Thomas Pinckney

Thomas Pinckney
Pinckney by John Trumbull in 1791
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from South Carolina's 1st district
In office November 23, 1797 – March 3, 1801
Preceded by	William Smith
Succeeded by	Thomas Lowndes
2nd United States Minister to Great Britain
In office August 9, 1792 – July 27, 1796
President	George Washington
Preceded by	John Adams
Succeeded by	Rufus King
36th Governor of South Carolina
In office February 20, 1787 – January 26, 1789
Lieutenant	Thomas Gadsden
Preceded by	William Moultrie
Succeeded by	Charles Pinckney
Personal details
Born	(1750-10-23)October 23, 1750 Charles Town, Province of South Carolina, British America
Died	November 2, 1828(1828-11-02) (aged 78) Charleston, South Carolina, U.S.
Political party	Federalist
Education	Christ Church, Oxford (BA) Special Military School of St. Cyr Inner Temple
Military service
Allegiance	United States
Branch/service	Continental Army  United States Army
Years of service	1775–1783 (Continental) 1812–1815 (United States)
Rank	Major (Continental) Major General (United States)
Unit	1st South Carolina Regiment
Battles/wars	American Revolutionary War  • Battle of Camden War of 1812

Thomas Pinckney (October 23, 1750 – November 2, 1828) was an American statesman, diplomat, and military officer who fought in both the American Revolutionary War and the War of 1812, achieving the rank of major general. He served as Governor of South Carolina and as the U.S. minister to Great Britain.

Born into a prominent family in Charles Town in the Province of South Carolina, Pinckney studied in Europe before returning to America. He supported the independence cause and worked as an aide to General Horatio Gates. After the Revolutionary War, Pinckney managed his plantation and won election as Governor of South Carolina, serving from 1787 to 1789. He presided over the state convention which ratified the United States Constitution. In 1792, he accepted President George Washington's appointment to the position of minister to Britain, but was unable to win concessions regarding the impressment of American sailors. He also served as an envoy to Spain and negotiated the Treaty of San Lorenzo, which defined the border between Spain and the United States.

Following his diplomatic success in Spain, the Federalists chose Pinckney as John Adams's running mate in the 1796 presidential election. Under the rules then in place, the individual who won the most electoral votes became president, while the individual who won the second most electoral votes became vice president. Although Adams won the presidential election, Democratic-Republican candidate Thomas Jefferson won the second most electoral votes and therefore, won election as vice president. After the election, Pinckney served in the United States House of Representatives from 1797 to 1801. His brother, Charles Cotesworth Pinckney, was the Federalist vice presidential nominee in 1800 and the party's presidential nominee in 1804 and 1808. During the War of 1812, Pinckney was commissioned as a major general.

Pinckney was elected as a member of the American Philosophical Society in 1797.^[1]