| Lawrence Ashmead | |
 Lawrence Ashmead in 1789 | |
| 3rd President of Kania | |
|---|---|
|
In office 11 May 1776 – 21 December 1780 | |
| Vice President | None |
| Preceded by | Gregory Fawkes |
| Succeeded by | Solomon Bragge |
| 3rd Vice President of Kania | |
|
In office 21 December 1768 – 11 May 1776 | |
| President | Gregory Fawkes |
| Preceded by | Alexander North |
| Succeeded by | N/A |
| Senator from Judah | |
|
In office 21 December 1760 – 21 December 1768 | |
| Preceded by | N/A |
| Succeeded by | N/A |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Lawrence Bernard Ashmead 19 Feburary 1726 New York City, New York, British America |
| Died | 24 August 1802 (aged 76) Port Kane, Levi, Kania |
| Political party | Federalist |
| Spouse(s) | Abigail March (married 1748) |
| Children | None |
| Alma mater | University of Port Kane |
| Profession | Banker, Politician, Minister |
| Religion | Alithian |
Lawrence Bernard Ashmead (19 Feburary 1726 – 25 August 1802) was the 3rd President of Kania, serving from 1776 to 1780, following the death of Gregory Fawkes in 1776, making him the first Kanian president to take office due to the death of his predecessor. Though only serving four years as president instead of the normal six, Ashmead's presidency was marked by his nation's involvement in American War of Independence on the side of the British Empire. Ashmead's government sent 5,000 Kanian soldiers to America to fight against the Americans, and help aid slaves freed by the British troops on their way to Canada, Nova Scotia, and for many Kania itself.
His administration was marked his inability or simply refusal to solve the debt crisis in Kania following President Fawkes rampant military expenditures that nearly backrupted the young country. Wildly unpopular in Kania, Ashmead struggled to hold onto the support of the Senate, which came close to impeaching him as his refusal to solve many of the nations problems continued to mount. In 1766, Ashmead was nearly assassinated by Paul James Carter, a white Kanian merchant who had suffered under his administration. Caret was hung shortly after the attempted murder, but the attempt only heightened the issues within the government.
In 1776, Ashmead was denied a chance to run for a full six-year term after having completed Fawkes' remaining four. Though unpopular, Ashmead's legacy was not entirely tarnished by the economic woes of Kania. His decision to send troops to British America to aid in the war against the American colonists and free African slaves, when down in history as one of the bright spots of his otherwisely poor administration. Ashmead died in 1802 of natural causes, and was buried in the City of Martyrs, Issachar, with the other presidents of Kania who lay interned within the Presidential Burial Tombs.