Button Gwinnett: America's Accidental Founding Father: America's Accidental Founding Father

Button Gwinnett knew Congress planned to vote for independence in the summer of 1776, but he didn't care. He was deep in debt, and his plans for 1776 involved getting a job with a steady paycheck. He didn't get the job he wanted, and despite the fact that he wasn't involved in the independence movement in Georgia, he was given the opportunity to represent the colony in Congress. He served just long enough to sign the Declaration of Independence. For that reason -- and that reason alone -- we call him a Founding Father.

Button Gwinnett: America's Accidental Founding Father tells the story of this fascinating and complicated man, whose life began in an English village near the Wales border and essentially ended in a cow pasture in Savannah, Ga. Gwinnett was obsessed with making money and he didn't have time for the independence movement. This book makes the case that Gwinnett was America's most selfish Founding Father.

As we approach the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, Americans should know who deserves the Founding Father label -- and who doesn't.

Author: Mark J. Di Vincenzo
Publisher: Silent Sea Publishing
Published: 04/13/2026
Pages: 372
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.81lbs
Size: 8.00h x 5.00w x 0.83d
ISBN: 9798218756178


Review Citation(s):
Kirkus Reviews 01/01/0001
PW Booklife Reviews 05/11/2026

About the Author
Di Vincenzo, Mark J.: - Mark Di Vincenzo, a New York Times bestselling author, has worked as a journalist for more than 40 years, exposing abuses and making the complicated seem simple. During that time, he has mastered the ability to discern the truthfulness of his sources and find and interpret documents that bolster his work. These skills have allowed him to seamlessly transition from journalism to history. In researching his latest book, Button Gwinnett: America's Accidental Founding Father, he examined virtually everything that has been written about Gwinnett, one of 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence, and put them in their proper context. He wrote this book because he found that Gwinnett has been mischaracterized. He has been depicted as a patriot who put his country above himself, but Di Vincenzo's book concludes that the historical record doesn't support that conclusion. Gwinnett was largely apathetic about the American independence movement. Prior to 1776, he played no role in it whatsoever. In fact, in the latter half of 1775, he was trying to undermine the leaders of the independence movement in Georgia by trying to weaken their political power. These are the very men who were communicating with John Adams, John Hancock and other national leaders.Di Vincenzo has written three books for HarperCollins: Buy Ketchup in May and Fly at Noon: A Guide to the Best Time to Buy This, Do That and Go There, Buy Shoes on Wednesday and Tweet at 4:00: More of the Best Times to Buy This, Do That, and Go There, and Your Pinkie Is More Powerful Than Your Thumb: And 333 Other Surprising Facts That Will Make You Wealthier, Healthier and Smarter Than Everyone Else.He lives near Richmond, Va., with his wife Jayne. They have three adult daughters, Rosie, Olivia and Sophia.