Pinckneys

The Pinckneys were a prominent American family from the Charleston, South Carolina Lowcountry, whose influence extended from the colonial era into the early United States. They were tied to the planter class and produced leaders who participated in politics, law, military affairs, and diplomacy.

Two members served as signers of the U.S. Constitution: Charles Cotesworth Pinckney and Charles Pinckney. Another leading figure was Thomas Pinckney, a Revolutionary War veteran and diplomat who negotiated the Pinckney Treaty with Spain and later served as U.S. Minister to Great Britain. The Pinckneys also produced other governors, legislators, and military officers in South Carolina and beyond, helping shape the state’s and the nation’s early political landscape.

The Pinckney surname remains a part of historical scholarship and of place names in the Southeastern United States, reflecting the family’s long-standing role in regional development and in the emergence of American governance.