Isabella Carter
Charles Pinckney, an American Founding Father, political leader, and diplomat, played a significant role in the formation of the United States Constitution. Pinckney, initially a Federalist, later switched his allegiance to the Jeffersonian Republican Party. His proposals for a new government, known as the Pinckney Plan, were largely incorporated into the federal Constitution drafted in 1787. As a delegate to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, he presented a comprehensive plan for government, even though the original draft has not been preserved. Pinckney's influence was instrumental in ensuring South Carolina's ratification of the United States Constitution.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Charles Pinckney |
| Birthplace | Charleston, South Carolina |
| Birthdate | October 26, 1757 |
| Death date | October 29, 1824 |
| Occupation | American Founding Father, political leader, diplomat, lawyer |
| Political Party | Federalist, Jeffersonian Republican |
| Notable Achievements | Proposed the Pinckney plan for a new government, which was incorporated into the US Constitution; served as a delegate to the Constitutional Convention in 1787; represented South Carolina and ensured its ratification of the Constitution; served as governor, US senator, and representative |
| Other | Owned several plantations and enslaved people; opposed restrictions on slavery; was a Freemason |
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What You'll Learn
Charles Pinckney's political career
Charles Pinckney was an American Founding Father, planter, and politician. He was a signer of the United States Constitution and played a prominent role in securing the ratification of the Federal Constitution in the South Carolina convention of 1788. Pinckney's proposals for a new government, called the Pinckney Plan, were largely incorporated into the federal Constitution drawn up in 1787. During the American Revolution, he was captured and held prisoner by the British.
Pinckney started practising law in Charleston in 1779 at the age of 21. He enlisted in the militia and became a lieutenant, serving at the siege of Savannah. He was captured when Charleston fell to the British the following year and was held as a prisoner until June 1781. After the war, he was elected to the Continental Congress, serving from 1784 to 1787. He was also elected to the state legislature for several terms (1779–1780, 1786–1789, and 1792–1796). Pinckney was an advocate of a stronger federal government and served as a delegate to the 1787 Philadelphia Convention, which wrote a new federal constitution.
From 1789 to 1792, Pinckney was elected by the state legislature as governor of South Carolina. In 1790, he chaired the state constitutional convention, and in 1792, he received eight votes from the legislature for the U.S. Senate. During this period, he became associated with the Federalist Party, where he and his cousin Charles Cotesworth Pinckney were leaders. However, his views began to change, and he increasingly aligned with the Carolina back-country Democratic-Republicans. In 1796, he was elected governor again by the state legislature.
Pinckney played a prominent role in securing the ratification of the Federal Constitution in South Carolina and framing the South Carolina Constitution in the convention of 1790. He declined President George Washington's offers of several positions in his administration, including Secretary of State, but accepted the post of minister to France in 1796. Relations with France were strained due to the Jay Treaty between the U.S. and Britain, and the French demanded a bribe before agreeing to meet with the U.S. delegation, an incident known as the XYZ Affair. Pinckney returned to the United States and accepted an appointment as a general during the Quasi-War with France.
Pinckney served in the legislature again from 1805 to 1806 and was elected governor once more from 1806 to 1808. He favoured legislative reapportionment to give more fair representation to back-country districts and advocated universal white manhood suffrage. He served in the legislature again from 1810 to 1814 and then temporarily withdrew from politics. In 1818, he won the U.S. House of Representatives election, where he fought against the Missouri Compromise. Pinckney was a major enslaver, and his wealth depended on enslaved labour at his plantations. He supported the expansion of slavery into new territories and states. In 1821, with his health failing, he retired from politics and died in 1824.
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The Pinckney Plan
Charles Pinckney, a delegate to the 1787 Philadelphia Convention, presented a plan for a new federal constitution, known as the "Pinckney Plan". The original draft of Pinckney's Plan was long thought to be lost, but according to an article by Margie Burns in the *South Carolina Historical Magazine*, it was published at the end of the 19th century.
The Legislative Branch was to consist of two separate houses: the House of Delegates and the Senate. The House of Delegates would be chosen annually by the people of the several states, with the qualification of electors being the same as those in the states for their legislatures. Each member was required to be a citizen of the United States, of a certain age, and a resident in the state they were chosen to represent. The Senate would be elected from four districts, serving by rotation of four years, and could be elected by the House of Delegates or the people at large.
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The Constitutional Convention
Charles Pinckney was an American Founding Father, political leader, and diplomat whose proposals for a new government were largely incorporated into the federal Constitution drawn up in 1787. He served as a delegate to the 1787 Philadelphia Convention, which wrote a new federal constitution. Pinckney's influence helped ensure that South Carolina would ratify the United States Constitution.
