The Signers George Wythe
George Wythe
William H. Crossman
America, 1927
Gift of the Vestry of Bruton Parish Church
George Wythe
(1726-1806)
Wythe rose to prominence as a lawyer in Williamsburg. Elected to the House of Burgesses, he resigned upon becoming clerk of the House. At the Continental Congress he was effective behind the scenes in support of independence. Having returned to Virginia to help prepare a state constitution, Wythe missed the vote for independence and the approval of the Declaration. He might have signed when he returned to Philadelphia in the fall, but it is quite possible that he had authorized someone else to sign for him. Back in Virginia, Wythe became a judge, America's first law professor, and a key supporter of the Constitution in Virginia's ratifying convention. More about George Wythe . . .
