Joel Adams (February 4, 1750 – July 9, 1830) was an American planter and soldier from

Richland County, South Carolina Richland County is a county located in the U.S. state of South Carolina. As of the 2020 census, its population was 416,147, making it the second-most populous county in South Carolina, behind only Greenville County. The county seat and larg ...

. Adams served as an officer in the

South Carolina militia The South Carolina National Guard (SCNG) consists of the South Carolina Army National Guard and the South Carolina Air National Guard. History The South Carolina National Guard, or Carolina militia as it was originally known, was born from the C ...

during the

American Revolution The American Revolution (1765–1783) was a colonial rebellion and war of independence in which the Thirteen Colonies broke from British America, British rule to form the United States of America. The revolution culminated in the American ...

and also served in the

Continental Army The Continental Army was the army of the United Colonies representing the Thirteen Colonies and later the United States during the American Revolutionary War. It was formed on June 14, 1775, by a resolution passed by the Second Continental Co ...

. Adams married Grace Weston, daughter of William Weston, and they had seven children. Adams was instrumental in the successful agricultural development of central part of

South Carolina South Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders North Carolina to the north and northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, and Georgia (U.S. state), Georg ...

in the 18th century, and was influential in the political structure of the state being centered in

Columbia, South Carolina Columbia is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of South Carolina. With a population of 136,632 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is List of municipalities in South Carolina, the second-mo ...

at the time. He was a strong proponent of education, and of military and political service to state and to country, and served in the

South Carolina House of Representatives The South Carolina House of Representatives is the lower house of the South Carolina General Assembly. It consists of 124 representatives elected to two-year terms at the same time as U.S. congressional elections. Unlike many legislatures, seatin ...

. Two of his sons, Joel Adams II (1784–1859) and William Weston Adams (1786–1831), graduated from

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Stat ...

and served in the

. His grandson, James Hopkins Adams, graduated from

, and was the 66th

Governor of South Carolina The governor of South Carolina is the head of government of South Carolina. The governor is the ''ex officio'' commander-in-chief of the National Guard when not called into federal service. The governor's responsibilities include making year ...

from 1854 to 1857. His grandson, James Uriah Adams (1812–1871), was a member of the

, and a graduate of

. Joel's grandson James Pickett Adams (1828–1904) was a member of the South Carolina House of Representatives, and was Major in the

Confederate States Army The Confederate States Army (CSA), also called the Confederate army or the Southern army, was the Military forces of the Confederate States, military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) duri ...

. His grandson Robert Adams II was a captain in the Confederate Army, and his life was depicted in the film '' The Last Confederate: The Story of Robert Adams''. Joel's great-grandson Warren Adams (1838–1884) was a lieutenant colonel in the Confederate Army and was in command of the First South Carolina Infantry Regiment at

Battery Wagner Fort Wagner or Battery Wagner was a beachhead fortification on Morris Island, South Carolina, that covered the southern approach to Charleston Harbor. Named for deceased Lt. Col. Thomas M. Wagner, it was the site of two American Civil War ba ...

. Warren graduated from

The Citadel The Citadel Military College of South Carolina (simply known as The Citadel) is a public senior military college in Charleston, South Carolina, United States. Established in 1842, it is the third oldest of the six senior military colleges ...

in 1859, where he was the Commandant of the Corps of Cadets. His great-grandson Henry Walker Adams (1852-1903), son of James Uriah Adams, served in The

. The South Carolina author and physician Dr. Edward Clarkson Leverett Adams (1876–1946) was the double great-great-grandson of Joel, and was a member of The

. E.C.L. Adams was the great-grandson of Joel Adams II and James Adams, two of Joel's sons. He was the author of a number of books including ''Tales of the Congaree''. African American author, and

Harlem Renaissance The Harlem Renaissance was an intellectual and cultural revival of African-American music, dance, art, fashion, literature, theater, politics, and scholarship centered in Harlem, Manhattan, New York City, spanning the 1920s and 1930s. At the ti ...

leader,

Langston Hughes James Mercer Langston Hughes (February 1, 1901 – May 22, 1967) was an American poet, social activist, novelist, playwright, and columnist from Joplin, Missouri. An early innovator of jazz poetry, Hughes is best known as a leader of the Harl ...

visited E.C.L. Adams at his home in South Carolina and said of Adams that he "was exactly my idea of what a ''true'' Southern gentleman should be." His descendant Weston Adams served in the South Carolina House of Representatives, and was also a

United States Ambassador Ambassadors of the United States are persons nominated by the president to serve as the United States' diplomatic representatives to foreign nations, international organizations, and as ambassadors-at-large. Under Article II, Section 2 of th ...

. Joel Adams is buried at St. John's Congaree Episcopal Church in Congaree, South Carolina.

References

External links

*http://politicalgraveyard.com/families/14840.html * {{DEFAULTSORT:Adams, Joel Continental Army soldiers People from Richland County, South Carolina 1750 births 1830 deaths People from colonial South Carolina South Carolina militiamen in the American Revolution 18th-century American planters United States senators who owned slaves 19th-century members of the South Carolina General Assembly