Richard Stockton: Character Under Fire

Signer of the Declaration of Independence. Patriot. Prisoner.Controversial figure.Richard Stockton occupies a unique place in the history of the American Revolution. A distinguished New Jersey lawyer, judge, statesman, and signer of the Declaration of Independence, as a member of the Continental Congress he dedicated himself to the nation's founding during its most trying days.Stockton’s life forever changed when he was captured by a band of Loyalists during the winter of 1776–1777. He became the subject of accusations, speculations, and conflicting accounts regarding the nature of his release from British custody. Did Stockton renounce the Declaration and pledge loyalty to the King to gain his freedom? Historians, Stockton descendants, and avid students of the Revolution have debated his actions ever since.In Character Under Fire, author John Baxter returns to the primary sources—letters, legislative records, military correspondence, newspapers, memoirs, and contemporary accounts—to reexamine the evidence. The result is a thoughtful and compelling investigation into the Revolution's most controversial Signer.More than a biography, this is a study of how history is written and contested. Baxter presents the facts and empowers the reader to decide how Stockton is to be understood.For readers of Revolutionary War history, the Founding Era, and American biography, Richard Stockton: Character Under Fire offers a fresh perspective on a Signer whose story deserves to be told anew. Read more