Gadsden, Christopher, 1724-1805

Christopher Gadsden (February 16, 1724 – August 28, 1805) was an American politician who was the principal leader of the South Carolina Patriot movement during the American Revolution. He was a delegate to the Continental Congress, a brigadier general in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War, Lieutenant Governor of South Carolina, a merchant, and the designer of the Gadsden flag. He is a signatory to the Continental Association and a Founding Father of the United States.

Born in Charleston in the Province of South Carolina, he was sent to school near Bristol, England before returning to America and serving as an apprentice at a counting house in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. From 1745 to 1746 he was a purser on a British warship during King George's War. He then entered into mercantile ventures. Gadsden began his rise to prominence as a merchant and patriot in Charleston. He prospered as a merchant and built the wharf in Charleston that bears his name. Between its completion in 1767 until 1787 and 1803 to 1808, it is estimated that 40% (about 100,000 enslaved people) were brought to America through his wharf. He was captain of a militia company during a 1759 expedition against the Cherokee.

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