Singleton and Related Genealogy Pages
A history of many families.
1746 - 1825 (79 years)| Name | Charles Cotesworth PINCKNEY [1, 2, 3, 4] | |
| Prefix | Honorable/General | |
| Suffix | Sr. | |
| Birth | 14 Feb 1746 | South Carolina  [5] |
| Gender | Male | |
| HIST | Did S.C.'s Pinckney help write Constitution? Posted: Sunday, September 12, 2010 6:00 am | Updated: 2:19 pm, Mon Sep 13, 2010. By IVY MOORE ivym@theitem.com COLUMBIA - Few men have been as deeply involved in the events that shaped not only the history of the Palmetto State, but also America, as Charles Pinckney. As a South Carolinian, he served in the General Assembly, was a four-time governor and an ancestor of seven future governors. On the national level, he was a patriot in the Revolutionary War, a member of the Continental Congress, a South Carolina Senator and Representative, an ambassador to Spain, and a signer of the Constitution. Yet, for all his efforts, he has been largely overlooked and relegated to a footnote in many history books. On Thursday, Sept. 23, at 9 p.m., ETV's "Carolina Stories" documentary series presents "Forgotten Founder." Produced and directed by Sanford Adams, the hour-long program examines the many contributions Pinckney made to what would become the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights. In fact, many historians now believe that the members of the Constitutional Convention borrowed many of the ideas and even language proposed in his "Pinckney Draught" to create both of these groundbreaking documents. If this was indeed the case, why is a man of his stature not mentioned in the same breath as some of his contemporaries, including Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison and John Quincy Adams? Could it be that he has been dismissed from the pages of history for something as petty as personal politics? Was he really as vain and brash as he was made out to be, trying to claim much more credit for his role at the Constitutional Convention than was true? As Richard B. Bernstein, author of The Founding Fathers Reconsidered, states in the documentary, "You'll have to ask James Madison." Madison, who is considered to be the "Father of the Constitution," and whose detailed notes of the day-to-day proceedings of the Convention were the best studied, did not hold a favorable opinion of Pinckney. Not surprisingly, little is said of Pinckney, or his "Pinckney Draught," in Madison's notes, and many have speculated that it was because of Madison's actions that Pinckney has been largely forgotten. In fact, over a century would pass before details about the "Pinckney Draught" would be rediscovered, as two historians pored through the notes of another Convention delegate, James Wilson. With striking original illustrations by South Carolina artist James H. Palmer Jr., interviews with noted scholars and historians, and in many cases Pinckney's own words, "Forgotten Founder" examines Pinckney's life and accomplishments. The role he played in the birth and early years of this nation still reverberates today and has had a profound effect on our country's course of history. "Forgotten Founder" was funded in part by the Friends of Historic Snee Farm and the Humanities Council SC. A sneak preview of the program will take place on Constitution Day, Friday, Sept. 17, at 8 p.m. The screening is free and open to the public and will be held at the Charles Pinckney National Historic Site, located at 1254 Long Point Road in Mount Pleasant. The park preserves the last 28 acres of Snee Farm, a plantation that was once owned by Charles Pinckney. Dr. Walter Edgar, host of ETV Radio's "Walter Edgar's Journal" (heard every Friday at noon), will introduce the documentary and ETV producer Sanford Adams will answer questions at the conclusion. For more information about the Constitution Week events happening at the National Historic Site, visit http://www.nps.gov/chpi/. Additional air dates for "Forgotten Founder": ETV-HD: Sunday, Sept. 26, at 4 p.m. On the South Carolina Channel: Monday, Sept. 27, at 9 p.m. Related Content: - Thursday, Sept. 16, at noon - "Your Day," a co-production of Clemson University and ETV Radio, will feature an interview with artist James H. Palmer, Jr., whose original illustrations fill the documentary, and producer Sanford Adams - Thursday, Sept. 23, at 7:30 p.m. - "The Big Picture," ETV's weekly news and public affairs program, shows highlights from the U.S. Naturalization Ceremony where up to 150 people will be sworn in as citizens. The ceremony will be held at the Charles Pinckney Historic Site on Constitution Day, Sept. 17, at 10:30 a.m. - An educational website has been created to accompany this