Mark Cole
Arthur Middleton was born in 1742 in South Carolina. His father, Henry Middleton, owned a massive plantation and was one of the wealthiest and most influential men in South Carolina.
As was the custom in the southern colonies in that day for men of wealth, Henry Middleton provided elaborately for the education of Arthur, sending him first to a boarding school in England, then to Cambridge University and (like each of the other signers from South Carolina) finally on to London for legal studies. Arthur then took an extended tour of Europe where his taste in music, art and literature were refined.
In 1764, Arthur Middleton returned to South Carolina, an energetic and thoroughly well-educated young man. He embarked on a career as a justice of the peace and colonial legislator. He also married his wife, Mary. Together, they would have nine children.
Still fond of travel, Arthur and Mary took another extended trip throughout Europe between 1768 and 1771. After their return, Arthur jumped back into politics, immediately being elected again to the South Carolina provincial house of commons. He served there until he was elected to the Continental Congress.
Despite the fact that he had received much of his education in England, Arthur Middleton was a passionate and fiery advocate of independence. He would take any opportunity to dramatically and forcefully denounce the abuses of the colonies by the Crown. But his activism was not limited to making speeches or writing articles. Arthur Middleton was more eager than most to fight for independence.
By the time he succeeded his father in the Continental Congress, Arthur Middleton had already helped to organize a night raid on a Charleston armory, raised money for the armed resistance to the Crown and the Royal Governor of South Carolina, and helped to plan the defense of Charleston Harbor.
These were very dangerous activities for a man with a public profile and with considerable wealth. It’s not like Arthur Middleton could simply hide and disappear.
Moreover, Middleton’s attitude towards Loyalists in South Carolina was ruthless. He advocated tarring and feathering them and confiscating the estates of those who fled the country. Today, Middleton would likely be called an extremist. He was probably one southerner who got along extremely well with Sam Adams of Massachusetts.
Suffice it to say, then, that when Arthur Middleton was called upon to sign the Declaration of Independence, he did so gladly. Nothing could have made him happier.
Middleton, of course, did his part in the Revolutionary War. He served as an officer and was taken captive by the British in the siege of Charleston. He was held with the other South Carolina prisoners in Florida for nearly a year while much of the Middleton plantation was destroyed.
Arthur Middleton was released in 1781, but lived only until 1787, dying when he was 44. His estate passed to his oldest son, Henry Middleton (named for Arthur’s father) who rebuilt it and went on to serve admirably as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Governor of South Carolina and the U.S. Ambassador to Russia.
Three generations of Middletons, then, served in the Congress: Henry and his son Arthur, in the Continental Congress, and Arthur’s son, Henry, in the U.S. House. Not only is Arthur Middleton correctly identified as one of America’s founding fathers, but the Middletons could be regarded as one of America’s founding families.
Check out Mark’s book: Lives, Fortunes, Sacred Honor: The Men Who Signed the Declaration of Independence
