Province of South Carolina

Quick Facts: Who was Province of South Carolina?

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Province of South Carolina

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A British province in North America, existing from 1712 to 1776.

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2Day Chrono-Wiki & Primary Historical Archives

Origins & Early Life

The Province of South Carolina, originally known as Clarendon Province, was a province of the Kingdom of Great Britain that existed in North America from 1712 to 1776. It was one of the five Southern colonies and one of the Thirteen Colonies in America of the British Empire. The monarch of Great Britain was represented by the Governor of South Carolina, until the colonies declared independence on July 4, 1776. Carolina is taken from the name Carolus, the Latin version of Charles, honoring King Charles I, and was first named in the 1663 Royal Charter granting to Edward, Earl of Clarendon; George, Duke of Albemarle; William, Lord Craven; John, Lord Berkeley; Anthony, Lord Ashley; Sir George Carteret, Sir William Berkeley, and Sir John Colleton the right to settle lands in the present-day U.S. states of North Carolina, Tennessee, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and Florida. Charles Town was the first settlement, established in 1670.

Career & Major Achievements

King Charles II had given the land to a group of eight nobles called the lords proprietor; they planned for a Christian colony. Originally a single proprietary colony, the northern and southern sections grew apart over time, due partly to neglect by the legal heirs of the original lords proprietor. Dissent over the governance of the province led to the appointment of a deputy governor to administer the northern half of the Province of Carolina in 1691. The partition of the province into North and South Carolina became complete in 1712. The Yamasee War (1715–1717) ravaged the back-country of the province.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

Complaints that the proprietors had not done enough to protect the provincials against either the Indians or the neighboring Spanish, during Queen Anne's War (1702–1713), convinced many residents of the necessity of ending proprietary rule. A rebellion broke out against the proprietors in 1719. Acting on a petition of residents, King George I appointed the governor of South Carolina later in that year (the governors of North Carolina would continue to be appointed by the lords proprietor until 1729). After nearly a decade in which the British monarchy sought to locate and buy out the lords, both North and South Carolina became royal colonies in 1729. The Court of King's Bench and Common Pleas was founded c.1725, based in Charles Towne.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1663: 1663 Milestone — Carolina is taken from the name Carolus, the Latin version of Charles, honoring King Charles I, and was first named in the 1663 Royal Charter granting to Edward, Earl of Clarendon; George, Duke of Albemarle; William, Lord Craven; John, Lord Berkeley; Anthony, Lord Ashley; Sir George Carteret, Sir William Berkeley, and Sir John Colleton the right to settle lands in the present-day U.
2. 1670: 1670 Milestone — Charles Town was the first settlement, established in 1670.
3. 1691: 1691 Milestone — Dissent over the governance of the province led to the appointment of a deputy governor to administer the northern half of the Province of Carolina in 1691.
4. 1702: 1702 Milestone — Complaints that the proprietors had not done enough to protect the provincials against either the Indians or the neighboring Spanish, during Queen Anne's War (1702–1713), convinced many residents of the necessity of ending proprietary rule.
5. 1712: 1712 Milestone — The Province of South Carolina, originally known as Clarendon Province, was a province of the Kingdom of Great Britain that existed in North America from 1712 to 1776.
6. 1715: 1715 Milestone — The Yamasee War (1715–1717) ravaged the back-country of the province.
7. 1719: 1719 Milestone — A rebellion broke out against the proprietors in 1719.
8. 1729: 1729 Milestone — Acting on a petition of residents, King George I appointed the governor of South Carolina later in that year (the governors of North Carolina would continue to be appointed by the lords proprietor until 1729).
9. 1776: 1776 Milestone — The monarch of Great Britain was represented by the Governor of South Carolina, until the colonies declared independence on July 4, 1776.

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Province of South Carolina

True or False: “Did the Province of South Carolina remain a proprietary colony until it was fully separated from North Carolina?”

Answer (FALSE ❌): The partition into distinct North and South Carolina became complete in 1712, though governance issues persisted.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

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• Amedeo Avogadro — Historical peer (Born in 1776) (1776): Pioneering Italian scientist known for Avogadro's law on gas volumes and molecular theory.
• David Hume — Historical peer (Died in 1776) (1776): Scottish philosopher renowned for empiricism, skepticism, and naturalism.
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• Augustus II the Strong — Historical peer (Born in 1670) (1670): Elector of Saxony and King of Poland, known for his strong physique and patronage of the arts.
• Bernard Mandeville — Historical peer (Born in 1670) (1670): Anglo-Dutch philosopher, satirist, and physician known for 'The Fable of the Bees'.
• Edward Cave — Historical peer (Born in 1691) (1691): Pioneering English printer, editor, and publisher who coined the term 'magazine'.
• George Fox — Historical peer (Died in 1691) (1691): English founder of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers)

Frequently Asked Questions about Province of South Carolina