program, which features a trailer for the program, an overview of Pinckney's contemporaries, a timeline of Pinckney's life, and additional resources for teachers and students. The site can be found by going to http://bit.ly/Pinckney. ETV is South Carolina's statewide network with 11 television stations, including ETV Sumter, eight radio stations and a closed-circuit educational telecommunications system in more than 2000 schools, colleges, businesses, and government agencies. Posted in Panorama on Sunday, September 12, 2010 This month in S.C. History: The XYZ Affair causes celebration in Charleston From the Collections of the S.C. Historical Society Charles Cotesworth Pinckney Posted Thursday, February 13, 2020 6:00 am BY THE S.C. HISTORICAL SOCIETY On Feb. 8, 1799, a large celebration took place in Charleston upon the return of Charles Cotesworth Pinckney from France. Pinckney, the son of Charles and Eliza Lucas Pinckney, held several governmental offices in South Carolina and was a delegate to the Constitutional Convention. He then served as a major general in the U.S. Army and was appointed Minister to France in 1796. Once in Paris, he faced growing hostility. Disturbed by the Jay Treaty between the U.S. and Great Britain, France began to attack American merchant ships and demanded that Pinckney leave the country. President John Adams responded by sending two other diplomats, John Marshall and Elbridge Gerry, to assist Pinckney. The three men met with the French Minister of Foreign Relations Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Perigord. At first, Talleyrand was polite, but he refused to negotiate in any official capacity. As the American diplomats were shuttled from one envoy to another, they were told that the French expected a payment, or bribe, if the United States wanted to improve relations. The story goes that, as the demand for payment intensified, Pinckney eventually shouted: "No! No! Not a sixpence!" When American reporters described the negotiations, the names of the French envoys were replaced with the letters X,Y and Z, and the incident became known as the "X,Y, and Z Affair." The diplomats sailed home, where they were greeted by widespread applause and intense anti-French sentiment. Pinckney was concerned about returning to Charleston because the city was heavily pro-French before he left. He must have been relieved when, on Feb. 8, 1799, city leaders met him three miles outside of the city and escorted him to town. As they rode, trumpets, horns and cannon fire sounded a hero's welcome. He was then taken to a special theatrical performance with a new musical composition titled "General Pinckney's March." The evening culminated with a banquet given at city hall. At the end of the dining hall, a portrait of Pinckney hung over the words "il faut de l'argent; il faut beaucoup d'argent? - 'No, No! Not a sixpence.'" In front of city hall, another painting featured a woman with an American eagle. Over her head were the words "Millions for defense, not a cent for tribute." The next year, Pinckney was the vice-presidential candidate for the Federalist Party, in hopes that he would draw Southern votes. However, both Pinckney and John Adams, the incumbent president, lost to the Democratic-Republicans and Thomas Jefferson became president. Pinckney was chosen by the Federalists as their presidential nominee in 1804 and again in 1808, but the Democratic-Republicans carried both elections. [3, 4] | |
| Occupation | U. S. Minister to France [2] | |
| _UID | 14BE7DF53C8543BC86780395E313A978B16C | |
| Death | 16 Aug 1825 | Charleston, South Carolina |
| Burial | 17 Aug 1825 | St. Michael’s Churchyard [1] |
| Person ID | I80705 | Singleton and Related Families |
| Last Modified | 11 Aug 2020 | |
| Father | Charles PINCKNEY, b. 1699? d. 1758 | |
| Mother | Eliza LUCAS | |
| _UID | 33FB329A063141CF978B17AEE3E2CD2AE412 | |
| _UID | 33FB329A063141CF978B17AEE3E2CD2AE412 | |
| Family ID | F56102 | Group Sheet | Family Chart |
| Family 1 | Sarah MIDDLETON, b. 5 Jul 1756, Charlestown, South Carolina d. 8 May 1784 (Age 27 years) | |||||||||
| Marriage | 28 Sep 1773 [1] | |||||||||
| _UID | 47E89388DC6D4954A9DB2022FBA80F6B13E3 | |||||||||
| _UID | 47E89388DC6D4954A9DB2022FBA80F6B13E3 | |||||||||
| Children |
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| Family ID | F56096 | Group Sheet | Family Chart | ||||||||
| Last Modified | 30 Aug 2002 | |||||||||
| Family 2 | Mary STEAD | |
| _UID | 06CE1B176B94472C820204F75E5C755E84A6 | |
| _UID | 06CE1B176B94472C820204F75E5C755E84A6 | |
| Family ID | F56101 | Group Sheet | Family Chart |
| Last Modified | 23 Mar 2026 | |
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