Governments of Carolina

8-1.6 Compare the development of representative government in South Carolina to representative government in the other colonial regions, including the proprietary regime, the period of royal government, and South Carolina’s Regulator Movement.

How was SC governed in the beginning? began as a proprietary colony the land and political control over the land was granted to the eight Lords Proprietors by the king In order to make money, the Lords Proprietors needed to attract settlers Fundamental Constitution granted religious freedom (except to Catholics) and offered a headright Proprietors began to share some of the political control of the colony with property owners. As planters became wealthy, they became political leaders

How did the Lords Props share power? The Grand Council make laws, including tax laws, for the colony Proprietors, planters, and common people each had one vote even though the LPs and planters were small groups Later a separate house was established as the Commons House of Assembly to represent the common people. Representation for the Lowcountry continued to be greater than that for the backcountry.

Why did SC and NC split? They developed differently. Poor, small farmers from Virginia settled in the north. Prosperous rice planters settled in the south. Wilderness and dangerous seas off the coast separated the north from the south. Because it was so hard to govern both parts together, in 1712, North Carolina and South Carolina became separate colonies with their own governments.

What is a royal colony? By the end of the 1600s, most English colonies founded as the joint stock companies had lost their right to name the colonial governor and had become royal colonies the king appointed the governor. Most often this change was the result of the king’s desire to control the wealth or to limit the independence of the colony.

How did Carolina become a royal colony? Invitation of the colonists colonists felt neglected by the Lords Props who collected rent but offered them little protection from the Spanish, Native Americans, and pirates Proprietors were making little profit. The Council asked to the king to make Carolina a royal colony. It took 10 years, but the king reached a financial agreement with the Proprietors and Carolina became a royal colony in 1729 Called the Revolution of 1719

What was SC’s royal gov’t like? representative assembly a governor who was appointed by the king The power of the royal governor was limited because colonial assemblies controlled the taxes that paid the governor’s salary. Most often the king and Parliament left the colonies alone to control their own local government.

What were the benefits of being a royal colony? English government increased subsidies for naval stores allowed merchants to sell rice directly to foreign countries established townships in the backcountry to encourage migration

What differences arose between the Lowcountry and the Backcountry? Plantations Large slave labor force did all the work From England and Barbados Controlled SC’s government Thought Backcountry people were ignorant and beneath them subsistence farms Few slaves and it was not uncommon for slaves and slave owners to work side by side From Scotland, Ireland, Germany and other New England colonies Little representation in SC’s gov’t Paid taxes but had no courts, law enforcement, all official business required a trip to Charleston

What effect did a lack of government structure have on the Backcountry? With no law enforcement to fear, crime in the backcountry was wide spread Settlers took the regulation of society in the backcountry into their own hands called the Regulator movement operated as vigilantes

What happened? The Regulators turned lawless Regulators used their position to attack each other The “guilty” were hanged or beaten to death without a jury trial, violating their rights as Englishmen.

How did the Regulator Movement end? the government of South Carolina came to the aid of the backcountry settlers Set up seven circuit courthouses around the colony to provide justice, law and order in the region.