The richest man in America signed a document that could have gotten him hanged, and when someone sneered that he was safe because no one would know which Charles Carroll to come for, he picked up the pen and told the British exactly where to find him.
His name was Charles Carroll, and the colonies were crawling with men who shared it. His own father was Charles Carroll of Annapolis. So when the Declaration of Independence came to him for signing in 1776, a delegate made a cruel little joke. He said Carroll risked nothing by signing. There were so many Charles Carrolls that the King's men would never know which one to hang.
Carroll didn't argue. He leaned over the page and added three words to his signature: "of Carrollton." The name of his estate. His address. He was the only signer in the entire room who wrote down where he lived, and he did it on purpose, so that if the British wanted to come hang the traitor, they would know exactly which door to knock on.
That is who Charles Carroll of Carrollton was.
Here is what makes the moment even sharper. He was not a man with little to lose. He was the single wealthiest man in the thirteen colonies and the largest private landowner among them. While George Washington and John Hancock get talked about as rich men, it was Carroll who topped them all. When he signed, he was wagering the biggest personal fortune in America against a noose.
And he was the last man anyone would have expected to be there at all. Carroll was Catholic. In colonial Maryland, a colony founded as a Catholic refuge that had since turned on its own, Catholics could not vote. They could not hold public office. They could not worship in public. The most educated, wealthiest man in America was, in the eyes of the law, a second-class subject barred from the very government he was helping to create. He had spent seventeen years being educated by Jesuits in France and spoke five languages fluently, and back home he still could not legally cast a ballot.
So he became the only Catholic to sign the Declaration of Independence, putting his name on a revolution that he hoped would build a country with room for men like him. That was its own enormous bet, made by a man the existing system had already shut out.
Then he simply outlived everyone.
Thomas Jefferson and John Adams both died on the same astonishing day, July 4, 1826, exactly fifty years after the Declaration. When they were gone, Charles Carroll of Carrollton was the last living signer left on earth. For six more years he was the final human link to that room in Philadelphia, the last hand that had signed, a living relic of the founding that ordinary Americans traveled to see and shake.
He finally died in November 1832 at the age of ninety-five, fifty-six years after he wrote his address on a treason document and dared the empire to come find him.
The richest man in America. The only Catholic. The last one standing. He had more to lose than any of them, every legal reason to stay quiet, and he signed his full address anyway.
We remember the names we were handed in school. We forget the man who made sure his couldn't be mistaken for anyone else's.
Which Founding Father do you think history shortchanged the most?
Heading East to Philadelphia for the Fourth! @UnionPacific Big Boy No. 4014 is the worldโs largest operating steam locomotive. Of the eight remaining Big Boys in existence today, No. 4014 is the only one still in operation.
This was a multi-year restoration effort. Bravo to the UP for making the commitment and then bringing her East for our nationโs 250th.
There are several stops along the way. Check their site for their schedule and a map that tracks the trainโs progress.
On this day in 1779, Benedict Arnold was court-martialed in Philadelphia. Charged with 13 counts, including misusing government wagons and illegal trading, the proceedings were delayed by a British attack and resumed later in New Jersey.
Though largely cleared, he received a reprimand from George Washington. This slight, combined with Arnoldโs growing resentment over the lack of recognition for his service, helped push him toward his infamous betrayal of the American cause the following year.
What do you think about Arnold? Is he misunderstood, or is his legacy accurately represented?
If you missed the discussion with @RobertEdsel about his book, ๐๐๐ข๐๐ข๐๐๐ง ๐๐จ, you can watch it again at https://t.co/GD1xoKdQQD
On this day in 1754, a 22-year-old George Washington drew โfirst bloodโ in the French and Indian War.
Leading Virginia militia in southwestern Pennsylvania, his forces ambushed a French scouting party from Fort Duquesne, killing 10 (including commander Jumonville) and capturing 21, only one colonial loss.
This skirmish is often considered the first shot of the war. This is also the moment when Washingtonโs military skills were recognized, and his trajectory began.
This summer, releasing right before July 4, is a new movie titled Young Washington, which will focus on his time during the French and Indian War.
Watch the trailer here: https://t.co/8oydNa89xS
On this Memorial Day, we honor the brave men and women of the Armed Forces who gave their lives for our country and extend our gratitude and respect to their families for this, the ultimate sacrifice.
Just saw the newest items that @TheHistoryList has released. I love the two new History Nerd shirts: Churchill and Ike, and they have several Rare Finds WWII books covering North Africa, the invasion of Sicily, the invasion of Europe, and war in the Pacific.
From the photos, itโs clear that the books are in impeccable condition. Iโm eyeing some of the books, but I canโt decide which History Nerd shirt to orderโIke, Churchill, or both?
Links in the comments for anyone interested in checking these out!
May 15, 1942: Legislation establishing the Womenโs Army Corps (WAAC) is signed into law.
Over 150,000 women served in vital non-combat positions during World War II, from mechanics and clerks to air traffic controllers,
making a significant contribution to the Allied effort.
https://t.co/IXYpRhnbgW
Starting in an Hour: Historian Tyler Anbinder joins us for a History Camp Author Discussion on his new book, ๐๐ญ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ต๐ช๐ง๐ถ๐ญ ๐๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฏ๐ต๐ณ๐บ: ๐๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐๐ณ๐ฆ๐ข๐ต ๐๐ฐ๐ต๐ข๐ต๐ฐ ๐๐ข๐ฎ๐ช๐ฏ๐ฆ ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฐ๐ง ๐๐ณ๐ช๐ด๐ฉ ๐๐ฆ๐ธ ๐ ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ฌ.
New research creates a more complete and more realistic picture of the โFamine Irishโ in Amerca. ๐ง๐๐น๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ป๐ฏ๐ถ๐ป๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ joins me this Thursday at 8 PM Eastern for a History Camp Author Discussion of his pioneering research and his new book, ๐๐ญ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ต๐ช๐ง๐ถ๐ญ ๐๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฏ๐ต๐ณ๐บ.
Announcing the most important shirt we have ever done. Recognizing the men who put their lives on the line by signing our Declaration of Independence. Made in America, of course.