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

Government

Set of policies, roles, and responsibilities established to direct and control the uses of technology, direction of state, and actions of citizens

Why do we have government?

To ensure the natural rights of the people are protected (life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness)

Purposes of Government:

1. Maintain order by preserving life and protecting property

2. Provide public goods and services such as highways and schools

3. Promote equality through health, welfare and social equality policies

Economics:

The study of how limited resources are distributed in society through the concepts of supply and demand

1. Supply is the amount of a good available

2. Demand is how much of the good is purchased

3. the price of a good establishes the amount of supply available and the amount of a product demanded

South Carolina’s Government:

First Plan of Government: Fundamental Constitutions of Carolina

1. Became more democratic during colonial period

SC began as proprietary colony 2. Lords Proprietors had control over land and political

control of land granted to them by king 3. Proprietors attracted settlers by beginning to share some

political control with property owners

Largest plantation owners, the Carolina political elite.4. amassed great wealth & political power

5. Other colonies developed a political elite based on economic status too.

Carolina’s Government:

Legislative Assembly: 1. made laws including tax laws

2. bicameral (2 house) assembly (most colonies)

3. Proprietors & elite had greater representation in government than common man

Grand Council decided majority of each group in colonies –reps of Proprietors, colonial elite, and common people- should have equal voice in gov’t. Problem with this: the representation would not be proportional

to their numbers in the population

Later separate Commons House of Assembly established to represent the common people Representation greater for Lowcountry than backcountry

Changes in Control of Colonies:

By end of 1600’s most joint stock company colonies had become royal colonies and could not name governors

Royal colonies: king appoints governors to help control wealth or limit the independence of colony

Changes in Control of Colonies:

SC colonists asked to become a royal colony, why?

1. Tension between Proprietors & colonists

2. Colonists felt neglected by proprietors who collected rent, but offered little protection

3. Proprietors thought colonists were disobedient & were making little profit

4. Council protested to king about neglect & asked to become royal colony

5. King & proprietors made a financial deal, Carolina became a royal colony

6. Carolina split into South & North Carolina (1712) due to differences between wealthy SC & backwoods NC

South Carolina as a Royal Colony

Royal Government:1. representative assembly allowed Carolina some

self-government2. governor appointed by king (power limited)3. assembly controlled taxes that paid governor4. most often colonies left alone by king &

Parliament to control local governments

Economic Advantages of being royal colony:1. Increased subsidies for naval stores & indigo2. Direct rice sale by merchants to foreign countries3. Expanded markets to sell goods

Expansion of Colony Under Royal ColonyTownship Plan

1. Established by royal governor to encourage migration to the Carolina backcountry

2. Established townships in backcountry 3. Settlers established subsistence farms there4. encouraged animosity between the Lowcountry &

backcountry

First backcountry settlers: white traders & woodsmen viewed by Lowcountry as “uncivilized”

Lowcountry: first area settled, along Atlantic coast, Charles Town (Home of plantation owners rich from export of rice & indigo)

Reasons for animosity/tension between backcountry & Lowcountry

Lowcountry:

1. First area settled

2. Along Atlantic Coast

3. Plantation owners, Barbadians (rice & indigo)

4. Wealthy, prosperous

5. Considered aristocratic

6. Small white population

7. Larger slave population

8. Majority representation in Assembly

Backcountry:

1. Settled later

2. Inland

3. Subsistence farmers, traders & woodsmen

4. Poor

5. Considered “uncivilized”

6. Larger white population

7. Few slaves, anti-slavery

8. Less representation in Assembly

Backcountry:

Coastal settlers moved inland

Immigrants traveled along backcountry valleys from Pennsylvania (Scotch Irish & German)

White population grew & outnumbered Lowcountry’s

Backcountry continued to have much less representation in Assembly

Paid taxes, but got little from colonial government

No law enforcement so settlers became vigilantes

Regulator Movement:No law enforcement

Settlers took law/regulation of society into own hands

No Courts, so Regulators operated as vigilantes

Movement turned lawless

Guilty hanged or beaten to death without jury trial (violated rights as Englishmen)

SC government eventually came to aid of backcountry settlers Circuit Court Act of 1769: set up 7 circuit courthouses around

colony to provide justice, law & order in the region

Representation in Assembly was still disproportional & tensions continued between backcountry & Lowcountry