This print depicts South Carolina native Henry Laurens as president of the Continental Congress, a position he held from 1777 to 1778. The British later captured Laurens as he traveled to seek aid from Holland for the Revolution. Imprisoned in the Tower of London, Laurens was released in exchange for British General Charles Cornwallis. He later went as one of the delegation that negotiated the Treaty of Paris ending the war. Prior to the war, Laurens was a partner in Austin and Laurens, the largest slave-trading firm in North America. He owned several plantations in South Carolina and Georgia and enslaved hundreds of people.

Interestingly, Henry’s son was John Laurens (1754–1782), who is a featured character in Hamilton: An American Musical. He was an aide-de-camp to George Washington and became close friends with two of his fellow aides-de-camp, Alexander Hamilton and the Marquis de Lafayette. He is best known for his criticism of slavery and his efforts to help recruit slaves to fight for their freedom as American soldiers.