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| George Wythe, Signer of the Declaration of Independence, 1726-1806 Mini Biography for May By Gary Wilson |  |
If it takes all kinds to start a revolution, George Wythe demonstrates that not all revolutionaries need be a Patrick Henry or a John Adams. George Wythe was born (1726) into comfortable circumstances in what is now Hampton, Virginia. Early in life his parents died, leaving him to be raised by an older brother. The brother sent Wythe to Prince George County to read law. After entering the bar, Wythe married his partner’s sister, but the marriage was cut short by her death. Wythe’s brother also died near this time, leaving Wythe with the family estate and sufficient resources to live comfortably.
During this time, young Wythe was recognized by the Lieutenant Governor for his strong legal ability and was appointed Virginia’s Attorney General. Now working in Williamsburg, Wythe remarried and moved into the home designed and built by his father-in-law on Palace Green near the Governor’s Palace. Wythe lived a quiet life, teaching law and classical history and languages. Politics also occupied his time. He served in the House of Burgesses and as Mayor of Williamsburg. Beneath the placid exterior, Wythe could rise to fight as challenges emerged. In 1764, he responded to the Stamp Act with resolutions too strong for the Burgesses to adopt.
Wythe seemed to fall into the revolutionary movement easily. He was appointed to the Continental Congress where he voted for Independence, but was not on hand to sign the document with the other delegates. Wythe went on to support the adoption of the United States Constitution, hold numerous legal and elected posts, and earlier, taught Thomas Jefferson law. Wythe’s career advanced American independence, constitutional government, the rule of law, and all while devoting energy to classical scholarship. As the Virginia Capitol moved to Richmond, so did Wythe to attend his public duties. Wythe continued to teach—anyone interested in the classics without cost—and young promising students such as Henry Clay. In 1806, while taking up the Hebrew language, Wythe was apparently poisoned by his nephew to obtain his inheritance. The nephew, however, made the critical mistake of using a poison that allowed Wythe sufficient time to change his will, cutting out the patricide. No conviction was obtained as the testimony of slaves was not admitted in Virginia courts.
Steady, studious, and devoted to scholarship, Wythe was a quiet hero