"How Eliza Lucas Pinckney Colored the World in Blue" by Sydney Whiteside

Eliza Lucas Pinckney was the daughter of Colonel George and Anne Lucas who raised her and her siblings on a sugarcane plantation in Colonial British Antigua. In 1738, the Lucas family moved to Charleston and purchased three plots of land: Garden Hill Plantation, Wappoo Plantation, and a portion of the Waccamaw River. Due to her mother’s death and her father’s work overseas, Eliza began to oversee these lands. With an esteemed education in botany, Eliza was determined to bring one of Great Britain’s most prized crops to her plantations: indigo.

Eliza spent many years attempting to perfect her methods of growing and packing indigo. That was, until a man named Nicholas Cromwell traveled to Charleston from the island of Montserrat. He already had his own process of manufacturing dye from indigo crops, which he’d hoped to keep secret. However, Eliza made note of his techniques and integrated them with her own.  This resulted in her producing one of the most sought-after commodities of her time. Here are some of the resources that tell us how Eliza Lucas Pinckney "Colored Our World" in blue in honor of the Summer Reading Program's theme for 2025. Two titles are exclusive to the BDC. The rest can be checked out through the Beaufort County Library System - and one is even available via Hoopla Digital.

South Carolina Women by Idella Bodie. Orangeburg, SC: Sandlapper Publishing, Inc., 1991. 

Idella Bodie assembles 51 short biographies of women who have significantly impacted South Carolina from colonial times to the time of its publication, 1991. Eliza Lucas Pinckney has six pages dedicated to her that take the reader through her early life up to her death in 1793 Philadelphia. I love this piece because it paints an alarming, yet amazing picture of how sixteen-year-old Eliza came to oversee three plantations. Though endless obstacles were thrown her way, she persevered and paved the way for agriculture in colonial America.  

Indigo in America. Charleston, SC: Charles Towne Landing Foundation, 1998.

★ Only available in the BDC! 

This booklet is extremely special due to the fact that it is a BDC exclusive! It is a short piece, but offers substantial information on the history of indigo, its cultivation process, and its overall impact on the world. Although this piece focuses on indigo in America, it is important to remember that its earliest usage dates back thousands of years ago to India; and though indigo was grown and processed in America, much of the final product was then exported to England.  

Indigo: In Search of the Color That Seduced the World by Catherine E. McKinley. New York, NY: Bloomsbury, 2011. 

The author, Catherine McKinley, has a personal connection to indigo and its lengthy history. Many of her ancestor’s lives surrounded around indigo, which prompted McKinley to complete extensive research on the plant. Indigo: In Search of the Color That Seduced the World is a book that not only covers the ancient history of indigo, but it also covers its importance in religion and fashion as well as its correlation to slavery.  

Recipe Book: Eliza Lucas Pinckney 1756 by Eliza Lucas Pinckney. Charleston, SC: John J. Furlong & Sons, 1756.

★ Only available in the BDC! 

This is another unique piece that can only be found in the BDC. This is a publication of Eliza’s own recipe book, with more than just recipes for food. In this book you will find aids for all ailments including watery eyes, gout, sore throat, tooth aches, jaundice, and so much more. You can also learn how Eliza polished her furniture, helped her hair to grow, and how she was able to recover veal once it had gone sour. Naturally, you will also find recipes for edible items such as mince “pyes”, mushroom “catchup”, and oyster “soop”.  

Backwater Frontier: Beaufort County, South Carolina at the Forefront of American History by Richard E. Thomas. Hilton Head Island, SC: The Heritage Library Foundation, 2018. 

This source comes from a longtime friend of the BDC, Richard Thomas. His book, Backwater Frontier, pieces together the stories of multiple historical figures who made South Carolina what it is today. Of course, Eliza Lucas Pinckney was a significant South Carolinian figure. Thomas discusses how Eliza successfully acclimated the indigo plant to her plantations in the New World, establishing the American indigo industry in the process. 

Eliza Lucas Pinckney: Colonial Plantation Manager and Mother of American Patriots, 1722-1793 by Margaret F. Pickett. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company Inc., 2016. 

This biography was created from multiple sources, including Eliza’s own letters, that depict her triumphs as well as her struggles adjusting to her new life in Charleston, South Carolina. Following her family’s arrival, her mother passed away and her father was called back to their home of Antigua to fight in the war between England and Spain. Eliza was left to run three plantations on her own in a strange new land, but with an education in botany and an inquisitive mind, she turned one plant into a thriving cash crop that supported southeastern plantations. 

Eliza Pinckney by Harriott Horry Ravenel. Spartanburg, SC: Reprint Co., 1967. ！Available on Hoopla!

Harriott Horry Ravenel was the great-great granddaughter of Eliza Lucas Pinckney. She was an esteemed Charlestonian author that primarily wrote biographies relating to South Carolina prior to the Civil War. For anyone who wishes for a thorough insight into Eliza’s life, this is the source for you. Ravenel utilizes family legends, historical accounts, and Eliza’s own letters to piece together every aspect of Eliza’s life. It is a remarkable piece that I was thrilled to find within our collection.  

Eliza of Wappoo: A Tale of Indigo by Nell S. Graydon. Columbia, SC: The R. L. Bryan Company, 1967. 

This is a manuscript that is mostly based on facts but occasionally strays from the truth with the inclusion of “legends and tradition,” according to Graydon herself. This piece takes you through multiples phases of Eliza’s life, beginning with her journey west. The stages are as follows: Miss Eliza Lucas, Mrs. Charles Pinckney, and finally The Widow Pinckney. Each stage is spurred by a drastic change in Eliza’s life, but that does not deter her from pushing forward.  

The Letterbook of Eliza Lucas Pinckney 1739-1762 by Elisa Pinckney and Marvin R. Zahniser. Columbia, SC: The South Carolina Historical Society, 1972. 

This is another source created by a direct descendant of Eliza Lucas Pinckney, Elisa Pinckney. She compiled letters written by Eliza that give the reader a special insight into Eliza’s personal life during the mid to late eighteenth century. These letters cover her botanical ideas, interests and readings, political views, and her involvement in slave education. The reader also receives a more intimate glimpse into her personal relationships. This includes her husband, Charles Pinckney, and their children, Thomas and Charles Coteswoth Pinckney, who both grew up to be renowned patriots. 

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If you are interested in any of the materials I have shared today, or wish to explore our collection for yourself, walk-ins are sometimes accepted but appointments are encouraged. To make an appointment, send an email to bdc@bcgov.net or give us a call at 843-255-6468. I hope to hear from you soon! 

Note: The portrait of Eliza Lucas Pinckney is a SCETV artist rendition.

Looking ahead: Living historian Peggy Pickett will be portraying Eliza Lucas Pinckney for us in the Fall at Bluffton Branch. Stay tuned for details.