Edward Rutledge

Edward Rutledge (November 23, 1749 January 23, 1800), South Carolina statesman, was a signer of the Declaration of Independence and later governor of South Carolina.

Early years and career

Like his eldest brother John Rutledge, Edward was born in Charleston. He studied law at Oxford University, was admitted to the English bar (Middle Temple), and returned to Charleston to practice. He married and had three children with Henrietta Middleton, daughter of Henry Middleton. Rutledge had a successful law practice with his partner, Charles Cotesworth Pinckney. He became a leading citizen of Charleston, and owned more than 50 slaves.

American Revolution

Along with his brother John, Rutledge represented South Carolina in the Continental Congress. Although a firm supporter of colonial rights, he was initially reluctant to support independence from Great Britain, hoping instead for reconciliation with the mother country. Like other Southern planters, Rutledge did not want the American Revolution to change the basic social structure of the South. He worked to have African Americans expelled from the Continental Army, and led the successful effort to have wording removed from the Declaration of Independence that condemned slavery and the slave trade. Nevertheless, he signed the Declaration for the sake of unanimity, and at age 26 was the youngest to sign.

He returned home in November 1776 to take a seat in the South Carolina Assembly. He served as a captain of artillery in the South Carolina militia, and fought at the Battle of Beaufort in 1779. The next year he was captured by the British in the fall of Charleston, and held prisoner until July 1781.

Later life and legacy

After his release he returned to the state assembly, where he served until 1796. He was known as an active member and an advocate for the confiscation of Loyalist property. He served in the state senate for two years, then was elected governor in 1798. He had to go to an important meeting in Columbia. While there he had to be sent home because of his gout. He died in Charleston before the end of his term. Some said at the time that he died from apoplexy resulting from hearing the news of George Washington's death.

Rutledge was a main character in the musical play 1776, in which he sings the song "Molasses to Rum to Slaves" about slavery and the Triangle Trade. He was portrayed by Clifford David in the original Broadway production and John Cullum in the 1972 film. In the 2008 miniseries John Adams, Rutledge was portrayed by Clancy O'Connor.

Notes

References

• Williams, Patrick G.. "Rutledge, Edward". American National Biography Online, Feb. 2000.

External links

• Biography by Rev. Charles A. Goodrich, 1856
• SCIway Biography of Edward Rutledge
• NGA Biography of Edward Rutledge