(1744-1822)
Pierce Butler was born in Ireland, the son of a member of the House of Lords.
He served in the British Army until 1771, when he resigned after marrying a colonial girl.
He served with the South Carolina militia in the Revolutionary War, during which he lost much of his property.
Butler spoke often at the Philadelphia Convention, arguing for a strong national government and for the interests of southern slaveholders.
Although he later served in the U.S. Senate, he devoted most of his time to his plantation.
