South Carolina in the American Revolution facts for kids
South Carolina was very upset about British taxes in the 1760s. They felt it was unfair because they didn't have anyone representing them in the British government. This idea was called "no taxation without representation." Many merchants stopped buying British goods to protest.
When the British government punished Massachusetts harshly for the Boston Tea Party, South Carolina's leaders joined eleven other colonies to form the Continental Congress. In 1775, when the British attacked Lexington and Concord, South Carolina's Patriots joined the fight for the American Revolution. The people in the colony were almost evenly split between those who supported the British (called Loyalists) and those who wanted independence (called Patriots).
Many battles in South Carolina during the Revolution were fought between Carolinians who were Loyalists and Patriots. Some parts of the Cherokee tribe also allied with the British. British General Henry Clinton wanted to use this to his advantage. His plan was to march his troops north from St. Augustine, Florida, and trap George Washington's army in the North. However, Clinton made Loyalists angry and Patriots furious by attacking Patriot soldiers who were running away and not a threat. Many enslaved African Americans chose freedom by escaping to the British lines, where they were promised their liberty.
Later, American forces led by Major General Nathanael Greene took back control of much of South Carolina. They captured many British forts across the state. One by one, the British and Loyalists were surrounded in Charles Town, the capital. They became completely dependent on supplies brought by sea. After peace terms were agreed upon, the British left Charles Town on December 14, 1782. This day is now called "South Carolina Independence Day." General Greene received many awards for freeing the state and helping to bring back an elected government. In 1787, John Rutledge, Charles Pinckney, Charles Cotesworth Pinckney, and Pierce Butler went to Philadelphia. There, at the Constitutional Convention, they helped create the detailed plan for the U.S. Constitution.
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Why the War Started
After the French and Indian War and Pontiac's War, the British Parliament started taxing the American colonies. They wanted to raise money to pay for the costs of these wars. To protest the Stamp Act, South Carolina sent three important men to the Stamp Act Congress. These were Thomas Lynch, a wealthy rice planter, John Rutledge, a young lawyer, and Christopher Gadsden. Gadsden was a leader of the "Liberty Boys," a group that wanted independence. Many historians see him as a key person who pushed for American independence.
In 1767, the Townshend Acts placed new taxes on goods like glass, oil, wine, tea, and paper. Gadsden led the protests against these taxes. Britain removed most of the taxes, but kept the tax on tea. In Charles Town, people copied the Boston Tea Party by dumping a shipment of tea into the Cooper River. Other tea shipments were allowed to land but were left to rot in warehouses.
In 1774, delegates from twelve colonies, all except Georgia, met for the First Continental Congress in Philadelphia. Five South Carolinians attended, including those who had been at the Stamp Act Congress. Henry Middleton even served as president for part of this meeting. The next January, the Royal Governor, Lord William Campbell, ended South Carolina's colonial assembly. It was then reformed as a special "Provincial Congress." During this and later meetings, South Carolinians created a temporary government. John Rutledge was chosen as "president" of the state.
Most Loyalists lived in the Upcountry region. They worried that being ruled by the rich Charles Town planters would be worse than staying under British rule. Judge William Henry Drayton and Reverend William Tennent tried to get the Upcountry to support the "American Cause" but didn't have much success. In September 1775, the Royal Governor dissolved the last Royal Assembly in South Carolina. He then left for safety on a British warship in Charleston Harbor.
Early Battles
More than 200 battles were fought in South Carolina during the American Revolutionary War. This was more than in any other state. On November 19, 1775, Patriot forces fought Loyalists in the first battle of Ninety Six. James Birmingham became the first South Carolinian and southerner to die in the war. Colonel Richard Richardson led Patriots into the Upcountry. He arrested Loyalists and showed that the revolutionary government had power over the whole colony.
Britain's plan was to use Loyalist support in the South. They wanted to start a military attack in Charles Town and then move through the Upcountry, North Carolina, and Virginia. They hoped to gather more men to fight Washington in the North. However, under Colonel William Moultrie, the South Carolinians defeated the Royal Navy in the Battle of Sullivan's Island on June 28, 1776. This was a big victory for the Patriots. News of this battle reached the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia on July 19. This was more than two weeks after they had voted to adopt the Declaration of Independence. The Battle of Sullivan's Island also made the British change their plans. They left the South for about three years.
