- Born:
- August 10, 1753, Williamsburg, Virginia [U.S.]
- Died:
- September 12, 1813, Clark county, Virginia (aged 60)
Edmund Jennings Randolph
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Who was Edmund Jennings Randolph?
Edmund Jennings Randolph (1753–1813) was a Virginia lawyer and statesman who significantly shaped the U.S. Constitution. He served as attorney general and later as secretary of state in George Washington’s cabinet.
A William and Mary College alumnus, Randolph aided General Washington in the 1776 siege of Boston. He played a role in Virginia's 1776 Constitutional Convention, contributing to the bill of rights and state constitution. Randolph headed the Virginia delegation to the Annapolis Convention in 1786 and was elected governor of Virginia that same year.
As a U.S. Constitutional Convention delegate in 1787, he proposed the Virginia Plan and served on the Committee on Detail. Though he didn't sign the final draft, he influenced Virginia's ratification in 1788. Accusations of disloyalty led to his resignation in 1795, after which he returned to his law practice.
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What important government roles did Randolph serve in?
Edmund Randolph was a Virginia lawyer and statesman who held several important government roles including:
- Aide to General Washington during the siege of Boston (1776)
- Delegate to the Virginia Constitutional Convention (1776)
- Attorney General of Virginia (1776)
- Delegate to the Continental Congress (1779-82)
- Head of the Virginia delegation to the Annapolis Convention (1786)
- Governor of Virginia (1786)
- Delegate to the U.S. Constitutional Convention (1787)
- U.S. Attorney General (1789)
- Secretary of State (1793)
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What was Randolph’s role at the Constitutional Convention?
Edmund Randolph, a Virginia lawyer, played a significant role at the Constitutional Convention of 1787. As head of the Virginia delegation, he presented the Virginia Plan, which advocated for a strong central government with three branches: executive, legislative, and judicial. Randolph also served on the Committee on Detail that prepared the first draft of the proposed constitution. However, he ultimately did not sign the final draft because he wanted more protection for the rights of states and individuals. Despite this, he used his influence to bring about Virginia’s ratification of the Constitution in the Virginia Convention of 1788.
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What is the Virginia Plan, and how was Randolph involved with it?
The Virginia Plan, presented at the Constitutional Convention of 1787, was a proposal for the framework of the United States government. It advocated for a strong central government with three branches: executive, legislative, and judicial.
Edmund Jennings Randolph, head of the Virginia delegation, presented the Virginia Plan to the convention. He also served on the Committee on Detail that prepared the first draft of the proposed constitution. Although Randolph did not sign the final draft because he wanted more protection for the rights of states and individuals, he used his influence to bring about Virginia’s ratification of the Constitution in the Virginia Convention of 1788.
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Why did Randolph choose not to sign the final U.S. Constitution at first?
Edmund Randolph, a Virginia lawyer, played a significant role in drafting the U.S. Constitution. As a delegate to the U.S. Constitutional Convention of 1787, he presented the Virginia Plan and served on the Committee on Detail that prepared the first draft of the proposed constitution. However, he chose not to sign the final draft because he wanted more protection for the rights of states and individuals. Despite this, he used his influence to bring about Virginia's ratification of the Constitution in the Virginia Convention of 1788.
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How did Randolph influence early U.S. government after the Constitution was adopted?
After the Constitution's adoption, Edmund Randolph significantly influenced the early U.S. government. As attorney general under President Washington in 1789, he handled much of Washington’s legal work. Succeeding Thomas Jefferson as secretary of state in 1793, Randolph navigated the challenging landscape of maintaining neutrality between England and France. He paved the way for Pinckney’s Treaty with Spain in 1795, securing free navigation on the Mississippi River. Although a diplomatic incident led to his resignation in 1795, Randolph's contributions were vital in shaping early American legal and foreign policy.
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Edmund Jennings Randolph (born August 10, 1753, Williamsburg, Virginia [U.S.]—died September 12, 1813, Clark county, Virginia) was a 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.
After attending William and Mary College, Randolph studied law in the office of his father, who was then the king’s attorney in the Virginia colony. The approach of the American Revolution caused a split in the family: the father, with his wife and daughters, left for England in 1775, while Edmund threw in his lot with the rebellious colonists.
The young lawyer served briefly as an aide to General Washington in the siege (1776) of the British at Boston and then returned to Virginia to care for the estate of his uncle, Peyton Randolph. 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 to the Annapolis Convention, and that same year he was elected governor of Virginia. As a delegate to the U.S. Constitutional Convention (1787), he presented the influential Virginia Plan and served on the Committee on Detail that prepared a first draft of the proposed constitution. He did not sign the final draft, however, because he wanted more protection of the rights of states and of individuals. Nevertheless, in the Virginia Convention of 1788 he used his influence to bring about that state’s ratification of the Constitution.
After President Washington took office in 1789, he appointed Randolph—who had handled much of Washington’s personal legal work—to the post of U.S. attorney general. Upon Thomas Jefferson’s resignation as secretary of state in December 1793, Randolph was chosen to replace him. 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. He also paved the way for the signing (1795) of Pinckney’s Treaty (or the Treaty of San Lorenzo) with Spain, which provided for free navigation of the Mississippi River.
Randolph’s governmental service was brought to an end by an intercepted diplomatic dispatch from the French minister at Philadelphia, charging that he had shown a willingness to accept money from the French in return for influencing the U.S. government against Great Britain. Though the charges were not proved, Randolph resigned on August 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.