George Walton began life very differently from many of our founders. He was born in Virginia sometime between September 1749 and February 1750. His father died near the time of this birth, and by the age of seven, he lost his mother as well. As a result, he was raised by his aunt and uncle in a family of thirteen children. At just fourteen years old, he apprenticed as a carpenter. However, in 1769, George left Virginia and moved to Georgia to apprentice with a lawyer. Beyond all expectations, George Walton pushed past every barrier to play a vital role in the founding of our country.
George Walton, Signer of the Declaration of Independence
George Walton quickly became involved in the fight for independence. He served as secretary of the Provincial Congress and then president of the Georgia Council of Safety. In 1776, he was elected to the Second Continental Congress, where he voted on and signed the Declaration of Independence. Only 26 years old, he was one of the youngest men to sign the document.
In addition to serving in the Congress and signing the Declaration, George Walton led a distinguished career. As a colonel in the Georgia Militia, he fought in the First Battle of Savannah. During the battle, he was shot and then captured by the British. Colonel Walton was a prisoner of war for ten months. After his release, he returned to his unit and fought for American Independence.
Throughout his life, George Walton not only served in the Continental Congress, but he was also twice governor of Georgia, a U. S. senator, three times chief justice of Georgia, and later as the state expanded, a circuit court judge. Walton lived his life in service to his state and his nation, serving in all three branches of government and the military.
Most importantly, George Walton shows us that life is full of possibilities. He pushed past every boundary and rose to serve his country. He gives us a unique lens to view our founders.
The Council proceeded to the election of a President by ballot, when George Walton, Esqr., was found to be duly elected and took his seat accordingly. From the Revolutionary Records of the Sate of Georgia, Vol. I
On May 1, George Walton receives a letter from Lachlan McIntosh to deliver to Button Gwinnett. Walton would also carry a letter from Archibald Bullock to John Adams, which he would deliver to him in Philadelphia on June 29. From Walton’s own correspondence, we know he spent time in Williamsburg along the way, where he worked to recruit troops for Georgia.
In a letter to John Adams, many years later, George Walton recalls how inspired he was by Adams speech in the Congress on July 1, 1776.
In 1776, after signing the Declaration of Independence, George Walton spent his Christmas in Philadelphia. With British forces closing in, the Continental Congress adjourned from Philadelphia on December 12 and reconvened in Baltimore on December 20, 1776, for safety. Three delegates remained behind George Walton along with Robert Morris and George Clymer. The men were appointed as a special committee to execute the necessary business of Congress in Philadelphia.