The Reluctant Rebel: The Patriot Who Needed Persuading

In this installment of ‘When Character Counted,’ we focus on a signer of the Declaration of Independence who came cautiously to the cause of freedom.

Signatures of a published copy of the Declaration of Independence. Carter Braxton signature is at the bottom of the third column. Public Domain

Even as the war with Great Britain raged and delegates in Philadelphia moved toward a complete breakaway from the mother country, Carter Braxton (1736–1797) resisted the calls for independence and a republic. As late as April 1776, while serving as a Virginia delegate to the Continental Congress, he wrote, “Independence is in truth an elusive bait which men inconsiderably catch at, without know the hook to which it is affixed.”

Yet in July 1776, the wealthy Braxton voted in favor of the Declaration of Independence. From that point on, he adopted the old adage, “In for a penny, in for a pound” in his support of the Revolution. Though the reasons for this shift in attitude remain hidden, Braxton gave time and treasure for the cause of freedom. That resulted in the loss of much of his wealth.