Pinckney's cousin, Charles Cotesworth Pinckney, also served as a delegate to the Constitutional Convention. Cotesworth Pinckney was an advocate of a stronger federal government and, like his cousin, played a role in ensuring South Carolina's ratification of the Constitution. He is remembered as "one of the founders of the American Republic" and a "companion in arms and friend of Washington".
Charles Pinckney submitted a detailed plan of government to the Constitutional Convention, which, although the original draft was not preserved, is known to have contained a number of provisions that were incorporated into the new Constitution. This plan, known as the Pinckney Plan, reflected Pinckney's belief that a stronger national government was necessary, a view that was informed by his experience in the Revolutionary War.
At the Constitutional Convention, Charles Cotesworth Pinckney agreed to abolish the importation of slaves in 1808, although his rationale was based on how stopping this trade would increase the value of large existing slave holdings like his. He was a lifelong slave owner and repeatedly argued that slavery was necessary for the economy of states like South Carolina.
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Pinckney's capture and imprisonment
Charles Cotesworth Pinckney was a delegate to the Constitutional Convention, where he signed the Constitution of the United States. He was an American statesman, military officer, and Founding Father who served as the United States Minister to France from 1796 to 1797.
Now, this is where it gets a little confusing. There were actually two influential men from South Carolina with the name Charles Pinckney: the aforementioned Charles Cotesworth Pinckney, and his first cousin once removed, Charles Pinckney, who also served as a delegate to the Constitutional Convention of 1787. This Charles Pinckney was the one who was captured and imprisoned during the American Revolutionary War.
Charles Pinckney, the cousin of Charles Cotesworth Pinckney, began practising law in Charleston in 1779 at the age of 21. Around the same time, after the War for Independence had already begun, Pinckney enlisted in the militia and became a lieutenant, serving at the siege of Savannah. Unfortunately, when Charleston fell to the British in 1780, Pinckney was captured and held as a prisoner until June 1781. He was sent north for a potential exchange but did not return to Charleston until 1783. During his captivity, he signed an oath of allegiance to the British, similar to his father, to avoid property confiscation.
After the war, Pinckney was fined 12% on his property for having sworn the oath of allegiance. He was elected to the Continental Congress following the war, serving from 1784 to 1787, and also served several terms in the state legislature. He eventually owned several plantations and a townhouse in Charleston, in addition to the Snee Farm plantation, which he inherited from his father.
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Pinckney's stance on slavery
Charles Pinckney (1757-1824) was an American Founding Father, planter, and politician. He was a signer of the United States Constitution and served as the 37th governor of South Carolina. Pinckney's stance on slavery was complex and informed by his background and personal interests.
Pinckney was born into a wealthy planter class family in South Carolina. His father, Colonel Charles Pinckney, was a lawyer and planter, and his mother, Frances Brewton, came from a prominent Charleston family. Pinckney inherited Snee Farm, a plantation outside Charleston, along with the enslavement of numerous people, from his father in 1782. He eventually owned several other plantations and enslaved hundreds of people. In the 1790 federal census, he is recorded as enslaving 111 people across multiple parishes.
Pinckney's personal and political interests were closely tied to the institution of slavery. He was a lifelong slave owner and defender of slavery, arguing that it was necessary for the economy of states like South Carolina. He opposed emancipation and advocated for the continuation of the slave trade, believing that South Carolina's economy required a continual influx of new slaves. At the Constitutional Convention, Pinckney agreed to abolish the importation of slaves in 1808, but his rationale was based on the potential increase in the value of his large existing slave holdings rather than any moral opposition to slavery.
In addition to his political career, Pinckney's personal life reflected his stance on slavery. When his daughter Eliza married, he gave her fifty slaves, and upon his death, he bequeathed his remaining slaves to his daughters and nephews. Pinckney's support for slavery extended beyond his own personal gains, as evidenced by his foreign diplomacy as governor. In 1791, he supported white, slave-holding French colonists in Saint-Domingue (Haiti) by sending supplies and funds, demonstrating his commitment to upholding the institution of slavery both domestically and internationally.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, Charles Pinckney signed the Constitution. He was a Founding Father, political leader, and diplomat whose proposals for a new government were incorporated into the federal Constitution drawn up in 1787.
Charles Pinckney was a delegate to the 1787 Philadelphia Convention, which wrote a new federal constitution. His influence helped ensure that South Carolina ratified the United States Constitution.
Charles Pinckney was a strong advocate for a stronger federal government and opposed policies that restricted slavery. He began his political career as a Federalist but later switched to the Jeffersonian Republican Party.
