Elizabeth Lucas Pinckney Essay Example

one of the historical figures both in the agriculture and government. Eliza Lucas Pinckney was born Elizabeth Lucas on December 22, 1722 in the West Indies. Her mother is Anne Lucas and her father is George Lucas a well known Lieutenant-governor on the British island colony of Antigua (Pinckney, 2008). “She attended a finishing school in England where French, music and other traditionally feminine subjects were stressed, but Eliza's favorite subject was botany” (Bois, 1998). In 1738, they moved to a plantation on Wapoo Creek, in South Carolina.

Since her father had to return working for the British army, she was the one in charge to nurse her sick mother and tutored her sister. She also do teachings to the slave children in their place and taught them how to read and write (Pinckney, 2008) Colonel George Lucas, decided to move to that place because he taught that the climate would prove better for his unhealthy wife (South Carolina, 1999) But then Elizabeth's mother died soon after and she was left with the responsibility of taking care of her siblings and run three plantations at the same time.

Since her father left them, she handled all the responsibility of running the plantation. At the same time she had to taught her younger sister, as well as two black children, to read and write, studied music and art, wrote letters extensively, and studied enough law to draft legal wills for area residents (South Carolina, 1999). “She undertook this task with confidence and enthusiasm and was determined to manage the plantations and to make a profit” (Radcliffe, 2008).

During her teenage years, South Carolina's

economy is merely based on rice and many farmers are hurting. They had over-produced, and their markets abroad dried up because of England's conflicts with Spain and France”(South Carolina, 1999) She was only sixteen years old when she started running the plantation and business dealings left to her by her father but she was more mature and capable than others twice her age (Grau, 2008). While continuously running plantations, she also decided to put up school for “family's young slaves while many colonists felt it wrong to educate slaves as it would encourage them to run away” (Grau, 2008) Eliza was not discouraged by their words since she has two closest friend who supported her noble decision.

Indigo blue dye was one of Eliza's greatest discovery in her time. “Having seen indigo in the West Indies and knowing that the dye was very valuable, she began to experiment with it. Her father sent her some seed of the French variety. ” (Geiger-Geiger, 2000). She had so many realizations that the “growing textile industry was creating world markets for new dyes, so starting in 1739, she began cultivating and creating improved strains of the indigo plant from which a blue dye can be obtained” (Bois, 1998).

Before Eliza's enthusiasm indigo's export ranges up to 5, 000 “but due to Eliza Pinckney's successes, that volume grew to 130,000 pounds within two years. Indigo became second only to rice as cash crop, since cotton did not gain importance until later. Eliza also experimented with other crops. She planted a large fig orchard, with the intention of drying figs for export and experimented with flax, hemp and

silk” (Bois, 1998) Her father wants the best for her and so he recommended men to be her husband. “Pinckney rejected the suitors her father recommended in marriage.

Having gained autonomy and economic power, she could wait and select a husband of her own choice. She married widower Charles Pinckney in 1744 he was a prominent planter and lawyer, and friend of many years” (Radcliffe, 2008). Charles was a very supportive husband, he “supported the cause of "Negro" education and gave money towards building a school for "Negro" children to be taught reading and religion” (Grau, 2008). “The couple had four children within a period of five years: Charles Cotesworth in 1746, George Lucas in 1747 (he died in early infancy), Harriott in 1748, and Thomas in 1750.

Pinckney's approach to education was shaped by the theories of John Locke, and her children received a progressive education” (Alexanderstreet, 2008). She is indeed a very devout mother and wife to her family, She invested her profits in her children's education and instilled in them virtue, civic duty, and patriotism. Her two sons became well-known leaders in the Revolutionary era. After fourteen years of marriage to Eliza, Charles had contracted malaria, then, died on July 12, 1758. Eliza’s sons grew to have loyalty to the patriot cause, and her eldest “sat in the state legislature.

This mother of American patriots, a society belle, devout Christian, devoted mother and wife” died on May 26, 1793. The next day, Eliza, no longer pained by cancer, was buried, with President George Washington serving as a pallbearer (Alexanderstreet, 2008). Elizabeth Lucas Pinckney was viewed by many historians as

one great example of republican motherhood, She is very vocal about American independence to her two sons who bot excel in the federalist movements. Having indigo as her contribution to the South Carolina's economy, she was inducted into the South Carolina Business Hall of Fame