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

Richland County, South Carolina Richland County is 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 largest city is ...

. Adams served as an officer in the

South Carolina militia The South Carolina National Guard consists of the South Carolina Army National Guard and the South Carolina Air National Guard] American law specifically charges the National Guard with dual federal and state missions. In fact, the National Guard i ...

during the

American Revolution The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revolut ...

and also served in the

Continental Army The Continental Army was the army of the United Colonies (the Thirteen Colonies) in the Revolutionary-era United States. It was formed by the Second Continental Congress after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War, and was establis ...

. 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 )''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...

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

Columbia, South Carolina Columbia is the capital of the U.S. state of South Carolina. With a population of 136,632 at the 2020 census, it is the second-largest city in South Carolina. The city serves as the county seat of Richland County, and a portion of the city ...

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. Two of his sons,

Joel Adams II Joel Adams II (March 6, 1784 – May 1, 1859) was an American politician, lawyer, and planter. He was son of Joel Adams and Grace Weston Adams and was born in Richland District, South Carolina, March 6, 1784. He graduated from Yale University ...

(1784–1859) and

William Weston Adams Dr. William Weston Adams (November 15, 1786 – August 11, 1831) was an American politician, planter, medical doctor, and graduate of Yale University. He was the third son of Joel Adams and Grace Weston Adams and was born in Richland District, ...

(1786–1831), graduated from

Yale University Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wo ...

and served in the South Carolina House of Representatives. His grandson,

James Hopkins Adams James Hopkins Adams (March 15, 1812 – July 13, 1861) was an American politician who served as the 66th governor of South Carolina from 1854 to 1856. He also served in the South Carolina Legislature. Early life and education Adams was born i ...

, 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 South Carolina House of Representatives, 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, also called the Confederate Army or the Southern Army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fighting ...

. 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. It was the site of two American Civil War battles in the campaign known as Operations Agains ...

. Warren graduated from The Citadel 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 South Carolina House of Representatives. 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 South Carolina House of Representatives. E.C.L. Adams was the great grandson of

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 t ...

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. One of the earliest innovators of the literary art form called jazz poetry, Hug ...

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 Weston Woollard Adams (August 9, 1904 – March 19, 1973) was an American hockey executive with the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League. He is a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame. Early life Adams was born in Springfield, Massachusetts. ...

served in the South Carolina House of Representatives, and was also a United States Ambassador. 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 Burials in South Carolina American planters American slave owners