Braxton, Carter, 1736-1797

Carter Braxton (September 10, 1736 – October 10, 1797) was a signer of the United States Declaration of Independence, a merchant, planter, a Founding Father of the United States and a Virginia politician. A grandson of Robert "King" Carter, one of the wealthiest and most powerful landowners and slaveholders in the Old Dominion, Braxton was active in Virginia's legislature for more than 25 years, generally allied with Landon Carter, Benjamin Harrison V, Edmund Pendleton and other conservative planters.

Born on Newington Plantation in King and Queen County, Virginia, Braxton was educated at the College of William & Mary. He established himself as a merchant, trading between the West Indies and American colonies and establishing relationships with Bayard & Son of New York and Willing & Morris of Philadelphia. Braxton began his long career representing King William County in the Virginia House of Burgesses, taking his seat in 1761. Although always considered a moderate or conservative politician, Braxton signed the First Virginia Association intended to protest the Townshend duties on tea and other products, but like his ally Landon Carter, not the Second Association which set up boycott compliance mechanism, nor the Third Virginia Association pledging not to purchase various East Indian commodities. However, in 1774 Braxton returned to Williamsburg as King William County's delegate (with William Aylett), and joined 108 others in the Fourth Virginia Association, which authorized local committees of safety as well as volunteer militia.

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