By : Ariana Thompson
George Childress was born on January 8, 1804 in Nashville, Tennessee, spending his
youth between school and working on his father's property. He studied law and
graduated Davidson Academy in 1826; after two years of further study he was
admitted to the bar in 1828, marrying Margaret Vance that same year.
Has been married twice. The first time (Margaret Vance ) died a few months after
their son was born. Eight years he married Rebecca Jennings. They had two
daughters together.
He had no siblings.
After his first wife died Childress and his son left for Texas late 1835 and settled in his
uncle's colony, setting up his law practice. In February of the next year, he and his
uncle were chosen to represent Milam Municipality at the Convention of 1836 to
discuss the coming secession and war with Mexico. He was chosen chairman of the
committee to draft the Texas Declaration of Independence, and although he had five
members to assist him, he is acknowledged as being the sole author of it; signing it
when it was accepted by delegates . Within two weeks of the signing, Childress and
Robert Hamilton were sent to Washington DC to seek recognition from the United
States as a separate Republic from Mexico; however, they were replaced in May by
James Collingsworth and Peter Grayson
Texas declares independence from Mexico
March 02, 1836
On this day in 1836, Texas became a republic. On March 1 delegates from the
seventeen Mexican municipalities of Texas and the settlement of Pecan Point met at
Washington-on-the-Brazos to consider independence from Mexico. George C.
Childress presented a resolution calling for independence, and the chairman of the
convention appointed Childress to head a committee of five to draft a declaration of
independence. In the early morning hours of March 2, the convention voted
unanimously to accept the resolution. After fifty-eight members signed the
document, Texas became the Republic of Texas. The change remained to be
demonstrated to Mexico.
The following day, 2 Mar 1836, "Mr. Childress, from the Committee,
reported a Declaration of Independence which he read in his place. It
was received by the house, committed to 'a committee of the whole,
reported without amendment, and unanimously adopted, in less than
one hour from its first and only reading.”
The next day, 3 Mar 1836. an engrossed copy was read, and then
signed by all the members present and later by several members who
had not then arrived. That document is now in the custody of the
Secretary of State in the capitol at Austin.
The original draft by Childress has disappeared.
The handwriting of Childress indicates that he did not specialize in
penmanship which is probably one reason why the official and signed
document of the Texas Declaration of Independence was a copy made
by an engrossing clerk.
1. freepages.genealogy.ro...
2. http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=7753060
3. www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fch28