Province of South Carolina

Province of South Carolina
British colony
← 1729–1776 →
Capital		Charles Towne
Languages		English
Government		Constitutional monarchy
Legislature		General Assembly
History
-	Established	1729
-	Independence	1776
Currency		Pound sterling

A map of the southern British American colonies, featuring the Provinces of Carolina

The Province of South Carolina (also known as the South Carolina Colony) was originally part of the Province of Carolina in British America, which was chartered by eight Lords Proprietor in 1663. The province later became the U.S. state of South Carolina.

History

The Carolinas were named for King Charles II of England. Derived from Latin Carolus, the colony was originally "Carolana," the spelling eventually changed to "Carolina." Charles Towne was established in the province in 1670. Originally a single proprietary colony, the Carolinas fell into a period of dissension, due partly from neglect of the heirs of the original Lords Proprietors. Dissent over governance of the province led to the appointment of a deputy governor to administer the northern half of the Carolina colony in 1691. The division between North and South Carolina became complete in 1712.

The Yamasee War (1715–1717) ravaged the back-country of the colony. Complaints that the proprietors had not done enough to protect the colonists against Indians in the Yamasee War, and against the attacks of the neighboring Spanish in Queen Anne's War, convinced many in South Carolina of the necessity of ending proprietary rule. Consequently, a rebellion broke out against the proprietors in 1719. Acting on a petition of the residents of the colony, the British government appointed a royal governor for South Carolina in 1720. (The governor of North Carolina would continue to be appointed by the lord proprietors until 1729.)

After nearly a decade in which the British government sought to locate and buy out the proprietors, North and South Carolina both became royal colonies in America, in 1729.

See also

• Colonial period of South Carolina
• List of colonial governors of South Carolina