Lee, Thomas Sim, 1745-1819

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LEE, Thomas Sim, (Father of John Lee), a Delegate from Maryland; born near Upper Marlboro, Prince Georges County, Md., October 29, 1745; completed preparatory studies; held several local offices; member of the provincial council in 1777; governor of Maryland 1779-1783; Member of the Continental Congress in 1783; member of the house of delegates in 1787; declined to serve in the convention which drafted the Constitution of the United States, but consented to serve in the state convention for the ratification of the Federal Constitution in 1788; again governor of Maryland 1792-1794; effected the organization of the state militia while he was governor and took an active part in the suppression of the Whisky Insurrection in western Pennsylvania and Maryland; appointed to the state senate in 1794, but declined to serve; again elected governor, but declined in 1798; retired from public life and engaged in the management of his estate, ``Needwood,'' in Frederick County, Md., until his death, November 9, 1819; interment in a private cemetery at Melwood, Prince Georges County, Md.; reinterment in the Roman Catholic Cemetery, near Upper Marlboro, Md., April 17, 1888.

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<ul><b>RACES</b>
<li>11/15/1793 MD Governor Won 100.00% (+100.00%)</li>
<li>11/12/1792 MD Governor Won 100.00% (+100.00%)</li>
<li>04/03/1792 MD Governor - Special Election Won 100.00% (+100.00%)</li>
<li>12/31/1782 MD Continental Congress Won 100.00% (+100.00%)</li>
<li>11/19/1781 MD Governor Won 100.00% (+100.00%)</li>
<li>11/13/1780 MD Governor Won 100.00% (+100.00%)</li>
<li>11/08/1779 MD Governor Won 68.42% (+36.84%)</li>
</ul>

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<p>Thomas Sim Lee (October 29, 1745 – November 9, 1819) was an American planter and statesman of Frederick County, Maryland. Although not a signatory to the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation or the US Constitution, he was an important participant in the process of their creation. Thomas Sim Lee was the second State Governor of Maryland, serving twice, from 1779 to 1783 and again from 1792 to 1794. Thomas Sim Lee also served as a delegate of Maryland in the Congress of the Confederation in 1783 and was a member of the House of Delegates in 1787. He worked closely with many of the Founding fathers and himself played an important part in the birth of his state and the nation.</p>

<p>Lee was born in 1745 in Upper Marlboro in the Province of Maryland. He was the son of Thomas (died 1749) and Christiana (Sim) Lee, a grandson of Philip Lee, and descended from the "Blenheim" Line of the Lee family of Virginia. Richard Lee I was his great-great-grandfather. His education was attained in the private schools of his native colony. On October 27, 1771, Thomas Sim Lee married Mary Digges (1745–1805), whose father was a prominent Maryland landowner.</p>

<p>During the Revolutionary War, he backed the patriot cause, and organized a local militia in which he served as colonel. Lee entered politics in 1777, serving as a member of the Maryland Legislature, a position he held two years. He was a delegate to the Maryland State Convention of 1788, to vote whether Maryland should ratify the proposed Constitution of the United States.[2] The Maryland Legislature elected Lee governor in 1779. He was reelected in 1780 and 1781. During his first tenure, issues regarding the war effort were dealt with. He won wide praise for his logistical abilities as governor. Lee consistently procured fresh troops and supplies for the Continental Army. George Washington was Lee's friend, and learning of the plan to pin down Cornwallis, Lee exerted all his energies to support the American troops. After completing his term, Lee left office on November 22, 1782. He then served in the Continental Congress in 1783 and 1784, and was a member of the State convention that ratified the U.S. Constitution in 1788. In 1792, Lee was again elected governor of Maryland. He was reelected to a second term in 1793, and to a third term in 1794. During his final tenure, the state militia was established, and the Whiskey rebellion was suppressed. Lee left office on November 14, 1794. Later that same year, he declined a seat in the U.S. Senate. He also declined a third tenure as governor in 1798.</p>

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Name Entry: Lee, Thomas Sim, 1745-1819

Found Data: [ { "contributor": "WorldCat", "form": "authorizedForm" }, { "contributor": "nypl", "form": "authorizedForm" }, { "contributor": "LC", "form": "authorizedForm" }, { "contributor": "harvard", "form": "authorizedForm" }, { "contributor": "lc", "form": "authorizedForm" } ]
Note: Contributors from initial SNAC EAC-CPF ingest