THE MIDDLETON FAMILY

https://www.postandcourier.com/features/arts_and_travel/middleton-place-buys-west-portrait-of-family-as-part-of-permanent-collection/article_c87a642f-75f4-589c-a46b-518d95480f70.html

Charleston-Only Historical Guide

(Old Money, Old Politics, and Quiet Control)

Arthur Middleton (1742–1787)

Role: Statesman, signer of the Declaration of Independence

Why he matters in Charleston:

Arthur Middleton wasCharleston political royalty. Though Middleton Place lies upriver, Charleston was the family’s political and social nerve center.

Charleston footprint:

• Maintained residences and political presence in Charleston

• Served in colonial and revolutionary government here

• Operated within Charleston’s elite social circles

Urban Power, Not Just Plantations

Middletons are often miscast as “plantation people.” In reality:

• Charleston was where decisions were made

• Plantations funded urban influence

• Charleston society sustained the family’s dominance

Tour framing:

“Plantations made the money. Charleston made the power permanent.”

ENSLAVEMENT & LEGACY

Middleton wealth was inseparable from enslaved labor. Enslaved people moved with the family into Charleston, working in townhouses, kitchens, and political households.

QUICK TIMELINE (MIDDLETON)

• 1742 — Birth of Arthur Middleton

• 1760s–70s — Political rise in Charleston

• 1776 — Signs Declaration of Independence

• 1780 — Captured by British, imprisoned

• 1787 — Death