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 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.

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