Editing Colonel Charles Pinckney (section)

==Career==
Pinckney became a leading attorney in the city of Charleston. He bought his first plantation, now known as [[Snee Farm]], in 1754, as a mark of his early success. The 715-acre plantation was used to produce the commodity crops of rice and indigo.<ref name="npsSnee"/>

He also became a public figure, serving as colonel and commanding officer of the Charles Towne Militia, after which he became widely known as "Colonel Pinckney". He was elected as a member of the General Assembly, the lower house of provincial government in South Carolina. In 1775, he was elected as president of the South Carolina Provincial Congress.<ref name="npsSnee">[https://www.nps.gov/chpi/learn/historyculture/charles-pinckney.htm "Charles Pinckney", Snee Farm], History&Culture, National Park Service</ref>

During the [[American Revolutionary War]], Colonel Pinckney was among many persons captured by the British during the fall of Charleston in 1780. South Carolina Governor [[John Rutledge]] had left the city, intending to carry on a state government in exile in [[North Carolina]]. Colonel Pinckney was among more than 160 men in Charleston who took a loyalty oath to the British in order to keep their properties; the British hoped these influential men would help them lead the city.<ref name="npsSnee"/>

Pinckney's action as a Loyalist was extremely unpopular among the revolutionary forces. After the war, in February 1782, the South Carolina legislature voted a 12% amercement, or fine, against Colonel Pinckney's property to punish him for his switch of allegiance.

On his death in 1782, Pinckney left the [[Snee Farm]] plantation and its slaves to [[Charles Pinckney (governor)|Charles]], his oldest surviving son. There were 40 slaves recorded in the probate record.<ref>[https://archive.org/stream/charlespinckneyn00vinc/charlespinckneyn00vinc_djvu. Susan Hart Vincent, of Historic Land Design, ''Charles Pinckney National Historic Site: Cultural Landscape Report''], pp. 16-18, Department of Interior, 1998, full text at Internet Archive. Accessed February 8, 2024.</ref> Colonel Charles Pinckney was buried at St. Philip's Church in Charleston.