Simone Lawson
John Laurens was an American soldier and statesman from South Carolina during the American Revolutionary War. He was born in 1754 and is best known for his efforts to help recruit slaves to fight for their freedom as U.S. soldiers. In 1779, Laurens gained approval from the Continental Congress for his plan to recruit a brigade of 3,000 slaves, promising them freedom in exchange for their military service. However, this plan faced strong opposition and was ultimately unsuccessful. Laurens served as an aide-de-camp to General George Washington during the war and was a member of his 'military family,' which included other talented individuals such as Alexander Hamilton and the Marquis de Lafayette. He was present at Washington's major battles and was noted for his bravery and recklessness in combat. John Laurens was killed in the Battle of the Combahee River in 1782. His father, Henry Laurens, was a Founding Father and served as the president of the Continental Congress during the adoption of the Articles, which served as the first constitution of the United States.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | 28 October 1754 |
| Place of Birth | Charleston, South Carolina |
| Parents | Henry Laurens and Eleanor Ball Laurens |
| Education | England, Switzerland, France |
| Languages | French |
| Military Career | Aide-de-camp to General George Washington during the American Revolution |
| Colonel in the Continental Army | |
| Fought in the Battle of Brandywine, Battle of Germantown, Battle of Monmouth, and the Battle of the Combahee River | |
| Political Career | Member of the South Carolina Committee of Safety |
| Elected to the South Carolina Provincial Congress | |
| Elected President of the assembly | |
| Elected to the South Carolina House of Representatives | |
| Acted as a special emissary to France in 1781 | |
| Views on Slavery | Supported the recruitment of slaves to fight for their freedom as U.S. soldiers |
| Death | 27 August 1782, during the Battle of the Combahee River |
Explore related products
$9.99 $9.99
$22.99 $27.95
What You'll Learn
- John Laurens' efforts to recruit slaves to fight for freedom as US soldiers
- His involvement in the Continental Army and Washington's military family
- His friendship with Alexander Hamilton, immortalised in the musical 'Hamilton'
- His role as a member of the American Philosophical Society
- His father, Henry Laurens, was a Founding Father and President of the Continental Congress
John Laurens' efforts to recruit slaves to fight for freedom as US soldiers
John Laurens is best known for his efforts to recruit slaves to fight for freedom as US soldiers. He believed that black and white people shared a similar nature and could aspire to freedom in a republican society. He was also influenced by the growing abolitionist literature that circulated in England while he was studying there.
In early 1778, Laurens advised his father, Henry Laurens, who was then the President of the Continental Congress, to use forty slaves he stood to inherit as part of a brigade. Henry Laurens granted the request, but with reservations that caused postponement of the project. In March 1779, Congress approved the concept of a regiment of slaves and sent Laurens south to recruit a regiment of 3,000 black soldiers, promising them freedom in return for fighting. However, the plan faced strong opposition, and Laurens was ultimately unsuccessful. Laurens introduced his black regiment plan in the South Carolina House of Representatives in 1779, again in 1780, and a third time in 1782, meeting overwhelming rejection each time. Governor John Rutledge and General Christopher Gadsden were among the opponents.
Despite his privileged upbringing as the son of one of the largest slave traders in North America, Laurens believed that the republican principles the Americans were fighting for were hypocritical if they continued to utilize enslaved labour. He encouraged those around him, including George Washington, to consider freeing those they had enslaved. During the war, Laurens served as an aide-de-camp to Washington and became a devoted member of his "military family." He was also close friends with Alexander Hamilton and the Marquis de Lafayette, who were part of Washington's military inner circle.
Laurens was killed in the Battle of the Combahee River in August 1782, receiving a fatal wound at Chehaw Neck, South Carolina. Washington wrote of him, “he had not a fault that I ever could discover, unless intrepidity bordering upon rashness, could come under that denomination; & to this he was excited by the purest motives.”
ADHD Medication Misuse: Cheating or Academic Fraud?