The new state government met in December to finish the state constitution. They also ended the official status of the Anglican Church. In the Upcountry, the British convinced the Cherokee to fight on their side. Even though the British officer told the Cherokee to only attack Patriot soldiers, soon there were widespread killings and cabin burnings on the frontier. Patriot leaders Andrew Williamson, Andrew Pickens, and James Williams launched a successful campaign against the Cherokee. In 1777, the Cherokee gave up their remaining lands to the South Carolina government. On February 5, 1778, South Carolina became the first state to approve the Articles of Confederation. This was the first constitution of the United States. In 1780, the British returned to South Carolina.
Siege of Charleston
In 1780, the British were stuck in the North and felt pressure to end the war. They started a plan called "The Southern Strategy." They wanted to trap George Washington's troops by moving their forces up from the South. The British landed a large army south of Charleston, on John's Island, then James Island, and then surrounded Charles Town. General Benjamin Lincoln defended the city for two months. But he was forced to surrender almost all the American forces in the Carolinas to General Clinton. Henry Middleton, who had been president of the Continental Congress, was forced to promise loyalty to the British King as a prisoner.
General Washington urged Governor John Rutledge and the state's council to leave Charles Town before it was too late, and they did. Rutledge traveled around the state, printing official papers on a printing press he carried. He also sent many letters asking the Continental Congress to send the Continental Army to help South Carolina.
The British quickly took control of the coast. They set up posts in other port cities like Beaufort and Georgetown. During this time, many enslaved African Americans escaped to the British lines. They wanted freedom, and the British promised it to them. About 25,000 African Americans, which was one-quarter of the enslaved population, escaped to the British during the war to gain their freedom.
After controlling the coast, the British set up posts in the Upcountry. They hoped to control the area by working with local Loyalists.
Responding to Rutledge's pleas and the British threat, Washington sent an army under General Gates. But Gates was defeated at Camden on August 16, 1780. The remaining army quickly retreated north.
Before the Battle of Camden, Gates met Francis Marion. Marion was a militia officer who had avoided being captured at Charleston because he was injured and out of town during the surrender. Marion had a small group of rough militia men. Gates thought Marion's group was embarrassing. He got rid of Marion by ordering him to scout the British and destroy boats and bridges that might help them.
Marion left and followed his orders, missing the battle. The next day, by order of Governor Rutledge, he took command of the Williamsburg militia. This group, along with other militiamen, became known as Marion's Brigade. Marion eventually became a general. He had not yet heard about Gates' defeat. The next day, a small militia under Thomas Sumter was surprised and completely defeated at Fishing Creek. Sumter barely escaped with his life. At this point, Marion had the only strong Patriot army left in the South. From then until General Nathanael Greene arrived, the war's outcome in the South depended on the militia. The militia slowly started to turn the tide of the war.
The war was not just about fighting, but also about winning the support of the people. Marion started a new policy. As he destroyed British boats and took food and horses from settlers, he gave the owners receipts for everything. His fair actions quickly made Marion a hero and gained support for his brigade. Many of these receipts were paid back by the new state government after the war.
British Mistakes
General Clinton believed South Carolina was a Loyalist colony that had been forced into revolution by a small group. He wanted to increase British presence and make moderates in the area confident enough to fight for the British. But Clinton angered Loyalists by spending all the money on extra weapons and soldiers instead of doctors.
American Colonel Abraham Buford and his Virginia Patriots were heading south to defend Charles Town. But they turned back when they realized they were too late. British Lieutenant Colonel Banastre Tarleton did not want the rebels to escape. He chased after them, which angered more Loyalists. Tarleton caught up with them on May 29, 1780, near Lancaster, South Carolina. The Americans were told to surrender but refused. They kept marching, even knowing Tarleton was close. In the Battle of Waxhaws, Tarleton and his men defeated the Americans, suffering very few losses. During the confusion of the battle, some Americans who had surrendered were killed. This led to the battle cry for Southern Patriots: "Tarleton's quarter!"
