"Senator Rhett" redirects here. For the Georgia State Senate member, see Michael Rhett.
Robert Barnwell Rhett
Deputy to the Provisional C.S. Congress from South Carolina
In office February 4, 1861 – February 18, 1862
Preceded by
Position established
Succeeded by
Position abolished
United States Senator from South Carolina
In office December 18, 1850 – May 7, 1852
Preceded by
Robert Barnwell
Succeeded by
William de Saussure
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from South Carolina
In office March 4, 1837 – March 3, 1849
Preceded by
William Grayson
Succeeded by
William Colcock
Constituency
2nd district (1837–43) 7th district (1843–49)
8th Attorney General of South Carolina
In office November 29, 1832 – March 4, 1837
Governor
Robert Hayne George McDuffie Pierce Butler
Preceded by
Hugh S. Legaré
Succeeded by
Henry Bailey
Member of the South Carolina House of Representatives from St. Bartholomew's Parish
In office November 27, 1826 – November 29, 1832
Personal details
Born
Robert Barnwell Smith
(1800-12-21)December 21, 1800 Beaufort, South Carolina
Died
September 14, 1876(1876-09-14) (aged 75) St. James Parish, Louisiana
Resting place
Magnolia Cemetery, Charleston, South Carolina
Nationality
American
Political party
Democratic
Other political affiliations
Southern National Party
Relations
R. Barnwell Rhett Jr. (son), Alfred M. Rhett (son), Alicia Rhett (great-granddaughter)
Occupation
Politician, lawyer, planter, and newspaper publisher
Robert Barnwell Rhett (born Robert Barnwell Smith; December 21, 1800 – September 14, 1876) was an American politician who served as a deputy from South Carolina to the Provisional Confederate States Congress from 1861 to 1862, a member of the US House of Representatives from South Carolina from 1837 to 1849, and US Senator from South Carolina from 1850 to 1852. As a staunch supporter of slavery and an early advocate of secession, he was a "Fire-Eater", nicknamed the "father of secession".
Rhett published his views through his newspaper, the Charleston Mercury.[1]
His son Alfred M. Rhett commanded a battery at Fort Moultrie at the time of the bombardment of Fort Sumter.[2]
^The Secession Archived March 6, 2017, at the Wayback Machine Charleston News and Courier. December 18, 1960
^Island, Mailing Address: 1214 Middle Street Sullivan's; Us, SC 29482 Phone:577-0242 Contact. "Alfred M. Rhett - Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie National Historical Park (U.S. National Park Service)". www.nps.gov. Retrieved August 7, 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
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RobertBarnwellRhett (born RobertBarnwell Smith; December 21, 1800 – September 14, 1876) was an American politician who served as a deputy from South...
for most of the civil war, and her great-grandfather was RobertBarnwellRhett, Alfred Rhett's father. After her father's death during World War I, Alicia...
uncle of one of the most influential fire-eaters, RobertBarnwellRhett. This Robert woodward Barnwell began his advanced education at Beaufort College...
Charleston publisher RobertBarnwellRhett, who advocated immediate secession and, if necessary, independence. Butler won the battle, but Rhett outlived him....
overthrow the federal government, rather than general discontent. RobertBarnwellRhett, who has been called "the father of secession", said a few days...
South Carolina) RobertBarnwellRhett House Col. William Rhett House White, Nancy Easter (2000). "Thomas Moore Rhett House, "The Rhett House Inn"". The...
7:00 p.m., following which convention delegates signed it, including RobertBarnwellRhett, as some three thousand South Carolinians watched enthusiastically...
(2011). "Propagandists for Secession: Edmund Ruffin of Virginia and RobertBarnwellRhett of South Carolina". South Carolina Historical Magazine. 112 (3/4):...
people of the Slaveholding States of the United States", written by RobertBarnwellRhett, which called on other slave holding states to secede and join in...
activist Robert Smith (Cabinet member) (1757–1842), Secretary of State and of the Navy RobertBarnwell Smith (1800–1876), known as RobertBarnwellRhett, U...
undoubtedly contemplated disunion, but the object of their leader, RobertBarnwellRhett, seems rather to have been a "reform" of the Union giving further...
the Congress South Carolina: R. BarnwellRhett, C. G. Memminger, Wm. Porcher Miles, James Chesnut, Jr., R. W. Barnwell, William W. Boyce, Laurence Keitt...
John Peter Richardson II (J) 25th (1837–1839) Hugh S. Legaré (D) RobertBarnwellRhett (D) John Campbell (N) Waddy Thompson Jr. (W) William K. Clowney...
April 29, 1861 – Elected to fill vacancy) South Carolina RobertBarnwellRhettRobert W. Barnwell Christopher Gustavus Memminger James Chesnut, Jr. William...
were: Howell Cobb, President of the Congress South Carolina: R. BarnwellRhett, R. W. Barnwell, James Chesnut, Jr., C. G. Memminger, Wm. Porcher Miles, Laurence...
took no action on the report at that time. In the summer of 1828, RobertBarnwellRhett, soon to be considered the most radical of the South Carolinians...
Carolinian men to take up arms to defend the South. Its owner, RobertBarnwellRhett, had two plantations and 190 enslaved persons. The paper was critical...
Historian Emory Thomas notes that Yancey, along with Edmund Ruffin and RobertBarnwellRhett, "remained in the secessionist forefront longest and loudest." Thomas...
and walked over to Military Hall. The South Carolina extremist RobertBarnwellRhett hoped that the lower South would completely break with the Northern...
significantly lower. RobertBarnwellRhett railed against the pending Morrill Tariff before the 1860 South Carolina convention. Rhett included a lengthy...
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