In his new book, The Life and Times of General Andrew Pickens: Revolutionary War Hero, American Founder (2017, UNC Press), Dr. Rod Andrew, Jr., of Clemson University, explores the life of the hard-fighting South Carolina militia commander of the American Revolution, was the hero of many victories against British and Loyalist forces. In this book, Andrew offers an authoritative and comprehensive biography of Pickens the man, the general, the planter, and the diplomat. Andrew vividly depicts Pickens as he founds churches, acquires slaves, joins the Patriot cause, and struggles over Indian territorial boundaries on the southern frontier.
After the war, Pickens sought a peaceful and just relationship between his country and the southern Native American tribes and wrestled internally with the issue of slavery. Andrew suggests that Pickens’s rise to prominence, his stern character, and his sense of duty highlight the egalitarian ideals of his generation as well as its moral shortcomings--all of which still influence Americans’ understanding of themselves.
Photo Credit: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Andrew_Pickens.jpg
To learn more about the life of Andrew Pickens, visit our South Carolina Hall of Fame section!
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In this segment, Dr. Rod Andrew, Jr. talks with Dr. Edgar about writing his biography of Revolutionary War hero Col. Andrew Pickens: who he was, his life, and sources about him. Dr. Andrew also...
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Dr. Rod Andrew, Jr. discusses the Pickens family’s early history, their Scots-Irish roots, and their transition from Northern Ireland to settling in the back country of colonial South Carolina. Dr...
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Dr. Andrew briefly talks about the lukewarm sentiment of those living in the backcountry of South Carolina during the early days of the American Revolution. He also talks about how Andrew Pickens got...
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The Backcountry of S.C. had to deal with the fallout of the Cherokee War. Lawlessness was a big problem for the backcountry area, and Dr. Edgar and Dr. Andrew discuss the role of Andrew Pickens as a...
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Attacks by the Cherokee still occurred in 1776, in backcountry S.C. It was during the Cherokee Campaigns where Andrew Pickens earned his reputation as an Indian fighter. The Catawba Indians allied...
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With the fall of Charleston at the hands of the British in 1780, the patriot militia officers in the area (including Pickens) laid down their arms and signed a parole, which meant that the person...
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After the Revolutionary War, Pickens becomes known as the premiere negotiator with Native American Indians. Pickens, who originally established a reputation as an Indian fighter, emerges as a peace...
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In his later years, Andrew Pickens tries to retire, but is called back into service with the War of 1812 on the horizon. In the interval between the American Revolution and the War of 1812, Pickens...
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Dr. Edgar reads a letter from Pickens to “Lighthorse” Harry Lee, another Revolutionary War hero. Dr. Andrew follows by talking about Pickens’ legacy, and his place in both South Carolina, and United...
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In his new book, The Life and Times of General Andrew Pickens: Revolutionary War Hero, American Founder (2017, UNC Press), Dr. Rod Andrew, Jr., of Clemson University, explores the life of the hard...