ROLES AND PERSPECTIVES

8-2.4 Compare the perspectives of different groups of South Carolinians during the American Revolution, including Patriots, Tories/Loyalists, women, enslaved and free Africans, and Native Americans.

Which side was SC on in the Revolution?  Not all supported independence.  Different opinions led to a civil war within South Carolina  Events in SC impacted the success of the Patriots

What did Patriots believe?  Supported the Continental Congress and independence.

What did SC Patriots do?  Created a provisional government to control the colony during the war.  SC’s political leaders were Patriots.  Volunteered as soldiers to fight in colonial militias and with Patriot partisan groups.

What did Loyalists/Tories believe?  Remained loyal to the King and Great Britain  more Loyalists in South Carolina than in any of the other colonies, except New York  Most soldiers in the backcountry were Loyalists  Backcountry people were not true loyalists in principal, but instead wished to live their lives without interference.  For example, German immigrants had no allegiance to the King or to the idea of democracy.

What did Loyalists do?  Volunteered to fight on the side of the British.  Lowcountry Patriots and backcountry Loyalists fought each other in the Revolutionary War.  When the war ended, many Loyalists left South Carolina for the Caribbean or Canada.  Others were fined or run out of town.

What did SC’s women believe?  Some were Patriots, some were Loyalists and still others wished to not be involved in the war. Emily Geiger

What did SC’s women do?  Women managed farms and plantations when the men were away.  Some served as messengers or nurses  Others sacrificed their homes and fortunes. Nancy Hart Rebecca Motte

What was the role of SC’s African Americans?  Most continued to work as slaves  Some free African Americans served in the Continental Army  Fought with the partisan bands  Fought for the British in response to the promise that they would earn their freedom. The British did not honor this promise Maurice Barboza  Most continued to work as slaves  Some free African Americans served in the Continental Army  Fought with the partisan bands  Fought for the British in response to the promise that they would earn their freedom. The British did not honor this promise

Why weren’t slaves allowed to join SC’s military?  South Carolinians feared a slave uprising so they rejected the Continental Congress’s appeal to allow slaves to serve in non-military jobs  Later, when more manpower was needed, the law was changed to allow 1/3 of the militia to be made up of slaves but they were not allowed to serve as soldiers.

What did SC’s Native Americans believe?  Some wanted to avoid the war.  Many supported the British because the British promised to return control of the west to the Native Americans.

What did the Native Americans do?  After American colonists attacked the Native Americans on the frontier, Native Americans retaliated.  The Cherokees supported the British and attacked the colonists.