Henry Laurens (March 6, 1724 [O.S. February 24, 1723] – December 8, 1792) was an American merchant, slave trader, and rice planter from South Carolina who became a political leader during the Revolutionary War. A delegate to the Second Continental Congress, Laurens succeeded John Hancock as President of the Congress. He was a signatory to the Articles of Confederation and President of the Continental Congress when the Articles were passed on November 15, 1777. His oldest son, John Laurens, was an aide-de-camp to George Washington and a colonel in the Continental Army.