SOUTH CAROLINA HALL OF FAME
Teacher Guide
Thomas Lynch Sr.
South Carolina Social Studies Standards
Thomas Lynch Sr.
The American Revolution - (all 3)
Topics include - 1st & 2nd Provincial Congress, Constitutional Committee of SC, State
Constitution, Patriot, Revolutionary War, Charles Cotesworth Pinckney, Malaria, Continental
Congress, Declaration of Independence
3-3: The student will demonstrate an understanding of the American Revolution and South
Carolina's role in the development of the new American nation.
3-3.1 - Summarize the causes of the American Revolution, including Britain's passage of the
Stamp Act, the Tea Act, and the Intolerable Acts, the rebellion of the colonists, and the writing
of the Declaration of Independence.
3-3.4 - Summarize the effects of the American Revolution, including the establishment of state
and national governments.
Standard 8-2:. The student will demonstrate an understanding of the causes of the American
Revolution and the beginnings of the new nation, with an emphasis on South Carolina's role
in the development of that nation.
8-2.3 - Explain the roles of South Carolinians in the adoption of the Declaration of
Independence.
8-2.6 - Explain the role of South Carolinians in the establishment of their new state government
and the national government after the American Revolution.
2
S.C. Hall of Fame Biography
Thomas Lynch Sr.
Thomas Lynch, Sr. was admired by the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence, and they
marked their high regard with the blank space they created solely for his signature. He is the
only founding father whose son was elected to replace his father.
Lynch was elected to represent the colony of South Carolina in the Commons House of
Assembly in 1751. He was chosen because of his work with George Washington and the
Continental Army. He was one of the most successful indigo and rice planters, the second
wealthiest individual, and a leading statesman in the Colony between 1751 and 1776.
Lynch sacrificed his own fortune through his deep commitment to independence. He had the
respect of the Second Continental Congress to influence the appointment of George
Washington as the Commander-in-Chief of the Continental
Army, even though Washington was not the first choice of
many. Lynch convinced the New England delegation
through John Adams and then convinced the Southern
delegation and the career of Washington began.
Mr. Lynch’s achievements upon the world stage between
1751 and 1776 were as a leader in the Stamp Act
Congress, the 1st and 2nd Continental Congresses, and as
a representative of the Congress to George Washington.
Lynch spearheaded the idea that the Legislative Branch of
Congress should consist of two houses, one to represent
the area and one to represent population.
3
Transcript
Thomas Lynch Sr.
Williams: The first member of the Lynch family to come to America was Jonah Lynch from
Ireland, and they settled originally in what today is the Mount Pleasant area, in the upper
region of the Wando River.
Narrator: Jonah Lynch’s son was Thomas Lynch “the first,” and his grandson was the man we
know as Thomas Lynch, Sr., born in 1727, who moved up the coast to the area around the
Santee River.
Williams: In those days, capable, adventurous young men, coming to a part of the world where
there were vast amounts of land waiting to be developed. If you were enterprising, intelligent
and the Lynch’s were certainly that, and aggressive, you had a chance through land grants and
warrants to acquire tracts of land.
Narrator: The Santee region hosted a mixture of French and English pioneers.
Williams: The French Santee was settled primarily by Huguenots. Further up the river beyond
Jamestown you had what was called the English Santee and predominately English families.
Lynch, being of Irish extraction, would have been considered to be English, definitely not
French. There was quite a distinction there, especially in the early days, and you did not
confuse the two. I think, too, the Lynches being very prosperous made them very readily
acceptable into the English establishment.
Narrator: One of Lynch’s homes, built in 1749, was “Hopsewee,” on the North Santee River.
Lynch’s plantations used a method of rice cultivation brought to the New World by African
slaves.
Williams: They realized the importance of flooding the rice fields as a means of having a
greater yield. So they hit upon something that was unique and this in a sense was the
beginning to that path to great riches.
4
Narrator: Indigo was another important source of revenue.
Williams: It produces a beautiful blue dye. This was a British colony and the Brits wanted that
dye for the sailor uniforms, and they had the largest Navy in the world.
