Thomas Patterson Brockman facts for kids

Thomas Patterson Brockman (born December 4, 1797, died August 20, 1859) was a businessman and farmer in Greenville County, South Carolina. He also owned land in the Spartanburg area. He was born in Greenville and was the son of Susannah Patterson and Henry Brockman. In 1850, records show he owned thirty enslaved people in Greenville. Brockman was also a member of the state government, serving in both the South Carolina House of Representatives and the South Carolina Senate.

Colonel Brockman: A Community Leader

Thomas Brockman was a well-known person in Greenville as early as 1831. He was chosen to be a parade marshal for the Fourth of July celebration that year. As marshal, he led three groups of local soldiers, called militia. He was a colonel in the Third Regiment of the state militia from 1831 to 1834. This shows he was a respected leader in his community.

Brockman's Political Journey

Brockman was a strong supporter of the United States before the Civil War. People who supported the Union were called "Unionists."

Standing Up for the Union

In 1832 and 1833, Brockman was a delegate from Greenville to a special state meeting. This meeting was about the Nullification Crisis. This was a time when South Carolina debated if states could ignore federal laws. Brockman voted against nullification, showing his support for the federal government.

He served as a state Senator for the Greenville district from 1836 to 1839. He also worked as a Commissioner of Roads and Public Buildings in 1844.

The Debate Over Slavery and Secession

The issue of slavery became a huge problem in the United States. In 1850, a plan called the Compromise of 1850 was created to try and solve some of these issues. Some people in South Carolina, called "secessionists," wanted the state to leave the Union if this Compromise passed.

Greenville, Brockman's hometown, was known for supporting the Union. In the state elections of October 1850, Brockman was re-elected as a state Senator. Other Union supporters, like Benjamin Perry and Perry E. Duncan, were also elected. Unionists even started a newspaper called the Southern Patriot to share their ideas.

Even with strong Unionist support, the state government decided to hold a meeting to vote on leaving the Union. Brockman and other Unionists worked hard to delay this meeting. They teamed up with a group called "cooperationists." These cooperationists didn't openly oppose leaving the Union, but they believed South Carolina should only leave if other Southern states did too.

When the delegates for the meeting were finally chosen in 1852, the Unionists and cooperationists won the vote. They defeated the secessionists by a large number of votes (25,062 to 17,617). Thanks to Brockman and other Unionists in Greenville, the United States stayed together for a while longer.

A Tragic Outcome

The election of Abraham Lincoln as president in 1860 caused a new crisis. Despite all of Brockman's efforts, South Carolina declared it was leaving the Union in December 1860. This started the American Civil War. This was a very sad time for Brockman. Both of his sons, Benjamin T. Brockman and Jesse Brockman, died fighting for the Confederate Army during the war.

Brockman's family continued to be involved in politics. His granddaughter, Tallulah James Brockman, married Alabama politician John H. Bankhead. John Bankhead later became a U.S. Representative and a Senator. Their son, William Brockman Bankhead, also became a U.S. Representative and even the Speaker of the House. Another son, John H. Bankhead II, became a U.S. Senator.

Brockman's Roles and Activities

State Senate Roles

• State Senator for Greenville District (1836–1839), (1850–1855)
• Member of the Committee on Accounts and Vacant Offices (1836–1838), (1854–1855)
• Member of the Committee on Internal Improvements (1836–1839)
• Member of the Committee on Privileges and Elections (1836–1839)
• Member of the Committee on Incorporations (1838–1839)
• Member of the Committee on Pensions (1850–1851)
• Member of the Committee on Roads, Bridges, and Ferries (1850–1851)
• Member of the Committee on Claims and Grievances (1852–1853)

Other Important Positions

• Colonel of the Third Regiment State Militia (1831–1832)
• South Carolina Representative for the South Western Railroad Bank Stockholder's Meeting (1839)
• Commissioner of Roads (1844, 1851, 1854)
• Commissioner of Public Buildings (1844, 1851, 1854)
• Presidential Elector (1852)

Efforts Against Secession

Brockman, Benjamin Fanklin Perry, and Perry Emory Duncan were all important Unionists who worked to keep South Carolina in the United States.

• He represented Greenville at the Nullification Convention and voted against nullification (1832–1833).
• He wrote a pamphlet that suggested a meeting of all Southern states instead of just South Carolina deciding on its own (1851).
• He participated in the Southern Rights state convention (1852).