You may want to see also
His involvement in the Continental Army and Washington's military family
John Laurens served as an aide-de-camp to George Washington during the American Revolution, becoming a devoted member of Washington's "military family.". He joined the Continental Army in 1777 and saw combat at the Battle of Brandywine. Washington chose Laurens to serve as one of his aides due to his fluency in French. During the war, he befriended other members of Washington's inner circle, including Alexander Hamilton and the Marquis de Lafayette.
Despite his privileged upbringing, Laurens believed that the Americans' continued reliance on enslaved labour undermined their republican principles. He was influenced by abolitionist literature that circulated in England while he was studying law there. Laurens encouraged those around him, including Washington, to consider freeing those they had enslaved. In 1778, he proposed the recruitment of a unit of enslaved men from the South who would gain their freedom upon completing their military service. The Continental Congress initially rejected this proposal, but it was later accepted in 1779 as British forces moved south. Laurens returned to South Carolina, hoping to raise his proposed regiment while assisting with the state's defence. However, his plan faced overwhelming political opposition, and he was ultimately unsuccessful in implementing it.
Laurens played a crucial role in Washington's surprise attack on British forces north of Philadelphia. When several attempts to capture a stone mansion occupied by the enemy failed, Laurens devised a daring plan with a French volunteer, Chevalier Duplessis-Mauduit. They set fire to the mansion's front door, and Laurens fought with his sword in one hand while applying the flame with the other. He sustained a slight wound in his right shoulder from a musket ball but managed to retreat safely.
Laurens was known for his bravery and recklessness in battle, and he was injured in every battle he fought. He was fatally wounded at Chehaw Neck, South Carolina, in 1782 during the Battle of the Combahee River. After his death, Washington wrote, "he had not a fault that I ever could discover, unless intrepidity bordering upon rashness, could come under that denomination; & to this he was excited by the purest motives."
Tennessee's Constitution: Balanced Budget Requirements Explained
You may want to see also
His friendship with Alexander Hamilton, immortalised in the musical 'Hamilton'
John Laurens is well known due to his friendship with Alexander Hamilton, which has been immortalised in the musical Hamilton. Hamilton and Laurens were both part of the close male circle surrounding General George Washington, whom he affectionately called his "military family". Hamilton and Laurens exchanged several letters, some of which were passionate in tone, leading to speculation about the nature of their relationship.
In one letter, Hamilton writes,
> "I acknowledge but one letter from you, since you left us, of the 14th of July which just arrived in time to appease a violent conflict between my friendship and my pride. I have written you five or six letters since you left Philadelphia and I should have written you more had you made proper return. But like a jealous lover, when I thought you slighted my caresses, my affection was alarmed and my vanity piqued. I had almost resolved to lavish no more of them upon you and to reject you as an inconstant and an ungrateful — [a space is here left blank in the manuscript, a word identifying Laurens is left unwritten by Hamilton, who continues:] But you have now disarmed my resentment and by a single mark of attention made up the quarrel. You must at least allow me a large stock of good nature."
In another letter, Hamilton writes,
> "Cold in my professions, warm in [my] friendships, I wish, my Dear Laurens, it [might] be in my power, by action rather than words, [to] convince you that I love you. I shall only tell you that 'till you bade us Adieu, I hardly knew the value you had taught my heart to set upon you. Indeed, my friend, it was not well done."
Despite the passionate tone of Hamilton's letters, surviving letters from Laurens to Hamilton were notably less frequent and less affectionate. Massey, a scholar who studied the pair's correspondence, dismissed speculations about a romantic relationship between the two, concluding that their relationship was platonic and formed by their shared devotion to the revolution and mutual ambition for fame.
John Laurens was killed in a minor shootout with a British foraging party on 27 August 1782. It is doubtful that Hamilton's last letter reached him.
Presidential Term Limits: How Long is Too Long?
You may want to see also
Explore related products
His role as a member of the American Philosophical Society
John Laurens is best known for his efforts to help recruit slaves to fight for their freedom as U.S. soldiers. He promoted the idea of arming slaves and granting them freedom in return for their service. In 1779, Laurens gained approval from the Continental Congress for his plan to recruit a brigade of 3,000 slaves, but the plan was defeated by political opposition in South Carolina.
