Grayson, William, 1736-1790

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William Grayson (1736 – March 12, 1790) was a soldier, lawyer, and statesman from Virginia. He was one of the first two U.S. Senators from Virginia, and belonged to the Anti-Federalist faction.

Born at Belle Aire Plantation in Prince William County in the Colony of Virginia, Grayson attended the University of Pennsylvania, and received his degree in Law from the University of Oxford and was knowledgeable in Latin, Greek, and English history. He practiced law, principally in Prince William County, Virginia. Grayson was involved in the political prelude to the Revolution in Virginia. He was on various Committees of Correspondence and military preparedness. In June, 1776 became an assistant secretary to George Washington, and was promoted as an aide-de-camp to Washington in August, which came with the rank of rank of Lieutenant Colonel. In January, 1777, William Grayson recruited a regiment for the Continental Army known as Grayson's Additional Continental Regiment, and served as its colonel. In 1779, he resigned his military commission to serve on the Congressional Board of War. In 1781, he returned to Dumfries to practice law.

Grayson was a delegate to the Confederation Congress from 1785 to 1787. He helped to pass the Northwest Ordinance, including a provision that forbade slavery in the Northwest Territory. As an Anti-Federalist, he joined George Mason, James Monroe, and Patrick Henry in opposing ratification of the proposed new United States Constitution at the Virginia Ratification Convention in 1788. Although the Anti-Federalists lost the battle in opposition of the new Constitution, Patrick Henry, Virginia's leading Anti-Federalist, rewarded Grayson by arranging his election to the first United States Senate. Grayson served from March 4, 1789 until his death on March 12, 1790. He and Richard Henry Lee were the only members of the first Senate who had opposed ratification, and so they were unhappy when the Bill of Rights omitted any provisions making serious corrections to the division of powers between the central government and the states. Grayson continued to believe that the Philadelphia Convention had struck precisely the wrong balance.

Grayson died in Dumfries on March 12, 1790, the first member of the United States Congress to die in office. He is interred in the Grayson family vault at Belle Aire.

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
referencedIn Custis-Lee Family Papers, 1700-circa 1928, (bulk 1770-1870) Library of Congress. Manuscript Division
referencedIn Washington Irving's Life of George Washington Volume VI, miscellany, 1774-1807 Cornell University Library
creatorOf Grayson, William, 1736-1790,. Papers of the Grayson family, 1771-1790. University of Virginia. Library
referencedIn Powell, Leven, 1737-1810. Papers of Leven Powell, 1737-1810. Library of Congress
creatorOf Grayson, William. Papers, 1787 Aug. 8. Ohio History Connection, Ohio Historical Society
referencedIn Monroe, James, 1758-1831. Papers : of James Monroe in the Virginia General Assembly and U.S. Senate, 1783-1790. James Monroe Museum & Memorial Library
referencedIn Randolph, Edmund, 1753-1813. Letter of Edmund Randolph to James Madison, 1788 November 10. University of Virginia. Library
referencedIn William A. Oldridge Collection of George Washington's Headquarters Staff Writings, 1775-1962, (bulk 1775-1783) Library of Congress. Manuscript Division
creatorOf Bland, Theodorick, 1742-1790. Papers of Virginia members of the Continental Congress, 1767-1820. University of Virginia. Library
referencedIn Harrison, Carter H. (Carter Henry), 1825-1893. Harrison and Russell family genealogical notes, 1884 and undated. Wisconsin Historical Society, Newspaper Project
referencedIn Jouett, Matthew, 1788-1827. Grayson-Talbot family photographs and will [manuscript], 1758-ca. 1813. University of Virginia. Library
referencedIn Sparks, Jared, 1789-1866. Jared Sparks collection of American manuscripts, 1582-1843 Houghton Library
referencedIn Sparks, Jared, 1789-1866. Personal papers, 1808-1866 Houghton Library
referencedIn William Short Papers, 1778-1853 Library of Congress. Manuscript Division
referencedIn Randolph, Edmund, 1753-1813. Letter of Edmund Randolph to James Madison [manuscript], 1788 November 10. University of Virginia. Library
creatorOf Grayson, William, 1736-1790. William Grayson. Appalachian State University, ASU
creatorOf Grayson, William, 1736-1790. Letters to Nathaniel Dane [manuscript], 1788 June 4 and 18. University of Virginia. Library
referencedIn Thomas Addis Emmet collection, 1483-1876 (bulk:1700-1800) New York Public Library. Manuscripts and Archives Division
referencedIn Sparks, Jared, 1789-1866. Collection of documents concerning the American Revolution, 1740-1866 Houghton Library
referencedIn Frederick M. Dearborn collection of military and political Americana, Part I: The Revolution and the Administration, 1669-1958. Houghton Library
Role Title Holding Repository
Relation Name
correspondedWith Custis Family family
associatedWith Dane, Nathaniel, 1752-1835, person
associatedWith Gates, Horatio, 1728-1806 person
associatedWith Hardy, Samuel, 1758? -1785 person
associatedWith Harrison, Carter H. (Carter Henry), 1825-1893. person
associatedWith Henry, Patrick, 1736-1799 person
associatedWith Laurens, John, 1754-1782 person
correspondedWith Lee Family family
associatedWith Lee, Richard Henry, 1732-1794 person
associatedWith Madison, James, 1751-1836 person
relativeOf Monroe, James, 1758-1831. person
associatedWith Oldridge, William A. person
auntOrUncleOf Orr, Alexander Dalrymple, 1765-1835. person
associatedWith Powell, Leven, 1737-1810. person
associatedWith Randolph, Beverley, 1754-1797 person
associatedWith Randolph, Edmund, 1753-1813. person
associatedWith Reed, Joseph, 1741-1785 person
associatedWith Shiell, H. N. person
correspondedWith Short, William, 1759-1849. person
memberOf United States. Congress. Senate corporateBody
memberOf United States. Continental Army corporateBody
memberOf United States. Continental Congress corporateBody
alumnusOrAlumnaOf University of Oxford corporateBody
alumnusOrAlumnaOf University of Pennsylvania. corporateBody
memberOf Virginia. General Assembly. House of Delegates corporateBody
associatedWith Washington, George, 1732-1799 person
Place Name Admin Code Country
London ENG GB
Prince William County VA US
Oxford ENG GB
Dumfries VA US
Philadelphia PA US
Subject
Constitutional convention
Real property
Occupation
Delegates, U.S. Continental Congress
Lawyers
Politicians
Senators, U.S. Congress
Soldiers
State Representative
Activity

Person

Birth 1736

Death 1790-03-12

Male

Britons,

Americans

English

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