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Continental Congress
The Continental Congress acted as the first national government of the United States. SC was the only one of the thirteen states to meet its money obligation to the Continental Congress. South Carolinians were active in the new national government. Henry Laurens served as president of the Continental Congress, and later on the committee that negotiated the Treaty of Paris. -
Committee of 99
South Carolina leaders made this committee in 1774 of 15 merchants, 15 artisans, and 69 planters. This was a committee that the people of SC obeyed instead of the royal governor. It was a de facto government even though it was not the lawful government (de jure) the people still obeyed it. The royal governor was still the de jure government because SC was still a British colony at this time. -
De Facto Government/De Jure Government
De Facto government (Committee of 99) was a government that the people obeyed. The De Jure government was the lawful government (royal governor) even though the people obeyed the Committee of 99. -
Provisional Congress
The Provincial Congress was meant to be a temporary government during the war. The elected delegates were mostly Lowcountry elite who enforced non-importation of goods from England. The Provincial Congress authorized their delegates to the Second Continental Congress to begin writing the Articles of Confederation. -
Treaty of Ninety-Six
This treaty said that the Backcountry people would remain neutral in the struggle with Great Britain. This treaty did not last and the Patriots ended up sending a force to defeat the Loyalists in the Backcountry. -
South Carolina’s 1st Constitution (1776)
The SC Constitution of 1776 was presented before the Declaration of Independence was signed. The SC constitution was written by the Provincial Congress and served as the law of South Carolina until the problems with England were resolved. This constitution provided a bicameral legislature with a lower house elected by the people and the upper house elected by the lower house. The president had the right to veto laws. The Lowcountry had more representation than the Backcountry -
Henry Laurens
He served as president of the Continental Congress, and later on the committee that negotiated the Treaty of Paris, which ended the Revolutionary War. -
South Carolina’s 2nd Constitution (1778
The South Carolina Constitution of 1778 had three changes from the first constitution. The president would now be called the governor of SC, the Church of England was no longer the official state church, and representation was now slightly more equal between the Lowcountry and Backcountry. -
Charles Pinckney
Charles Pinckney was an early advocate for a stronger national government. He chaired the Confederation committee that wanted to strengthen the national government under the Articles of Confederation and and also served on the committee to persuade the states to pay their debts to the national government. -
Articles of Confederation
The first national government of the US in 1781. -
Shay’s Rebellion in Massachusetts
It raised fears of rebellion against the federal government, and the states called for a meeting in Philadelphia to fix the problems of the Articles of Confederation.
