Overview
Button Gwinnett was a merchant, planter, and politician who was born in England and immigrated to Georgia in 1765. Upon arrival, he established a plantation on St. Catherines Island. He served as a delegate to the Second Continental Congress, signed the Declaration of Independence, and briefly served as Georgia’s “President of the State.” A rivalry with General Lachlan McIntosh led to a duel in May 1777, in which he was mortally wounded. His early death and limited public record made his autograph one of the rarest among the Signers of the Declaration of Independence and Founding Fathers.
Personal Facts
- Born: March 3, 1735, in Down Hatherley, Gloucestershire, England.
- Parents: Samuel Gwinnett (father) and Anne Gwinnett (mother).
- Spouse: Ann Bourne (1757).
- Died: May 19, 1777, near Savannah, Georgia. 42 years old.
- Buried:. Colonial Park Cemetery, Savannah, Georgia.
- Part of: Signers of the Declaration of Independence.
Significance
Button Gwinnett is important to American History because he signed the Declaration of Independence, making him one of the nation’s Founding Fathers.
Biography
Early Life
Button Gwinnett was born around 1735 and grew up in Down Hatherley, Gloucestershire, England. He was the son of Samuel and Anne Gwinnett and was baptized on April 10, 1735. His family had roots in Wales, and his mother’s relatives held respected positions in Herefordshire. He married Ann Bourne of Wolverhampton on April 19, 1757.
Move to Georgia
For several years before and after 1760, Button Gwinnett worked in exporting goods to the American Colonies. By September 1765, he had moved to Savannah, Georgia, where he worked as a merchant. In October 1765, he purchased St. Catherines Island, a 36-square-mile tract on the Georgia coast near the port of Sunbury, and started working as a planter.
Entry into Georgia Politics
Sunbury served as the “capital” for settlers from New England, and through them, especially his close friend Lyman Hall, Button Gwinnett developed an interest in politics. He served as a Justice of the Peace in 1767 and 1768 and became a member of the Georgia Colonial Assembly in 1769, although he was not always active. Over the next five years, he avoided public life, which is believed to be due to financial problems with his plantation.
AHC Notes
- Lyman Hall (1724–1790) — Hall was a New England–born physician and political leader who became a key figure in Georgia’s shift toward supporting independence during the American Revolutionary War. After guiding St. John’s Parish to elect him as its delegate, he joined the Continental Congress in 1775 and later signed the Declaration of Independence. He served as Governor of Georgia in 1783 and promoted the creation of the University of Georgia, one of the nation’s first state-supported universities, through a major land grant.
Signer of the Declaration of Independence
In January 1776, Button Gwinnett attended a meeting of the Georgia Council of Safety, where he was chosen as one of five delegates to the Second Continental Congress. He reached Philadelphia in May, took an active role in the sessions, and signed the Declaration of Independence on August 2.
- Gwinnett was also a member of the Committee of Thirteen that was assigned to “prepare a plan to unite the colonies.” This plan eventually became the Articles of Confederation.
- Gwinnett returned to Savannah by late August.
Return to Georgia
Button Gwinnett hoped to become a General in Georgia’s military forces, but his efforts failed. Instead, he accepted election as the Speaker of the Georgia Assembly in October and won another term as a delegate to the Continental Congress. In the months that followed, he helped draft Georgia’s first constitution and helped block attempts to place Georgia under South Carolina’s control.
In March 1777, after the sudden death of Governor Archibald Bulloch, Gwinnett became the “President of the State of Georgia” and commander-in-chief of the army. He held these positions for about two months before unexpectedly losing his reelection bid to another member of his own political faction. As President, he drew opposition from conservative leaders because of his ties to his more “radical” allies, who were influenced by their ties to the New England Colonies.
Conflict and Duel With Lachlan McIntosh
General Lachlan McIntosh strongly opposed Button Gwinnett, especially after he ordered the arrest of McIntosh’s brother on suspicion of treason. Their overlapping military and civil authority created ongoing tension.
A failed Georgia expedition against British forces in East Florida in the spring of 1777 led the Georgia Assembly to investigate whether Gwinnett or General McIntosh was at fault. The inquiry cleared Button Gwinnett of blame, but McIntosh, upset at the outcome, publicly called him a “scoundrel and a lying rascal” in a session of the General Assembly.
The next morning, May 16, the two men met in a duel on the outskirts of Savannah. Both were wounded, and Gwinnett died three days later, on May 19. McIntosh was also wounded in the duel, but survived. Gwinnett’s supporters tried to have McIntosh charged with murder, but he was transferred north to the army under General George Washington.
Gwinnett died with significant debt, and his burial place remains unknown, although it is believed to be in Colonial Park Cemetery, Savannah.
Due to his early death, Gwinnett’s autograph is rare, with only 51 known to exist.
AHC Notes
- Lachlan McIntosh (1725–1806) — McIntosh was a politician and a General in the Continental Army who is most well-known for killing Button Gwinnett in a duel and leading troops during the failed Siege of Savannah (1779).
