Gwinnett County

Gwinnett County, created in 1818 from treaty lands ceded by the Creek and Cherokee Indians, recognizes Button Gwinnett, one of the three Georgia signers of the Declaration of Independence. He not only helped draft the state constitution but also agreed to fill the unexpired term of governor. When he later failed to win election, Gwinnett entangled himself in his last political stand, a fatal duel with General Lachlan Mclntosh. The county seat, Lawrenceville, is named for Captain James Lawrence, a wounded commander of the Chesapeake during the War of 1812. It was he who, dying, gave his crew the battle cry: "Don't give up the ship!"