Clinton made a second mistake by taking back the paroles of Carolinians. He had promised that if Carolinians who surrendered did not bother the British government, he would leave them alone. On June 3, he announced that all prisoners of war had to either fight against their fellow Americans or be seen as traitors to the King. Many soldiers, who were already upset, decided that if they had to risk being shot again, they might as well fight for the side they wanted to win.
The third British mistake was burning the home in Stateburg, South Carolina, and bothering the sick wife of a colonel named Thomas Sumter. Because of his anger, Sumter became one of the fiercest and most effective guerrilla leaders of the war. He became known as "The Gamecock." Patriots fighting under Marion in the Lowcountry and under Andrew Pickens (whose home was also burned) in the Upcountry bothered the British. They used guerrilla tactics in the mountains, woods, and swamps of the state.
Americans Turn the Tide
On October 8, 1780, at Kings Mountain, American Colonel Isaac Shelby led North and South Carolinians. They attacked British Major Patrick Ferguson and his American Loyalists on a hilltop. This was a major victory for the Patriots, especially because militiamen, not trained soldiers, won it. It gave a big boost to the "Overmountain Men" who were tired of British harshness. Kings Mountain is seen as the turning point of the revolution in the South. It stopped any major recruitment of Loyalists and forced Cornwallis to leave North Carolina for a while.
That December, General Nathanael Greene arrived with American troops. When Greene heard Tarleton was approaching, he sent Brigadier General Daniel Morgan and his backwoodsmen to stop him. On January 17, 1781, the two forces met at a grassy field called Cowpens, a well-known cattle grazing area. Pickens and his guerrilla soldiers joined Morgan right before the battle. Morgan felt they were not strong enough to fight Tarleton's trained troops. He wanted to cross a river to give them a chance to retreat. Pickens convinced Morgan that staying on the British side of the river would force his men to fight. Some historians consider this the best-planned battle of the entire war. The Patriots defeated the British. Later battles at Hobkirk's Hill and Eutaw Springs further weakened the British.
Fighting continued throughout 1781 in the backcountry. Both Patriot and Loyalist militias looted homes and killed civilians. One famous example is William "Bloody Bill" Cunningham's "Bloody Scout," who attacked homes and killed many Patriots.
In December 1782, the British left Charles Town. The happy residents changed the name to "Charleston" because it sounded "less British."
Loyalists in South Carolina
South Carolina had one of the strongest groups of Loyalists in any state. About 5,000 men fought against the Patriot government during the revolution. Thousands more supported the British by avoiding taxes, selling supplies to them, or avoiding being drafted into the Patriot army. Almost all of them had moved to the colony after 1765. Only about one in six Loyalists were born there. About 45% of Loyalists were small farmers, 30% were merchants or shopkeepers, 15% were large farmers or plantation owners, and 10% were British officials. They were strongest in the back-country, where most settlers had opposed the rich people from the coast before the revolution.
South Carolina had a lot of bitter fighting between Patriots and Loyalists during the war, especially from 1780 to 1782. However, after the war, the state adopted a policy of reconciliation. This was more moderate than any other state. About 4,500 Loyalists left when the war ended, but most stayed. The state government successfully and quickly brought most of them back into society. During the war, Loyalists who switched sides and joined the Patriot forces were offered pardons. Others had to pay a fine of 10% of their property's value. The government listed 232 Loyalists whose property could be taken, but most appealed and were forgiven.
Creating the Constitution
In 1787, John Rutledge, Charles Pinckney, Charles Cotesworth Pinckney, and Pierce Butler went to Philadelphia. There, the Constitutional Convention was putting together the U.S. Constitution. Charles Pinckney, who was 30 years old, had long criticized the weak Articles of Confederation. Even though he was born wealthy, Pinckney became a leader for democracy in the state. On May 29, 1787, he gave the Convention a detailed plan for the United States Constitution. John Rutledge also provided valuable ideas. Pierce Butler, a major slaveholder who lost many enslaved people who escaped to the British during the war, included a part in the Constitution about returning runaway enslaved people.
The new U.S. Constitution, which supported a strong federal government, was approved by South Carolina in May 1788. The state's own new constitution was approved in 1790.
During the 1780s, a doctor from Charleston named David Ramsay published two of the first histories of the American Revolution. These were The History of the Revolution of South-Carolina (1785) and The History of the American Revolution (1789).
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