Button Gwinnett (1735–1777)

Button Gwinnett was a merchant and statesman who represented Georgia during the pivotal early years of the Revolution. Born in Gloucestershire, England, he emigrated to Savannah in 1765 and established himself as a trader and planter. Gwinnett became a leader of the "radical" faction in Georgia politics, pushing for immediate separation from Britain. As a delegate to the Continental Congress, he signed the Declaration of Independence, after which he returned to Georgia to help draft the state’s first constitution. His political career was marked by a bitter rivalry with Lachlan McIntosh, a commander of the Georgia Continental battalions. This feud culminated in a pistol duel in May 1777. Gwinnett was wounded in the leg and died three days later from gangrene. Because of his brief time in the national spotlight, his signature is considered one of the rarest and most valuable in American history.