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Edmund Randolph (1753-1813).
John Angel James Wilcox (b. 1835).
Engraving, undated.
Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division. Reproduction Number: LC-USZ62-40627.
Edmund Randolph (1753-1813)
Edmund Randolph's family was prominent in Virginia for generations; young Edmund was introduced to many of the most influential men of his time at the family dinner table.
Although his father remained a firm Loyalist throughout the American Revolution, Randolph joined the war effort as an aide-de-camp to General George Washington. After the war, Randolph became Mayor of Williamsburg, a delegate to the Continental Congress, and eventually, Governor of Virginia -- a position he held when named to serve in the Constitutional Convention. Although he cared enough about strengthening the central government to attend the Constitutional Convention, Randolph did not sign the completed document; to him, the government outlined in the Constitution was too strong -- "the foetus of a monarchy."