John Laurens was also a member of the American Philosophical Society, America's first scholarly society, founded by fellow Founding Father Benjamin Franklin. Laurens was elected to the society due to his considerable interest in science and medicine as a youth. Although he was not in Philadelphia with most members, Laurens corresponded with them, and many of his correspondences discussed the rising conflict between the American Colonies and Britain.
Through his involvement with the American Philosophical Society, Laurens became a strong supporter of the American Colonies in their dispute with Britain and became involved in politics. He joined the South Carolina Committee of Safety and, in 1775, was elected to the South Carolina Provincial Congress. He was eventually elected President of the assembly.
In addition to his role in the American Philosophical Society, Laurens also served as an aide-de-camp to George Washington during the American Revolution and was a member of Washington's "military family." He was selected for this role due to his fluency in French and developed close relationships with other members of Washington's inner circle, including Alexander Hamilton and the Marquis de Lafayette.
Deed Recording: Actual or Constructive Notice?
You may want to see also
His father, Henry Laurens, was a Founding Father and President of the Continental Congress
John Laurens was an American soldier and statesman from South Carolina during the American Revolutionary War. He was born in 1754 to Henry Laurens and Eleanor Ball Laurens, a couple from Charleston, South Carolina, whose families were prosperous rice planters. John Laurens' father, Henry Laurens, was a Founding Father and President of the Continental Congress.
Henry Laurens was a successful businessman, planter, and well-respected citizen of Charleston. He had made his fortune in the slave trade and was active in politics during the American Revolution. He was elected to serve in the Second Continental Congress in early 1777. While in the Continental Congress, Henry Laurens became a very influential member of the assembly and was named the fifth President of the Continental Congress, succeeding John Hancock. As president, he presided over the approval of the Articles of Confederation by the Continental Congress. He was among the first to sign the Articles on July 9, 1778, after they were ratified by his Colony of South Carolina.
Henry Laurens left the Continental Congress in 1780 to travel to Amsterdam and negotiate a treaty with the Dutch. However, his ship was intercepted by the British, and he was imprisoned in the Tower of London under suspicion of high treason. He was later released in December 1781 as part of an exchange for the freedom of Lord Cornwallis. After his release, Henry Laurens joined John Jay, John Adams, and Benjamin Franklin in Paris to negotiate a treaty to formally end the American Revolutionary War.
John Laurens, influenced by his father's political involvement and the growing abolitionist literature in England, became a strong advocate for emancipation. He proposed a plan to recruit 3,000 slaves into the Continental Army, promising them freedom in return for their military service. Despite gaining approval from the Continental Congress, his plan faced strong political opposition in South Carolina and was ultimately unsuccessful. John Laurens also served as an aide-de-camp to General George Washington during the American Revolution and was a member of his "military family." He was present at Washington's major battles and was known for his bravery and fiery temperament.
Mahele to Bayonet: A Constitutional Journey
You may want to see also
Frequently asked questions
John Laurens was an American soldier and statesman from South Carolina during the American Revolutionary War. He served as an aide-de-camp to General George Washington and was a member of his military family. He fought in several battles, including Brandywine, Germantown, Valley Forge, and Monmouth, and was injured in all of them. He was eventually killed in the Battle of the Combahee River in 1782.
John Laurens advocated for the freedom of enslaved African Americans and recruited slaves to fight for their freedom as U.S. soldiers. He proposed a plan to Congress to recruit a brigade of 3,000 slaves, promising them freedom in exchange for their military service. However, his plan faced political opposition and was ultimately unsuccessful.
John Laurens was a close friend of Alexander Hamilton, and they served together in Washington's "military family." They also testified against Charles Lee during his court-martial and fought a duel with him. John Laurens' relationship with Hamilton has been portrayed in the musical "Hamilton: An American Musical."
John Laurens was the son of Henry Laurens, a successful businessman, planter, and statesman in South Carolina. John was born into a privileged life and received an education in England and Switzerland before returning to America in 1777 to join the Continental Army.
