3 Images, 2 Moments, 1 Memory
Three Images of History
Two Moments in History
Moment 1—Joel Roberts Poinsett: The Man Behind the Christmas Poinsettia and His South Carolina Connections
The poinsettia, a vibrant red plant synonymous with Christmas, has an unexpected connection to South Carolina, thanks to Joel Roberts Poinsett. While widely celebrated for introducing the poinsettia to the United States, Poinsett’s story extends well beyond botany, encompassing diplomacy, politics, and a complex legacy rooted in his South Carolina heritage.
Who Was Joel Roberts Poinsett?
Born in Charleston, South Carolina 1779, Joel Roberts Poinsett was a statesman, diplomat, and amateur botanist. His multifaceted career included serving as the first U.S. Minister to Mexico (1825–1829), a U.S. Congressman (1821–1825), and Secretary of War under President Martin Van Buren (1837–1841). He died in 1851. While his political achievements were significant, his botanical pursuits left a lasting impact on American culture.
Poinsett’s introduction of the poinsettia plant from Mexico to the United States in 1828 is his most enduring legacy. The plant was subsequently named after him and has become a staple of Christmas décor nationwide.
Poinsett’s South Carolina Roots
Poinsett maintained strong ties to South Carolina throughout his life. He split his time between his plantation on the Pee Dee River and a summer home near Greenville (the photo above). His marriage to Mary Izard Pringle Poinsett further connected him to prominent South Carolina families, such as the Izards and Middletons, who were part of the elite planter class.
Interestingly, there is a link between Poinsett and the Sams family of South Carolina through intermarriages among notable families like the Barnwells, Middletons, and Izards. This connection raises the intriguing possibility that poinsettias may have adorned the Dr. B.B. Sams plantation house on Datha Island during the Christmas season.
Joel Roberts Poinsett’s relationship with the Sams family of South Carolina is not one of direct descent but rather a connection through intermarriages among prominent families, including the Sams, Barnwell, Middleton, and Izard families.
The SAMS Connection
– In the early 1700s, Capt. Robert Sams married Bridget Barnwell. Their son, William Sams, had a cousin, Anne Barnwell, who later married Col. Thomas Middleton.
– Anne Barnwell Middleton’s nephew, Arthur Middleton (a signer of the Declaration of Independence), married Mary “Polly” Izard.
– By the late 1700s, Mary Izard Middleton (Arthur’s wife) had a first cousin once removed (1C1R), Mary Izard Pringle, who married Joel Roberts Poinsett in 1833.
This intricate web of family ties illustrates how South Carolina’s elite planter class was interconnected, linking Poinsett indirectly to the Sams family and their legacy.
Moment 2— December 25th, 1853
Beaufort County’s first recorded White Christmas was in 1853. It was recorded in the journal of planter Thomas B. Chaplin (see below), whose plantation was on the western end of St. Helena Island, SC.
One Memory Preserved
“Christmas Day. The ground is covered with snow this morning but not thick, trees covered icicles. Clear but bitter cold. Saxby & I rode up to Farmer’s. Took him up & went on to Minott’s. We all returned & dined with Mother. She had a very fine dinner, too much in fact. (as she always did in those days)
(I hear that the snow or sleet & cold weather extended to the Island.)”
Thomas B. Chaplin (1822 – 1890)
Sunday, December 25th, 1853
Tombee Portrait of a Cotton Planter by Theodore Rosengarten with The Plantation Journal of Thomas B. Chaplin (1822-1890), pages 620-621, published 1986. Thank you to Grace Cordial and the Beaufort District Collection at Beaufort Library for bringing this to our attention.