved, Randolph resigned on Aug. 19, 1795. He returned to Virginia and resumed his law practice, acting in 1807 as senior counsel for Aaron Burr at his trial for treason. History at your fingertips.
Who was Edmund Randolph?
Edmund Jennings Randolph, (born August 10, 1753, Williamsburg, Virginia [U.S.]—died September 12, 1813, Clark county, Virginia), Virginia lawyer who played an important role in drafting and ratifying the U.S. Constitution and served as attorney general and later secretary of state in George Washington’s cabinet.
What did George Randolph do after graduating from William and Mary?
After graduating from the College of William & Mary, he pursued a career in law. He served as an aide-de-camp to General George Washington in 1775 and later had an extensive political career. Randolph is perhaps best remembered for introducing the Virginia Plan to the Constitutional Convention, which proposed a legislative branch consisting ...
Why did Randolph resign?
Despite Washington’s confidence in him, Randolph resigned as Governor in 1788 in favor of serving in Virginia’s House of Delegates. He did not remain in the House of Delegates for long, because in 1789 Washington appointed him as the nation’s first Attorney General.
Who was the Secretary of State during the Citizen Genêt affair?
As Secretary of State, Randolph oversaw the resolution of the Citizen Genêt Affair, in which the French diplomat Edmond Genêt encouraged American privateers to seize British merchant ships – a direct violation of the United States government’s policy of neutrality in the war between France and Great Britain.
Who was the first attorney general of Virginia?
He was also elected as Virginia’s first Attorney General and Mayor of Williamsburg at the end of the Convention. In 1779, Randolph was selected to represent Virginia as a delegate to the Continental Congress, and in 1786 he was elected governor of Virginia.
Is the Washington Library open to scholars?
The Library of the First President. The Washington Library is open to all researchers and scholars, by appointment only. About the Library Research Fellowships The Papers of George Washington Library Events & Programs Leadership Institute Center for Digital History George Washington Prize. Edmund Randolph.
What did Edmund Randolph do during the Revolution?
In August, he gathered letters of recommendation from various prominent Virginians and presented them to General George Washington (1732–1799; see entry in volume 2) in Boston, hoping to become an army camp aide. He was successful in gaining the appointment. However, Randolph found that military life did not appeal to him. Upon the sudden death of his uncle, Peyton Randolph (c. 1721–1775), who was in Philadelphia serving as president of the First Continental Congress, Edmund took leave from his brief military assignment. He accompanied his uncle's body back to Virginia for burial and remained there to manage his uncle's estate.
Where was Edmund Randolph born?
Edmund Randolph was born in August 1753 to John Randolph and Ariana Jenings at Williamsburg, Virginia. Their home was called Tazewell Hall. The family was well established in colonial politics and legal matters, having moved to America from England in the mid-1600s. His father, uncle, and grandfather all served as attorneys for the British Crown in the Virginia colony. Ariana's father was also a king's attorney in the colony of Maryland.
What was Randolph's role in the Constitution?
Change came for Randolph in 1786. In November, he was elected governor of Virginia and also sent as a Virginia delegate to a meeting among states in Annapolis, Maryland, in September. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss common problems under the Articles of Confederation, the nation's first constitution , which had become effective in 1781. However, only five states sent delegates. The delegates at the Annapolis meeting sent a proposal to the Continental Congress to bring together delegates from the thirteen states the following May in Philadelphia to improve the Articles.
Why did Jefferson resign as Secretary of State?
The position was a challenge, in part because of Hamilton's continued involvement in foreign issues, which were normally the responsibility of the secretary of state.
Who was the first attorney general of Virginia?
Edmund Randolph was highly influential in the political shaping of America, particularly between 1776 and 1800, when he served as Virginia's first attorney general, Virginia state governor, the first U.S. attorney general, and the nation's second secretary of state. Coming from a family with a colonial legal background, Randolph was very intelligent and highly respected for his legal knowledge. Randolph played a key role at the 1787 Constitutional Convention, serving on a committee that developed an early draft of the U.S. Constitution.
