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STRENGTHINTHEFACEOFADVERSITY: THEWOMENOFHAMPTONPLANTATION AREPORTSUBMITTEDTO HAMPTONPLANTATIONSTATEPARK BY KELLYOBERNUEFEMANN McCLELLANVILLE,SOUTHCAROLINA JANUARY2000 Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2012 with funding from LYRASIS Members and Sloan Foundation http://archive.org/details/strengthinfaceofOOkell STRENGTHINTHEFACEOFADVERSITY: THEWOMENOFHAMPTONPLANTATION AREPORTSUBMITTEDTO HAMPTONPLANTATIONSTATEPARK BY KELLYOBERNUEFEMANN McCLELLANVILLE,SOUTHCAROLINA JANUARY2000 PREFACE KellyObernuefemann,adoctoralcandidateinAmericanHistoryfromGeorgeWashington University,preparedthisreportattherequestoftheSouthCarolinaStateParkServicewhile workingasatemporaryemployeeofHamptonPlantationStateHistoric Site. Thestaffof HamptonPlantationwillbeabletouseherreport,"StrengthintheFaceofAdversity,"tosupport newinterpretiveprogramsthatincreasevisitors' understandingofwomen'shistoryatHampton. INTRODUCTION IntheyearsbeforetheCivilWar,theHamptonplantationwasthesiteof personalluxury,familylove,andpatrioticfervorandthehomeofsomeofthe moreremarkablewomenoftheSouthCarolinalowcountry.WhenDanielHorry marriedHarriottPinckneyin1768,hemarriedintooneofthemostrenowned familiesinSouthCarolina. Hismother-in-law—whowouldtakeupresidence withtheHorryfamilyinthecomingyears—wasthefamousElizaLucas Pinckney,whohadmanagedherfather'splantationsattheageof16andhad madethecultivationofindigoprofitablethroughhercropexperimentation. Eliza'sdaughter,Harriott,hadspentmostofherlifeathermother'sside, learningfromhermother'sexampleanddevelopingastrengthofcharacterequal tohermother's. DanielHorry's19-year-oldbridewasmorethan10years youngerthanhe,andshebroughtayouthfulspirittoHampton,whichbecamea thrivingriceplantationandthesiteofmanyfestivefamilygatherings.Soonafter themarriageofDanielandHarriott,Hamptonwouldbefilledwiththelaughter oftheirchildren,and inthedecadestocomeitwouldbehometotheir grandchildren,nieces,andnephews. However,DanielHorrydidnotlivetoseetheenormousgrowthofhis familyatHampton. Hediedin1785beforehistwochildrenreachedmaturity.In theabsenceofafamilypatriarch,HarriottPinckneyHorryreignedasmistressof HamptonandmatriarchoftheHorryfamily.Shemanagedthefamily'sholdings andintroducednewtechnologytoaidintheplantations'production. Afterthe ELIZALUCASPINCKNEY: ROLEMODELOFTHEHAMPTONWOMEN ThereisnodoubtthatElizaLucasPinckneyisoneofthemostfamous womeninthehistoryofcolonialAmerica.Shewasbornin1723andcametothe coloniesin1738.Herexperimentationwiththegrowthandcultivationofindigo resultedinitsbecomingoneofthestaplecropsofthesoutherncolonies. Her accomplishmentsweremadepossiblebyakeenintellectandanunusualdegree ofindependence. Elizawasaverywell-read,well-informedwoman. Distinguishedwomen'shistorianCatherineClintonhaswritten, "Ingeneralit wasconsideredunbecomingandunladylikeforafemaletoinitiateanypolitical discussion. Ifamanwantedtoengageawomaninconversationona controversialtopic,thatwashisprerogative,buttheexpectationthatawoman beawell-educated,vivaciousconversationalistdidnotincludeknowledgeof politicalissuesoropinions."1 Menwereafraidthatwomenwouldembarrassthe family. Eliza,however,kepttrackofworldaffairssuchastheFrenchand SpanishwarsinEuropeandtaxation,andwasafirmbelieverintheintellectual abilityofwomen.Shemadesureherdaughterreceivedapropereducationalso. ShewroteinalettertoMasterMackenzie, "[Harriott] isfondoflearning,andI indulgeherinit. Itshallnotbemyfaultifsheroamsabroadforamusement,asI believe'tiswantofknowinghowtoimploy [sic] themselvesagreeablythatmake manywomentoofondofgoingabroad."2 1CatherineClinton,PlantationMistress: Woman'sWorldintheOldSouth (NewYork: Pantheon,1982),181.