Carter Braxton

Carter Braxton (* September 16, 1736 at the Newington Plantation, King and Queen County, Virginia, colony of the Kingdom of Great Britain (now USA), † October 10, 1797 ) was a signer of the Declaration of Independence for Virginia one of the founding fathers of the United States.

Braxton studied at the College of William & Mary in Virginia. At age 19, he married the heiress Judith Robinson, who died two years later, after they had gotten together two daughters. He traveled to England for two years. In 1760 he returned, married Elizabeth Corbinand and represented King William County in the House of Burgesses. He joined in 1774 the patriotic Security Committee and represented his County in Congress from Virginia. As Peyton Randolph, 1775, died Braxton was nominated to take his place in the Continental Congress. He served from February to August 1776 in Congress, to Virginia reduced its delegation to five members. After that, he was for several election periods (1776-1783, 1785-1786, 1790-1794) to the new House of Representatives from Virginia and later served in the Staatsexekutivrat.

Braxton invested a large part of his wealth in the independence movement. He gave money for this purpose and financed ships and privateers. The British destroyed Braxton's investment in ships and several of his plantations were also destroyed during the war. Braxton accumulated during the war to large debts and recovered financially and never again. He was forced in 1786 to sell his property and move into a smaller one in Richmond.

The Braxton County in what is now West Virginia was named after Carter Braxton.

Pictures of Carter Braxton

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