About the Collection
The Henry Laurens Papers, 1747-1860 collection consists of correspondence, Congressional and military records, and other items.
Henry Laurens (1724-1792) was a Charleston, S.C. merchant, plantation owner, South Carolina state legislator, U.S. Continental Congressman, and U.S. diplomat. In November 1777, Laurens became president of the U.S. Continental Congress and served in that role when the Articles of Confederation were adopted. In 1780, Laurens was sailing to the Netherlands to negotiate a treaty when his ship was intercepted, and he was arrested under suspicion of high treason and taken to the Tower of London. He was the only American ever to be imprisoned there.
The Henry Laurens Papers also contain the papers and items of John Laurens (1754-1782), James Laurens (1728-1784), the Marquis de Lafayette (1757-1834), and William Piercy. This collection is still in the process of being digitized.
