SC Prepares for War SC reassembles the General Meeting (of 99) Months before the first shots of the Rev War and 2nd Continental Congress met Leaders call for creation of the Provincial Congress A new governing body Replaces all previous legislative bodies Backcountry underrepresented Provincial Congress responds to the First Shots of War Create three regiments Two infantry regiments One regiment of horse rangers Form the Council of Safety Oversee the state militia Enforce local regulations Manage government business whenever congress not in session

SC Prepares for War Provincial Congress responds to the First Shots of War Set up a five-man secret committee Intercept mail communication between British officials in SC and Britain Seizes gunpowder and weapons from arsenals in and around Charles Town. Royal Governor flees Had only arrived two months earlier Last SC Royal Governor Not received well by people of Charles Town Refused to recognize the authority of the Provincial Congress Flees to the harbor for safety Boards a ship in harbor Hopes to rally support Support doesn’t come Colonists cut off his freshwater supply He sails away for good This ends the Royal Government

SC Prepares for War Patriots and Loyalists Two groups of South Carolinians Patriots Want independence from Britain Loyalists Support the British Hope colonies and British would make peaceful resolution Also known as Tories Named after ruling party in Britain Like security of being part of British Empire SC had one of the highest populations of Loyalists Mainly in the backcountry and in Charles Town Many planters and merchants hesitant to join Patriots They profited from trade with Britain and her other colonies Tension between these groups brings civil war to colonies

SC Prepares for War Other South Carolinians didn’t want to get involved Backcountry South Carolinians can’t be persuaded They don’t feel sympathy for Patriots Feel Patriot’s complaint of “no taxation without representation” is ridiculous The Backcountry had been underrepresented in colonial government They knew low country viewed them as “lower sort” Many backcountry towns were settled by Germans who had been given large tracts of land by king Many backcountry settlers believed the British could protect them better against Cherokee Violence breaks out Council of Safety sends out Patriots to backcountry Effort to persuade backcountry Loyalists to support Revolution Officials of the town of Ninety Six sign treaty Both sides agree to a truce Three days later fighting breaks out One Patriot killed Four Loyalists killed

SC Prepares for War Council of Safety responds Orders 2,500 men to march through backcountry They were to capture Loyalist opposition Many in the region surrender Known as “the Snow Campaign” Two feet of snow fell in a 30 hr. period on return trip This puts an end to Loyalist challenges to the Provincial Government Loyalists wouldn’t be a problem until British troops arrived in SC

SC Prepares for War The Provincial Congress creates a new constitution in 1776 It stated that the new government was temporary “until an accommodation of the unhappy differences between Great Britain and America can be obtained.” Referred to itself as a colony rather than a state Created the General Assembly, a bicameral legislature Lower house Members were elected by qualified voters (white male property owners) Low country representatives outnumbered backcountry reps 126 Low country 76 backcountry Upper house (Legislative Council) Consisted of 13 men Elected by members of the Lower house Both houses elected a president for SC John Rutledge became first president of SC

SC Prepares for War New constitution created in 1778 Legislative Council replaced with a Senate Popularly-elected Each parish and district received one seat President became the governor South Carolina’s Role in the Declaration of Independence On July 1, 1776 nine colonies vote for independence Three colonies oppose it South Carolina, Georgia and Pennsylvania New York abstained Edward Rutledge of SC asked to take another vote the next day Believed SC delegates would change vote In effort to keep unity with other colonies All colonies except NY vote for independence on July 2, 1776 NY refrains from voting Finally, a week later the colony votes for independence

SC Prepares for War South Carolina’s Role in the Declaration of Independence For two days the delegates debated on the wording SC delegates opposed the wording that condemned the slave trade as “a cruel war against human nature.” This wording was removed from the document. After much debate, the Declaration of Independence was completed on July 4, 1776. John Hancock, the president of the Continental Congress officially signed it Most of the rest of the delegates signed it on August 2.