Andrew Pickens (1739–1817), 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, Rod
Andrew Jr. 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. Combining insights from
military and social history, Andrew argues that while Pickens's
actions consistently reaffirmed the authority of white men, he was
also determined to help found the new republic based on broader
principles of morality and justice.
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.