Middleton Place curator next up in speaker series

Charleston is well known for its historical plantations that draw millions of visitors every year. One of the most visited is Middleton Place, and Jeff Neale, curator of research and collections for its foundation, knows all its secrets.

Neale is next up in the Daniel Island Community Speaker Series with a presentation on April 23 from 7-8 p.m., at the Daniel Island Club.

Tickets are going quickly and are available online now. 

Neale, also a renowned expert on the Declaration of Independence, plans to give an inside look at the document's creation and the men who wrote it. While the Declaration of Independence proclaimed America’s break from Great Britain, it also enshrined the powerful words:

"All men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness."

Yet, all 56 signers, including four from South Carolina, either owned slaves or came from states that permitted slavery. How could they reconcile these ideals with their own reality? And if equality was the foundation of our nation, why do disparities persist across race and gender?

Neale will unpack the complexities, contradictions, and lasting impact of this revolutionary document.

Neale brings history to life with his expertise and background. A former U.S. Marine Corps musician, he has also worked at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and wears many hats at Middleton Place, from delivering lambs to mastering historic crafts like pottery and indigo dyeing.

There will be a cash bar and passed hors d’oeuvres starting at 6:30 p.m., with the presentation starting at 7 p.m.