Narrator: The Winyah Indigo Society was a social assembly of planters in Georgetown who met
periodically to “discuss the latest economic news from England.”
Williams: You would have found a wide range of topics ranging from politics to literature to
agricultural practices. It was a center of learning and of enlightenment in the Georgetown area.
Narrator: Politics were also discussed at St. James Santee Church, near McClellanville, where
the Lynches attended.
Williams: And of course, the churches were not only religious centers but social and political
centers, this is where you went to vote among other things. This was part of the Anglican
church in those days.
Narrator: The hot topic of the day was separation of the colonies from England.
Williams: If you look at a number of wealthy families—like the Pinckneys, and the Lynches, and
the Heywards and the Middletons—it is interesting that they chose to go the route of
independence.
Narrator: Thomas Lynch, a colonial assemblyman, spoke out for planters who, although
currently in favor with the British, didn’t want to be totally under their control.
Beattie: Mr. Lynch, being an Irishman and his family had been Irish for 900 years, he
understood the oppressive nature of the British crown and what its potential was. And this was
the first time he actually took the public position in opposition to the crown policy.
Narrator: Events began to unfold that would project Thomas Lynch Sr. into national
prominence.
Beattie: The Stamp Act was the event which enabled Mr. Lynch to stride onto the world stage
for the first time. Before then, he had not met the leaders of New England or the Mid-Atlantic
states, and they had not met him. He made an extremely favorable impression upon them by
5
virtue of the speeches he gave and the coherent and concise way in which he expressed
himself.
Williams: A man of unquestionable intellectual abilities, drive, energy and an interest in politics
he literally was able to catapult himself to the top.
It seems that he was a very down to earth person in many ways, he dressed simply, he did not
put on airs, and maybe that might have impressed some people about him because they
comment about that.
Beattie: In 1773, Mr. Lynch was invited on a speaking tour of New England and he spoke so
well that he made a national reputation for himself. And the hinge of fate occurred with the
Boston Tea Party of the following year, and immediately following the Boston Tea Party the
British government closed the port of Boston. As a result of the closing of the port of Boston,
the First Continental Congress was convened.
Narrator: At the Second Continental Congress, Thomas Lynch Sr. was instrumental in
recognizing George Washington’s leadership skills.
Beattie: It was Lynch’s influence with John Adams that enabled John Adams to persuade the
New England delegation to support Washington’s candidacy as commander in chief.
Narrator: Lynch provided encouragement during tough times and helped start what would
become the US Navy.
Beattie: The American Revolution looked like it was lost in the winter of the first year, 17751776. Washington had done nothing but retreat, and the troops that were under his command
had enlisted for three months in each state and they were all going home. Mr. Lynch ,
Benjamin Harrison, and Benjamin Franklin were appointed to serve as his liaison between the
Congress and Washington, trying to keep the army together. As a result of that, when the
revolution began to succeed and the first naval ships were built, the first three were named The
Harrison, The Lynch, and The Franklin.
Narrator: Thomas Lynch Sr. should have been a signer of one of America’s most precious
documents, but he suffered a debilitating stroke in February 1776.
6
Williams: The elder Lynch was expected to sign The Declaration of Independence, but he
became ill and his son was sent forth, Thomas Lynch Jr. and it was the son Thomas Lynch Jr.
who signed The Declaration of Independence.
There is a blank space between the signatures of Edward Rutledge and Thomas Heyward Jr.,
and that was the space in which Thomas Lynch Sr. was to sign.
Narrator: Thomas Lynch died in 1776, on his way home from Philadelphia to South Carolina.
In 1779, his son Thomas Lynch Jr., in poor health as well, was lost at sea when he tried to go
abroad to recover.
So the Lynch family—rich, brilliant, politically astute—had no direct heir to enjoy the freedoms
of a new republic.
7
Credits
South Carolina Social Studies Standard Correlations were provided by Lisa Ray
The purpose of the South Carolina Hall of Fame is to recognize and honor both contemporary
and past citizens who have made outstanding contributions to South Carolina's heritage and
progress.
Funding for Knowitall.org was provided by the S. C. General Assembly through the K-12
Technology Initiative.
Visit scetv.org/education for more educational resources.
8