Changes

==Early life==

==Early life==

Wade Hampton III was born on March 28, 1818, in Charleston, South Carolina, the first child of Wade Hampton Jr. and Ann Fitzsimons. The Hampton family had originally immigrated from [[England]] to [[Virginia]] in the early 17th century, later moving to the South Carolina frontier, where Hampton's grandfather (the first Wade Hampton) served as a prominent militia officer in the [[Revolutionary War]] (and would later lead a column of troops during the failed invasion of [[Canada]] during the [[War of 1812]]), and developed large plantations in the state as well as in [[Louisiana]] and [[Mississippi]]; many considered him the richest planter in the South. Wade Hampton Jr., who also fought in the War of 1812, eventually inherited his father's plantation empire and married Ann Fitzsimons, the daughter of a Charleston merchant.

Wade Hampton III was born on March 28, 1818, in Charleston, South Carolina, the first child of Wade Hampton, Jr. and Ann Fitzsimons. The Hampton family had originally immigrated from [[England]] to [[Virginia]] in the early 17th century, later moving to the South Carolina frontier, where Hampton's grandfather (the first Wade Hampton) served as a prominent militia officer in the [[Revolutionary War]] (and would later lead a column of troops during the failed invasion of [[Canada]] during the [[War of 1812]]), and developed large plantations in the state as well as in [[Louisiana]] and [[Mississippi]]; many considered him the richest planter in the South. Wade Hampton Jr., who also fought in the War of 1812, eventually inherited his father's plantation empire and married Ann Fitzsimons, the daughter of a Charleston merchant.

The third Wade Hampton (the first of eight children) was raised partly in Charleston and partly at his parents' Millwood plantation near Columbia, South Carolina. He attended South Carolina College (the future [[University of South Carolina]]), graduating in 1836, and thereafter briefly studied law, though he never practiced. In 1838 he married Margaret Preston, daughter of a distinguished Virginia family, with whom he had four children. She died in 1852; six years later he married again, to Mary McDuffie, whose father had been a South Carolina governor.  

The third Wade Hampton (the first of eight children) was raised partly in Charleston and partly at his parents' Millwood plantation near Columbia, South Carolina. He attended South Carolina College (the future [[University of South Carolina]]), graduating in 1836, and thereafter briefly studied law, though he never practiced. In 1838 he married Margaret Preston, daughter of a distinguished Virginia family, with whom he had four children. She died in 1852; six years later he married again, to Mary McDuffie, whose father had been a South Carolina governor.