Braxton, Carter (1736-1797), an American statesman, was a Virginia signer of the Declaration of Independence. He was born in Newington, Va., the son of a wealthy planter, and attended the College of William and Mary. He served in the House of Burgesses (the Virginia legislature) from 1761 to 1771 and again in 1775. He was a member of the Continental Congress in 1776. He was strongly criticized for proposing that Virginia’s governor and senators should hold office for life unless convicted of a crime.
