Button Gwinnett
Button Gwinnett | |
|---|---|
| 8th Governor of Georgia | |
| In office February 22, 1777 – May 8, 1777 | |
| Preceded by | Archibald Bulloch |
| Succeeded by | John Adam Treutlen |
| Member of the Continental Congress from Georgia | |
| In office 1776–1777 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | March 3, 1735 Gloucester, Gloucestershire |
| Died | May 19, 1777 (aged 42) near Savannah, Georgia, U.S. |
| Spouse | Ann Bourne |
| Signature | |
Button Gwinnett (/ɡwɪˈnɛt/ gwin-ET; March 3, 1735 – May 19, 1777) was a British-born American Founding Father who, as a representative of Georgia to the Continental Congress, was one of the signers of the United States Declaration of Independence (first signature on the left). Gwinnett was briefly the provisional president of Georgia in 1777, and Gwinnett County (now a major suburb of metropolitan Atlanta) was named for him. He was named in honor of his mother’s cousin, Barbara Button, who became his godmother. Gwinnett was killed in a duel by rival Lachlan McIntosh following a dispute after a failed invasion of East Florida.