Richard Henry Lee Selected as President of the Confederation Congress

Background. The presidency of the Congress of the Confederation was a largely ceremonial office, held by a member elected by fellow delegates to serve as a neutral discussion moderator. Article Nine of the Articles of Confederation codified the one-year term limit, and John Hanson was the first president to serve the specified term, from November 5, 1781 to November 4, 1782.

Lee's Selection. Richard Henry Lee, a Virginia statesman and Founding Father known for the June 1776 Lee Resolution calling for independence, was elected the sixth president of Congress under the Articles of Confederation on November 30, 1784. The election took place in the French Arms Tavern in Trenton, New Jersey, not Philadelphia as the legacy row suggested.

Term and Context. Lee's tenure as President of the Confederation Congress ran from November 30, 1784 to November 4, 1785. He presided when Congress convened in the old New York City Hall on January 11, 1785, serving until November 23, 1785. For six weeks in 1784 he did not attend Congress, instead instructing secretary Charles Thomson to forward papers needing his signature.