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West Virginia University

Crisis manager of the American Revolution: Henry Laurens

Abstract

dc:description.abstract

As President of the Continental Congress, Henry Laurens was a firm leader amid a time of national emergency. When a dispute within the Continental Army threatened both the continuation of General Washington's command and the American alliance with France, Laurens went beyond his limited sphere of political authority to settle the matter. When a peace commission from England arrived in the United States to begin discussing terms for an end to the hostilities, Laurens found himself in an increasingly difficult diplomatic situation. While wrestling with the question of whether or not to accept the British offer, Laurens was also forced to hold the tenuous union of thirteen sovereign states together amid internal disputes, some of which had spilled over into the national government. Throughout his term, Laurens stood out as an advocate for national unification against the British and contributed an essential service to the American Revolution.

Degree

thesis:*
Name thesis:degree_name
MA
Level thesis:degree_level
Thesis
Discipline thesis:degree_discipline
History
Year dc:date.available
2005

Author and committee

dc:creator, dc:contributor.*
Author dc:creator
  • Gudzune, Jeffrey R.
Contributors dc:contributor
  • Mary Lou Lustig.
  • Kenneth Fones-Wolf
  • John Super

Subjects

dc:subject × 2

Identifiers

dc:identifier.*
OAI identifier oai:identifier
oai:researchrepository.wvu.edu:etd-1776

Chain of custody

source
Harvested from
West Virginia University
Base URL
researchrepository.wvu.edu/do/oai/
Last updated
2026-07-24
Source record
OAI-PMH GetRecord
citation

Gudzune, Jeffrey R.. Crisis manager of the American Revolution: Henry Laurens. Thesis thesis, 2005. https://doi.org/10.33915/etd.773