Carter Braxton

Devin Owen
MSMU Class of 2026

(7/2024) More often than not, we associate the Independence Day holiday with cookouts, beer, partying, red/white/blue color schemes, and days at the pool. I myself am not innocent in this either; the Fourth of July holiday has always been celebrated with water slides, outdoor games, big get-togethers and barbeques in the front yard of my childhood home or that of a friend’s. There are so many fond memories I have of spending the holiday partying with family and friends since childhood. Unfortunately, it seems that I haven’t put enough focus on the true meaning of this holiday. The ‘Fourth of July’ is the day in which America gained its independence is it not? When did the day become the National Day of Summer drinking and at-home festivals? We all celebrate in different ways; however, we must not forget the importance of this day and what it means for our nation!

In line with the forgotten, the motivation for this month’s article is to remind us of those who signed the Declaration of Independence, whose names we might not know. Contrary to popular belief, there was more signers than just Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, John Hancock, and Benjamin Franklin. Let us give the credit where it is due!

Let’s set the scene: 1736 in Newington Plantation Virginia, a baby boy by the name of Carter Braxton was born into immense wealth and a family that would quickly be broken apart as death targeted his parents in the earlier years of his life. Even without their parents by their side, the Braxton boys lived very lavishly in their youth—leading to the large debts that they would each carry through adulthood. Although their spending habits led to debt, it is not to say that the Braxton brothers were uneducated, especially Carter. In his early adult years, Carter attended the College of William and Mary, a prestigious institution located in Williamsburg, Virginia.

While in university, Carter was married to Judith Robinson in July 1755, at the age of nineteen. The couple would go on to have two daughters together by December 1757. Unfortunately, Judith passed during childbirth with their second daughter at this time, leaving Carter absolutely devastated. So overcome with grief from the loss of his love, he traveled to Europe for two years, unable to spend the time in the home which they shared. Upon his return, Carter went on to marry Elizabeth Corbin on May 15th, 1760. This union brought forth an additional sixteen children to the Braxton family: ten sons and six daughters, leading to a total of eighteen children sired by Carter Braxton.

Now that we have some knowledge of his personal life, let’s move on to his career and his role in the gaining of independence for America. Carter Braxton was a cultivator and trader of tobacco—a popular option for trade during the time—and was also considered a merchant given the nature of his occupation. Come the year 1761, he was the representative of King William County in the House of Burgess. Most notably though, Braxton was a member of the Continental Congress, having been elected on December 15th, 1775.

Ironically, Braxton was not originally a supporter of independence for the colonies. In fact, he was entirely against it for a time. He even goes so far as to say: "Independence is in truth an elusive bait which men inconsiderably catch at, without knowing the hook to which it is attached" in a pamphlet he wrote and published in 1776 (DSDI). It was not until late in the spring of 1776 that Braxton began his advocacy for independence; thus, leading to his signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 2nd of the same year.

As mentioned earlier, Braxton and his brother lived lavishly in their youth. Although he played part in America’s gaining of Independence from Britan, Carter Braxton was not perfect by any means. This lavish and wealthy lifestyle spoken of having led to the debt in which he faced in his adulthood. Encyclopedia Virginia emphasized that "even after selling land to satisfy some of his many creditors, he owned more than 12,000 acres and about 165 slaves during the 1770’s." However, Braxton was said to have lost nearly all of his wealth during the American Revolution through his support of the Union and the attack by the British forces. In addition to this, it was said that Braxton considered investing in the Slave Trade during the 1760’s—prior to his attempts to pay off his debts—but the Brown Brothers chose to proceed on their own, without the financial investments of Carter Braxton.

Here comes the irony into play yet again! Come the spring of the year 1776, when his support and advocacy of independence begins, Braxton invests a great deal of his remaining wealth into the American Revolution, now in favor of America gaining its freedom and liberty for all. I must say, that may have been his best investment thus far into his life. With the result of the revolution being what it was, Braxton’s money seemed to be well spent!

Carter Braxton was much more than just a signer of the Declaration of Independence, he was also a merchant, a member of the Continental Congress, a scholar, a William and Mary graduate, a representative in the House of Burgess, a slave-owner, an orphan, a husband, a father, a son, and so much more! His life seems to be so incredibly filled with adventure and the ups-and-downs which we would expect reality to bring. Survived by his children, Braxton’s time on Earth came to an end at just sixty-one years of age on October 10th, 1797, in Richmond, Virginia. While he may be gone, let us all hope that he is never forgotten.

The purpose of this month’s article in Four Years at The Mount was to give a story back to the name; to both remember and reintroduce the forgotten. While not much has been said about the Declaration of Independence in this article, a forgotten signer of said document is invited to be remembered throughout it.