George Wythe Episode 50
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George Wythe was a brilliant legal mind and a deeply principled Founding Father whose influence stretched far beyond his signature on the Declaration of Independence. Born in 1726 in Virginia, Wythe rose from modest beginnings to become one of colonial America’s most respected jurists and educators. He was the first professor of law in the United States, teaching at the College of William & Mary, where he mentored future leaders like Thomas Jefferson, John Marshall, and Henry Clay. A fierce opponent of British tyranny, Wythe helped draft Virginia’s laws after independence and served as a delegate to the Continental Congress. Later, as Virginia’s chancellor, he became one of the earliest judges to assert the power of judicial review. Troubled by slavery, he emancipated the people he had enslaved and left his substantial book collection to Jefferson. Wythe’s life ended tragically in 1806, likely poisoned by a relative seeking his inheritance
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