New Page 1
Carter Braxton
Signer of the Declaration of Independence
CARTER
BRAXTON was born on his father's
successful tobacco plantation in Newington, Virginia on September 10, 1736. He
was educated at William and Mary College and, while still in his teens,
inherited the large family estate upon the death of his father. At the age of
nineteen he married a wealthy heiress named Judith Robinson, who died two years
later, leaving two daughters.
After the death
of his wife, Braxton spent three years in England and upon his return home, he
in 1761 he married Elizabeth Corbin, the daughter of a British colonel who was
the Receiver of Customs in Virginia for the King. He lived in great splendor in
richly furnished mansions on two of his plantations and he produced a total of
sixteen children, though only ten of these survived infancy.
Braxton entered
the House of Burgess about that time and in 1765 he supported Patrick Henry's
Stamp Act Resolutions with vigor as the imposition of import taxes were
adversely affecting his own business interests. Braxton was elected in 1774 to
the convention that met in Williamsburg after Lord Dunmore's dissolution of the
assembly, and it was in that body he recommended a general congress of the
colonies. The convention agreed to make a common cause with Boston and to break
off commercial association with Britain.
The Virginia
convention upon reassembling in March 1775, adopted measures for the defense of
the country, and for the encouragement of domestic production of textiles, iron
and gunpowder. On April 20, 1775 Lord Dunmore had taken powder belonging to
Virginia to a British vessel in the James River. Patrick Henry, a leader of the
militia, flew to arms and refused to disband his troops and insisted upon making
reprisals on the King's property in an amount sufficient to cover the value of
the powder. Braxton interceded and obtained from his father-in-law, the receiver
general of customs, a bill on Philadelphia for the amount of Patrick Henry's
demand. Henry dismissed his men and bloodshed was for the time averted.
However, Braxton
did not share the same zeal for freedom from England as did his colleagues. He
was convinced that a possible civil war was far more dangerous than
democracy. Braxton was chosen on December 15, 1775 to succeed Peyton Randolph as
delegate to the Continental congress when Randolph died in October 1775, and
took his seat in February 1776. Eloquently, he took to the floor of Congress to
air his opposition to a hasty and complete break from England. No record exists
on how Braxton actually voted. However, he signed the document on August 2,
1776. Nine days later he returned to Virginia where he took his former seat in
the state legislature. He served there in various capacities until his death.
The great
fortune that Braxton inherited he risked in extensive commercial
enterprises. During the Revolutionary War, just about every shipping vessel in
which he held an interest was either sunk or captured by the British. He fell
deeper and deeper in debt and was forced to sell off his vast land holdings and
the debts due him became worthless on account of the depreciation of the
currency.
Carter Braxton
died of a stroke on October 10, 1797 at the age of sixty-one.
BRAXTON, Carter, signer of the Declaration of Independence, born in
Newington, King and Queen county, Virginia, 10 September, 1736; died in
Richmond, Virginia, 10 October, 1797. He inherited a large estate in land and
slaves from his father and grandfather, was educated at William and Mary
College, and married, at the age of nineteen, a wealthy heiress named Judith
Robinson, who died two years later, leaving two daughters. After spending two or
three years in England he married Elizabeth Corbin, daughter of the king's
receiver-general of customs, and lived in great splendor in richly furnished
mansions on two of his plantations.
He entered the House of Burgesses about 1761, and in 1765 supported Patrick
Henry's stamp-act resolutions with vigor. He was a member of the subsequent
legislatures that were dissolved by the governor, and of the Virginia convention
of 1769. In the assembly elected ill place of the one dissolved by Lord
Botetourt in 1769, Mr. Braxton was appointed on three of the six standing
committees. After its dissolution by Lord Dunmore, 12 October, 1771, he
sufficient to cover the value of the powder, Mr. Braxton interceded and obtained
from his father-in-law, the receiver-general, a bill on Philadelphia for the
amount of Henry's demand, whereupon the latter dismissed his men, and bloodshed
was for the time averted. Braxton was chosen a member of the last House of
Burgesses, which was elected immediately after the dissolution in May, 1774, and
convened on 1 June, 1775. He was a member of the general convention that, after
the flight of the governor on 7 June, was convened in Richmond on 17 July, 1775,
and, assuming the powers of the executive and the legislature, passed acts for
the organization of the militia and minute-men. He was one of the eleven members
of the committee of safety appointed by that body.
Peyton Randolph, delegate to the continental
congress from Virginia, and the first president of that body, died in October,
1775, and when the convention reassembled, on 1 December, in Richmond, and
afterward in Williamsburg, Mr. Braxton was chosen, on 15 December, 1775, to
succeed the deceased representative. He affixed his name to the Declaration of
Independence on 4 July, 1776, but, in consequence of a resolve passed by the
Virginia convention on 20 June, 1776, reducing the number of delegates from
Virginia in the general congress from seven to five, he ceased, on 11 August,
1776, to be a member of the congress. His "Address to the Convention of Virginia
on the Subject of Government" (Philadelphia, 1776) contained sentiments not
relished by the more eager patriots. His popularity was, however, not so much
impaired but that he was elected to succeed William Aylett (who resigned to join
the army) in the general convention, and in virtue of that election he became a
member of the first House of Delegates under the constitution. He was chairman
of the committee of religion, made the reports of the committee of grievances
and propositions, and was a member of the committee of trade, and of important
special committees. He was a member of the House of Delegates in 1777, 1779,
1780, 1781, 1783, and 1785.
In the latter year he supported Jefferson's act for the freedom of religion.
In January, 1786, he was appointed a member of the Privy Council, or council of
state, and remained in that office till 30 March, 1791. He then returned to the
legislature as member for Henrico County, having removed to Richmond in 1786. In
1793 he was again appointed by the general assembly a member of the executive
council, and continued to serve until his death. The great fortune that he
inherited he risked in extensive commercial enterprises, and during the
revolutionary war his vessels were captured by the enemy, the debts due him
became worthless on account of the depreciation of the currency, and he was
involved in endless litigation and interminable pecuniary embarrassments, into
which his sons-in-law and other friends were also drawn.