Who were the delegates to the Constitutional Convention?
Not surprisingly, Virginia chose to send Randolph to the convention in Philadelphia in May 1787. Though no one knew it at the time, this meeting would become what is now called the Constitutional Convention; the delegates who attended the meeting voted to abandon the Articles of Confederation and create a new U.S. constitution. Randolph was in very select company. Other Virginia delegates were George Washington, James Madison (1751–1836; see entry in volume 2), John Marshall (1755–1835; see entry in volume 2), and George Mason (1725–1792). Randolph had the privilege of presenting the opening address to the convention, a lengthy speech calling for a much stronger central government.
Who wrote the biography of Randolph?
The biography of Randolph by John J. Reardon, in progress, should become the standard work. Samuel F. Bemis, Jay's Treaty: A Study in Commerce and Diplomacy (1923; rev. ed. 1962), covers Randolph's career as secretary of state.
Why did Edmund Randolph refuse to sign the Constitution?
While Edmund Randolph supported independence, he refused to sign the final version of the Constitution, because he felt that it did not have enough checks and balances placed. He published an account of his objections to the Constitution in October 1787.
What was Edmund Randolph's concern about his character?
However, Edmund Randolph’s own published Vindication showed his concerns regarding both private and public perceptions of his character , which were concerns that had great value during the 18th century. After leaving the President’s cabinet, Edmund Randolph returned to Virginia to continue his practice.
What did Edmund Randolph do to help the United States?
Edmund Randolph also prompted the resumption of talks with Spain and also helped in the negotiations of the Treaty of San Lorenzo of 1795, which resulted in the opening of the Mississippi River to the United States navigation and also adjusted the boundaries between the United States and Spanish possessions.
What was the Virginia Plan?
The Virginia Plan also suggested two houses, wherein both of these houses delegates were picked based on the state population. Edmund Randolph additionally suggested and was supported with unanimous approval by the Constitutional Convention’s delegates, that having a national judiciary branch should be necessary.
What was Randolph's plan for the new government?
Here, he introduced the Virginia Plan as a foundation for a new government for the country. Edmund Randolph argued against the importation of slaves and was in favor of the new government having a strong central government. He also supported a plan that had three chief executives from different areas of the country.
What happened to the French minister in 1795?
A scandal that involved an intercepted French message resulted in Edmund Randolph’s resignation in August 1795. A correspondence was intercepted by the British Navy from the French minister, Joseph Fauchet, to the United States which was turned over to President Washington. Washington was disappointed that the letters showed contempt for the United States and that Edmund Randolph was mainly responsible for it.
What did Randolph's letters suggest?
The letters suggested that Randolph had revealed the inner arguments in the cabinet to the French government and suggested that the United States Administration was hostile to France. President Washington immediately overruled Edmund Randolph’s negative advice about the Jay Treaty.
Overview
Edmund Jennings Randolph (August 10, 1753 – September 12, 1813) was an American attorney and politician. He was the 7th Governor of Virginia, and, as a delegate from Virginia, he attended the Constitutional Convention and helped to create the national constitution while serving on its Committee of Detail. He was the 1st United States Attorney General and subsequently the 2nd Secretary of St…
Early life
Randolph was born on August 10, 1753, to the influential Randolph family in Williamsburg in the Colony of Virginia. He was educated at the College of William and Mary. After graduation he began reading law with his father John Randolph and uncle, Peyton Randolph. In 1775, with the start of the American Revolution, Randolph's father remained a Loyalist and returned to Britain. Edmund Randolph returned to America where he joined the Continental Army as an aide-de-camp to General George …
Political career
Randolph was selected as one of 11 delegates to represent Virginia at the Continental Congress in 1779 and served as a delegate until 1782. He also remained in private law practice, handling numerous legal issues for Washington and others.
