The fourth volume of the Papers of the Revolutionary Era Pinckney Statesmen has been published by the University of Virginia. 

In its entirety, this digital resource documents an era from 1769 to 1828 in American and South Carolina history through the letters, journals and other records of members of the family known as the Pinckneys of Charleston, a prominent governing family during the revolution. 

Why it matters: 

The final volume in the chronological collection, titled “The Final Years: War, Politics and Retirement,” brings to light new information about the War of 1812 in the South. With more than 750 fully transcribed and annotated documents, readers will be able to gain insight into the ramifications of this conflict on the region. 

In addition, plantation and other records provide the names of hundreds of people who were enslaved by the extended Pinckney family, providing a resource for historians and genealogists looking for undiscovered connections. 

What’s next: 

Since 2013, the project has been supported by the University of South Carolina, the National Endowment for the Humanities and the National Historic Publication and Records Commission. 

USC’s distinguished professor emerita Constance B. Schulz has been leading the work to publish the collected papers of the Pinckney family for more than a decade. 

 Schulz says for now the work will continue. 

 “We expect to complete a final brief addenda volume in the next year,” she writes. 

 The publication is now available online and will eventually have more than 3,000 documents.