Edward Rutledge
The youngest signer of the Declaration of Independence, a pragmatic South Carolina lawyer who balanced revolutionary fervor with political caution.
1749–1800 (age 51)·American Founding Father and politician·Birthday: November 23
Biography
Edward Rutledge, a Charleston lawyer educated in England, entered the Continental Congress in 1776 as a voice of the Southern planter class. At 26, he was the youngest man to put his name on the Declaration of Independence, but his journey to that moment was one of deliberation. Initially, he opposed Lee's Resolution for independence, arguing for securing foreign alliances first and fearing the document's anti-slavery clause would divide the colonies. He ultimately voted yes and signed, committing treason for the cause. After the war, his politics turned more conservative; he defended Loyalists, served in the state legislature, and as governor, he confronted the threat of slave insurrections. Rutledge's career embodies the complex transition from revolutionary to nation-builder, where idealism was tempered by the realities of economic interest and social order.
#1 When Edward Was Born
The biggest hits of 1749
Edward's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1749Born
1754Started school
1762Became a teenager
1765Could drive
1767Could vote
1770Turned 21
1779Turned 30
1789Turned 40
1799Turned 50
1800Died at 51
Key Achievements
- Became the youngest signatory of the United States Declaration of Independence at age 26.
- Served as a captain of artillery in the South Carolina militia during the Revolutionary War.
- Represented South Carolina in the Continental Congress from 1774 to 1777.
- Elected as the 39th Governor of South Carolina, serving from 1798 until his death.
- Served in the South Carolina state legislature for multiple terms after the war.
Did You Know?
He was captured by the British during the siege of Charleston in 1780 and held as a prisoner of war for a year.
His older brother, John Rutledge, was a signer of the Constitution and a Supreme Court Chief Justice.
He died in office as governor of South Carolina in January 1800.
He initially voted against the Lee Resolution for independence on July 1, 1776, before voting in favor on July 2.
“The rights of the states must be secured, or the Union must be dissolved.”
