SC Disagreements Post Revolutionary War 8-3.1--Explain the tensions between the Upcountry and the Lowcountry of South Carolina, including their economic struggles after the Revolutionary War, their disagreement over representation in the General Assembly, the location of the new capital, and the transformation of the state’s economy.

Tensions Backcountry vs Lowcountry/ Loyalists vs Patriots in the Revolutionary War After the Revolutionary War the Backcountry was now called the upcountry Tensions between the two areas were due to the economic differences

Tensions Most Upcountry people were sustenance farmers & only a few owned slaves They didn’t have large plantations & most people worked their farms without the assistance of slave labor Lowcountry depended on slave labor for their economic well-being Both groups suffered economically as a result of the war

The economy was slow to improve after the war… What happens in a war? Ravaged countryside, slaves & livestock Goods were taken by the British The economy was slow to improve after the war…

Economic Upset in the Lowcountry Lowcountry Plantation owners had received economic subsides by Britain for cash crops… after the war South Carolina as a part of the new independent United States turned against the planters Planters owed money to creditors in Britain that now couldn’t pay (US Gov’t also couldn’t pay for goods commandeered during war) Poor crop yields also made it hard to recover

Economic Upset in the Lowcountry Economic problems would persist until 1800’s when cotton was introduced as the new cash crop How inventions change history for better & for worse (5:14)

SC’s Early Years Lowcountry elite had little respect for other South Carolinians & had the majority of representation in government White population differences Charleston was the capital of SC and all legal business was done there In 1785, county & country courts were created to help ease upcountry travel to hear a legal matter

New State Capital The newly established city of Columbia was located in the middle of the state and deemed assessable by all The capital was moved there in 1776 This moved helped ease tensions between the two areas But, the Lowcountry still maintained a majority in the state legislature Meet Columbia (2:27)

The New Capital The Lowcountry resisted giving the up the majority because they feared the Upcountry would not support slavery The invention of the cotton gin made cotton a viable cash crop in the Upcountry, resulting in the need for slaves there too As more slave labor was needed and used in the Upcountry the legislative balance became more equal between the to areas

Compromise of 1808 Legislature agreed to reappointment SC Representation was to be based equally on white population and the amount of taxable property (including slaves) Resulting in those areas with higher concentrations of slaves still having more representation, but now both areas had their share of slaves and political power