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MURDER OF A FOUNDING FATHER: THE DEATH AND LEGACY OF THE GREAT GEORGE WYTHE
JOIN US ON THE ANNIVERSARY OF GEO. WYTHE'S BIRTHDAY TO HEAR AUTHOR OF THE NEW BOOK 'Jefferson's Godfather, the Man Behind the Man: George Wythe, Mentor to the Founding Fathers'
One of Virginia's most revered Founding Fathers, George Wythe, exhaled his last breath on June 8, 1806, at his home at 5th and Grace Streets in Richmond, dead of rat poisoning.
He has the dubious distinction of being the only signer of the Declaration of Independence to be murdered. Arsenic was the method, distributed in the morning breakfast by the hand of a deranged great-nephew, looking for an early inheritance.
Wythe and his surrogate son Thomas Jefferson had been the last two Virginia signers of the Declaration of Independence alive in 1806, and now only Jefferson remained. Fittingly, Wythe's body
was laid in state at the capitol, the magnificent neoclassic building designed by Jefferson, his former student and lifelong friend. Thousands passed by Wythe's remains to pay their respects and trudged in summer heat up Church Hill behind the horse-drawn casket for burial in St. Johns Churchyard.
Everyone knew that Wythe had been poisoned by his great-nephew and namesake, George Wythe Sweeney. The youth was a gambler, alcoholic and thief, resorting to stealing from his uncle and
forging checks from Wythe's bank account to pay his gaming debts. As a teacher of unparalleled success, Wythe had inspired hundreds of promising young men and had tried to help Sweeney, but he was at a loss when dealing with his nephew's toxic addictions.
Hear the rest of his story, and stay after the talk for a book signing by Suzanne.
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LocationHistoric St. John's Church (View)
2401 E. Broad St.
Richmond, VA 23223
United States
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