Randolph was elected as Governor of Virginia in 1786. That year, he was a del…
Romance and married life with Elizabeth Nicholas
Miss Nicholas was daughter of the Hon. Robert Carter Nicholas, State Treasurer. Randolph wrote to his children after his wife's death:
"We were both born in the city of Williamsburg, within twelve hours of each other; myself on the 10th of August 1753, and she on the 11th. My aunt Randolph, who saw each of us soon after our birth, facetiously foretold that we should be united in marriage-a circumstance which, improbabl…
Resignation
A scandal involving an intercepted French message led to Randolph's resignation as Secretary of State in August 1795. Randolph had been tasked with maintaining friendly relations with France. The British Navy had intercepted correspondence from the French minister Joseph Fauchet to his superiors and turned it over to Washington, who was dismayed that the letters reflected contempt for the United States and that Randolph had been primarily responsible. The letters implied that …
Later life
After leaving the federal cabinet, Randolph returned to Virginia to practice law, where he was a leader of the state bar. His most famous case was defending Aaron Burr at his trial for treason in 1807.
In 1791, Randolph was elected to the American Philosophical Society.
Death and legacy
Randolph lived his final years as a guest of his friend Nathaniel Burwell at Carter Hall, near Millwood, Virginia, in Clarke County. He suffered from paralysis in his final years and died at 60 on September 12, 1813. He is buried nearby at the Burwell family cemetery adjacent to "Old Chapel."
Randolph County, West Virginia was formed in 1787 and named in Randolph's honor. Randolph County, Illinois was also named after him. Randolph, who was the governor of Virginia when the …
Sources
• Reardon, John J. (1975). Edmund Randolph: a biography. Macmillan. ISBN 978-0026012003. Retrieved May 25, 2011. Edmund Randolph.
• Randolph, Edmund (1855) [1795]. A Vindication of Edmund Randolph (new ed.). Richmond: Charles H. Wynne, printer. Retrieved May 25, 2011. Edmund Randolph. written by himself, with a preface by P.V. Daniel, Jr.
Family of Lawyers
- Edmund Randolph was born in August 1753 to John Randolphand Ariana Jenings at Williamsburg, Virginia. Their home was called Tazewell Hall. The family was well established in colonial politics and legal matters, having moved to America from England in the mid-1600s. His father, uncle, and grandfather all served as attorneys for the British Crown in the Virginia colony. Ariana's father w…
A Patriot
- When the American Revolution (1775–83) erupted in April 1775, Randolph's family, including his parents and sisters, hurriedly left the colonies, as did many other Loyalists (those who supported continued British rule). However, Randolph was very much a Patriot (supporter of independence from British rule). In August, he gathered letters of recommendation from various prominent Vir…
Delegate to The Continental Congress
- The Virginia Assembly elected Randolph as a delegate to the Continental Congress in 1779 and again in 1781 and 1782. He focused on his role as state attorney general through the mid-1780s. Change came for Randolph in 1786. In November, he was elected governor of Virginia and also sent as a Virginia delegate to a meeting among states in Annapolis, M...
Constitutional Convention of 1787
- Not surprisingly, Virginia chose to send Randolph to the convention in Philadelphia in May 1787. Though no one knew it at the time, this meeting would become what is now called the Constitutional Convention; the delegates who attended the meeting voted to abandon the Articles of Confederation and create a new U.S. constitution. Randolph was in very select company. Othe…
The First U.S. Attorney General
- Following the ratification convention, Randolph resigned his post as governor in November 1788 and returned to the Virginia general assembly. However, as the new national government under the Constitution took shape, President George Washington selected Randolph as the nation's first attorney general. Like future attorney generals, he maintained a private law practice while servin…
Secretary of State
- Jefferson resigned as secretary of state in December 1793, and Washington selected Randolph to replace him. He served in the position until August 1795. The position was a challenge, in part because of Hamilton's continued involvement in foreign issues, which were normally the responsibility of the secretary of state. Major foreign issues lingered since the end of the Americ…
For More Information
- Books
Randolph, Edmund. History of Virginia.Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 1970. Reardon, John J. Edmund Randolph. New York: Macmillan, 1975.
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